This is not the first time I’ve talked about the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast (see https://roymusicusa.com/2020/10/12/playing-to-the-tide-the-good-ol-grateful-deadcast-deep-dive-into-workingmans-dead/ and https://roymusicusa.com/2021/06/13/skull-roses-the-grateful-dead-as-we-know-them-today/) but the two recent episodes below hit a particularly special note with me (pun intended). They talk about the Grateful Dead as a genre unto itself and the bands that play it. Yes, we’re talking about the world of Dead cover bands, something I know personally. I went to college on Long Island in the Seventies and played in Dead bands and saw many other such bands during that time. One of those bands were The Zen Tricksters who are one of the bands discussed in the podcasts below. The Trickster’s Jerry clone was Jeff Mattson who now does the same for Dark Star Orchestra. Then he was playing the Right Track Inn in Freeport, L.I., now he’s playing Red Rocks Amphitheater (for what it’s worth, I was in a Dead band with Jeff’s brother Matt).
The podcasts cover a lot ground. From the global phenomenon of Dead bands in England, India, Japan and other lands to Dead tribute record Dedicated and other such recordings to a interesting discussion on the degree of faithfulness a given band approaches the Dead’s music.
The Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast: Season 3 – Episode 7: Skull & Roses 50: Playing Dead, Part 1
The Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast: Season 3 – Episode 7: Skull & Roses 50: Playing Dead, Part 2
As a side note, with the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics coming up, this article surfaced with a timely reminder of why my favorite band is so fucking cool.
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/grateful-dead-lithuania-olympic-games/
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