Deadhead thread

[rosarugosa]

I can't believe there aren't any other DeadHeads on the forum, although that seems to be the case. But I'm going to start this thread in the hopes that someone else shows up eventually!
"Strangers stopping strangers, just to shake their hands."

[Marianne]

Okay, I'll bite. What's a deadhead?

[herbgeek]

Dead head as in Grateful Dead? Maybe Zigzag man is one (going by his handle). LOL.

Originally I thought you meant as in keeping annuals alive by pinching off the dead flower heads.

[Gina]

I believe she is referring to the faithful fans of the Grateful Dead (an old singing group). I personally never thought their music was anything of note, but to some I guess it was more of a personality cult or something. But then not everyone thinks the way I do. :)

Rosarugosa, what did you find special about them? It's always been a mystery to me.


edit to add:
Originally I thought you meant as in keeping annuals alive by pinching off the dead flower heads.
LOL, that's exactly what I first thought when reading the thread title - except pertaining to roses. :laff:

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Semi-deadhead here! "Lately its occurs to me, what long strange trip it's been..................."

[rosarugosa]

Yes, the music of the Greatful Dead, although I do also deadhead my flowers :) Their catalog of music is so vast and deep, covering every type of music and every theme of life itself. It was Eyes of the World and Here Comes Sunshine that got me hooked. I'm going to copy & paste from my profile on Deadnet:
I'm the spouse who didn't get it - Dave and I have been together for 33+ years, and he's been into the Dead since he was 12 or so. I never had anything against them, but I wasn't really a fan and mostly just knew their biggest commercial hits (Truckin, Sugar Magnolia). We had a lot of bands we liked in common, so we really weren't musically incompatible, but I didn't quite get the Dead thing (Why would anyone want to go to three shows in a row? Don't you already have that song on another album?)
Fast forward to Sept 2004, and we're on vacation at a beautiful inn on the southern Maine coast. One of the CDs we brought was Dicks Picks 14, which contains the longest, loveliest versions of Eyes and Sunshine. At some point during the week, I realize that the soundtrack to our vacation is the MOST WONDERFUL MUSIC I have ever heard, and just like that, I'm hooked! Since then, I've had an insatiable appetite for Dead music, and that's pretty much what's always playing at our little cottage by the river. I've seen Ratdog 6 times in the past few years, and I was so excited to go to my first Dead shows in April in Worcester. Dave says he's not surprised that he finally "turned" me, he's just surprised it took me so long. Thanks, Dave!
Since I wrote that in 2009, we've been to 9 Furthur shows (their current incarnation) and 1 Rhythm Devils show (the band formed by the 2 drummers). I love the fact that I am always discovering "new" favorites, or really coming to love a tune I never paid much attention to before. Songs like Eyes and Sunshine and Scarlet Begonias and Chinacat are just absolutely magical, at least to my ears.

[ctg492]

Ask Hubby if I have ever not started singing "Busted Down on Bourbon Street..." if he is speeding and we see a Cop :)

[folkypoet]

Checking in. :o)

I was a little young to follow, but not too young to fall in love with the Dick's Picks series and blanket my music collection with tons of Dead concerts. :o)

[Zigzagman]

Dead head as in Grateful Dead? Maybe Zigzag man is one (going by his handle). LOL.

Originally I thought you meant as in keeping annuals alive by pinching off the dead flower heads.

I always liked the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia and their SF connection but after a few songs they put me to sleep!! However the loyalty and following was something I always thought was very cool. Their jam sessions are actually quite amazing.

Peace

[Marianne]

Originally I thought you meant as in keeping annuals alive by pinching off the dead flower heads.

LOL That's what I thought, too!

[rosarugosa]

Well I feel so much less alone now :)
Zigzagman, some of those amazing jams are the things that will put you right to sleep - an extended Dark Star for me = smoke/bathroom break time. Furthur is tighter than GD I think. They don't go as far into jamming outer space, they are punctual, play more crowd pleasers. Some (probably a minority) see that as a negative, but I am really loving them. I missed Jerry to my great regret, but one can only move forward. So glad I got on the bus while there was still a bus!
Three Furthur shows coming to my neck of the woods in Nov. Three shows in four nights in three states - trying to figure out if I have the stamina. I think we're probably going to go for it if we can get the tickets.
Also, this music is definitely a frugal. Internet Archives has over 8000 shows that one can listen to and download many of them for free. And shows are one of the reasons I am frugal in other areas. Less money frittered away on other things = more money for tickets :)

[Tiam]

There's other monikers for different followers of different bands. Parrot Heads for Jimmy Buffet, Rusties for Neil Young fans.

[Weston]

I'm very familiar with the Dead since just about all my friends from my late teens and early twenties were Deadheads. Listened to hours and hours of Grateful Dead records and went to 2 Dead concerts and 3 other concerts by Dead members and their other groups.

Thought they were awful when I had to listen to them 40 years ago. Think they are awful now, although I do think that both Garcia and Weir did manage to write a couple of catchy tunes, and Hart was an above average (but not great) drummer.
Love the idea of the Dead. Always hated the execution (in particular Garcia's guitar playing)

I am however grateful (pun intended) that they were the impetus for my favorite rock and roll joke.

"What did the Deadhead say after he gave up drugs?"

"Man this band sucks!"

[folkypoet]

Man, I *love* his playing - especially with Grisman. Old and in the Way? I just can't get enough. Some of my all-time favorite bluegrass. To each his own, I guess, but I can't imagine seeing Garcia as anything less than supremely talented.

[Weston]

Man, I *love* his playing - especially with Grisman. Old and in the Way? I just can't get enough.

Yeah definitely agree on the "to each his own" part. I like but am not crazy about Grisman either.

I do however really like his playing on both the original Muleskinner album and the original David Grisman Quintet. I believe that his playing on both those albums is much better than what he displays on Old and In The Way and I attribute that in no small measure to the fact that he was playing with Clarence White and later Tony Rice, both of whom I consider to be virtuoso acoustic guitarists.

[puglogic]

Not a Deadhead myself, but I love the community that was created. Widespread people seem to be the same way - with both of them, it's like they have formed an extended family (of choice) for themselves. If it makes them happy, it's cool to me.

[rosarugosa]

Weston: And I wasn't into this band at all in my weed indulging years; I only learned to love this music decades afterwards. But music is enormously a "to each his own" proposition. I guess that's true of most art forms. DH commented recently on the Mona Lisa's smirk!
We have a great Grisman and Garcia CD, "Not for Kids Only." Very fun stuff :)

[Acorn]

There is music from my youth that I didn't care for when I was young that I like as a middle aged adult. It's probably just nostalgia. I haven't listened to the Dead in a long while, but have a few albums loaded on my ipod and as a result of this thread I'll probably listen to their music today. Some Sugar Magnolia will surely bring back good memories. I wouldn't say I'm a dead head, but I used to enjoy their music and have seen them a few times in NYC. The memories are a bit hazy, but I specifically remember a group of about 20 sitting in a circle in the lobby of Radio City Music Hall giving each other back rubs. :)

[decemberlov]

RIP Jerry <3

Don't be a collector of more than you need, got a lot of things growing, but keep watching your seeds....