Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the
Grateful Dead
This Week in Grateful Dead History
Week 1
I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train.
Even the most cursory examination of the lyrics of Grateful Dead songs quickly uncovers one of the most fundamental aspects of the band’s identity: This is an American band, rooted in American culture, and built around easily recognizable locales and deeply American principles and history.
Other Posts
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 31 - July 31, 1974
All I leave behind me
Each year as the calendar turns from July to August, Deadheads are confronted with both Jerry Garcia’s birthday (August 1) and the anniversary of his death, in 1995 (August 8). This one week period is commonly referred to as the “Days Between,” after a song by the same name that was written by Garcia and his legendary songwriting partner, Robert Hunter. The tune was to have been recorded for a studio album that the band began working on in ’92, that was never finished.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 3 – January 17, 1979
And the seeds that were silent
The Grateful Dead rarely toured during January, and understandably so. After their traditional year-end multiple night stands, the band was more inclined to grab some well-deserved “R & R” than to hit the road during the first few weeks of the year. One notable exception took place in ’79, when the Dead played nineteen shows throughout the East Coast and Midwest before returning home to punctuate the tour at the good old Oakland Coliseum. Along the way was an appearance with a unique story at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven CT, on 1/17/79, my choice for T.W.I.G.D.H. (This Week In Grateful Dead History).
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 7 - February 13-14, 1970
All I said was, “Come on in.”
In 1974, around the same time I became a Deadhead, I came across a wonderful little book which made a permanent impression on me, called, “How to Make Your Life Work or Why Aren’t You Happy?” At the time, I found the central message in this book so compelling that I have retained it over several decades and used it as a life-guiding principle. This now-obscure book was a collaborative effort that featured the work of Ken Keyes (as opposed to Ken Kesey), a prominent countercultural figure, the author of 15 books (including the Handbook to Higher Consciousness) selling millions of copies, and the creator of the Living Love self-help system.
All Material Copyright 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Stewart Sallo