Although Jerry Garcia’s band does not have anything to do with funerals, we wanted to devote this post to discussing the group and its fan club because they hold a permanent place in popular culture. And how could we ignore a musical movement, The Grateful Dead, that embraces the very subject of our stock and trade?
Who are the Grateful Dead?
Originally a quintet from California, the band began in 1965. They fused rock and roll, folk, and jazz with avant-garde, visual, and literary traditions – virtually inventing a new musical style in the process. Some argue they created an artistic ecosystem all their own, transforming American music and arguably even America itself.
Who are Deadheads?
Authors credit the Grateful Dead itself for encouraging an entire subculture. The group’s founding was timely, at least in part, because it emerged during the turbulent 1960s. So, it was only natural that followers created a stir on their own. “’Deadheads,’ as people called them in 1971, attribute their devotion to two things. They describe “peaceful, valued camaraderie and shared resources. (It also) offered a refreshing escape from the previous dominance of individualism, materialism and competition.”
What Deadheads Do
The band calls a section of the audience at concerts “tapers.” It includes people who tape the shows. Although most bands discourage the practice, the Grateful Dead and its management encourage taping Grateful Dead shows. The practice has produced a bustling cottage tape-trading industry. The band prides itself on never playing the same set twice. And the prolific amateur recording collections bear this out. Another subculture resulting from Deadheads is art. In fact, many deadheads use proceeds from original Grateful Dead art sales to finance tickets and travel to shows (in pre-COVID-19 times).
Deadheads Today
Although the surviving members of the Grateful Dead (along with new members) had scheduled a concert tour in 2020, the pandemic sidelined those plans. An offshoot band called Dead and Company plans to pick up the mantle as soon as lockdown restrictions lift. But while Jerry Garcia and several other original band members have died, the band and its fans continue to remain connected through online forums and devotion to bands such as Phish and Rusted Root. Commitment to the band remains important.
One of the band’ long-time percussionists, Mickey Hart, explained the reason the new band places importance on a revival tour: “We’re living in an incredibly difficult, worrisome, scary time. Where everything is being turned upside-down. And people need a home base. From where I sit, I could be doing nothing better than to be able to bring that feeling of home to so many people.”
About Foothill Funeral & Cremation in Glendora, California
Whether or not you consider yourself a fan of the Grateful Dead, if you know someone who has died, please allow us the honor to help you during this difficult time. Feel free to contact us now to pre-plan your own memorial or at your time of need (626) 335-0615. Our relationship with the United Methodist Church and Sacred Heart (which currently allows a maximum of 65 people) provides great places for mourners to host funerals and memorials. You’ll love the grandiose yet intimate settings in both locations.