Catherine Cox ’29
Staff Writer
The classic jam band Grateful Dead has been around since the mid 1960s, making its mark on the rock and blues scenes that accompanied the hippie sub-culture of the era. The sub-culture that the band found themselves creating the soundtrack to developed into its own sub-culture of “Dead Heads,” those who religiously followed the group on tours and attended every live show that they could. This community relayed its love for the band to the generations to follow, with many individuals today still listening to the Dead and worshipping the culture that comes along with it.
As I hosted one of my monthly Vinyl Night events a few weekends ago, I looked at the tapestry that hung on my ceiling displaying the Dead’s iconic “Steal Your Face” skull logo. I knew that a few attendees were into the Dead, or at least knew of them, but I wondered to myself if someone who does not regularly listen to the band could even identify a track as something that they have heard before. Is the Dead Head community something that is too niche for the majority of the modern people to even know about?
I began to reflect on the recent articles and coverage that I have seen about the Dead in the media over the past few years. I thought back to when co-founder Bob Weir passed away at the beginning of the year, and how my friends who were also fans of the band reposted Instagram posts about his passing. I wondered if they thought it was just some “old musician” that passed away, knowing that those who were posting these stories were of eclectic music tastes. I began to think about the Instagram post that I made regarding a former Vinyl Night event where I spun Sublime’s 40oz. To Freedom, which features a cover of the Dead’s track “Scarlet Begonias.” Even though my song choice for the post came from my love for Sublime, the Dead, and this album, did viewers think it was a random track from the LP that I chose to be the music behind my post?
The Grateful Dead’s presence within the modern music industry is most certainly something that cannot be ignored, as their cultural impact and musical legacy exists within countless areas of the music that we know, hear, and love today. What fans label to be the Grateful Dead official show was their show at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995, just about a month before lead guitarist and co-founder, Jerry Garcia, passed away. But, the Dead was “Built To Last,” as is the title of their 1989 LP, and Dead and Company was formed twenty years after this iconic show.
Dead and Company was formed in 2015 as a tribute to Grateful Dead’s legacy and music, featuring former members of the original lineup, such as Weir, and new musicians, such as John Mayer. The band went on various tours, and even had a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. I got to see Dead and Co. on their 2023 tour at Fenway Park in Boston, and it was such a unique experience. Besides the preconceived notions of the drug and hippie culture that came with the Dead Heads, I was taken back by experiencing the fourteen minute jam tracks live.
But, as I looked around the crowd, I think I was the youngest individual there at age 15. Even though I was thoroughly enjoying the concert and knew all of the tracks, even the deep cuts on the setlist, I thought about how I was the youngest person that I saw, and I wondered if there was anyone younger than me that listened to the Dead, let alone knew who they were.
The Grateful Dead’s legacy is something that all music fans, regardless of their preferences, should be at least somewhat knowledgeable about. Their impact and influence is something that no one can deny has contributed to the music that followed their emergence in the mid 1960s, and most certainly can still be seen within our present music society today.
I encourage everyone I know to check out the discography of Grateful Dead, as they have a lot to offer. Even if you have never heard of the Dead and do not know of their legacy, check them out. You will be surprised at what you will find. The next time that you see a bumper sticker with half of the middle finger missing on the hand (Jerry’s wood-shop accident), or the iconic lightning bolt skull logo, remember that the Dead’s legacy and impact is everywhere around you.
Copy edited by Molly Croft ‘29
Featured image of The Guardian
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