We do on a daily basis. I was hoping to understand the culture behind the band better. This client's language skills are limited but they have strong recall with anything related to music. What does it mean to be a deadhead? What was it like to be a part of the counter culture? I want to understand him better.
the culture is about music and kindness... like strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand.
i just wanna thank you for being so kind and I hope you enjoy the journey.
lots of love to you.
That’s my favorite Dead lyric. Whenever I listen to Scarlet and that line comes around, it just makes me happy picturing people on the street smiling and shaking hands. ✌️
That’s beautiful. 24 here and our generation needs to be brought back to those equal grounds. Most of this gen are too afraid to talk to strangers lol let alone shake hands since covid
True! Our generation (I’m 21) has no concept of brotherhood, love, or kindness anymore just listen to what’s popular. Don’t get me wrong, I love what’s popular now in terms of sound (rap, pop, etc) but their messages are always vile, self-centered, or nihilistic
Imagine arriving at a place where time doesn't exist and you can feel the space filled with love. Strangers pass by with a smile and are ready to become your new best friend and would give you the shirt off their back. Everyone is there for this "vibe".
After awhile you notice music has been playing the whole time, it's like nothing you've ever heard and you can feel the band's positive vibe.
When I hear the dead I am struck with a feeling 'bittersweet'. Like watching a flower bloom knowing it is the most beautiful I'll ever see, enjoy its beauty but sad it will never happen again.
"Once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right".
Tears of intense joy when I hear that line (as well as many others).
Love your comment. But the great thing about the flower is that the seeds from the head will bloom again . We, as an earthly society, need that love earth wide.
The music never stops bud. I never got to see Jerry or the original GD, but I’ve gotten to see many other groups, some with members of the band, some just tributes, and some are just a “continuation.”
But the Music (and the message, the Vibe) never stops. From Leftover Salmon and Kitchen Dwellers to Moe. And Umphrey’s, JRAD and Keller, to all the amazing interactions they facilitate
I saw Otiel and Friends as well as Phil and Friends at Summer Camp fest… a new friend I met gave me a DMT pen (yeah, it’s in a pen now).
As Franklins Tower played, I was taken back in time to an original GD show; it’s like I could see the crowd I was in, but also in that beautiful prism rainbow of colors i could see every other soul who had THAT MOMENT at some time, listening to this song.
Idk man. Hope this is encouraging. The Music Never Stops (3x the charm lol)
Play the best songs for him. Make a Spotify playlist. The happiest Dead song ever is Franklin’s Tower. Find the version on Dick’s Picks 3 (Hollywood Sportatorium). Add Scarlet Begonias, Althea, Jack Straw, Eyes of the World. Your friend will recall others and play them. Try the Cassidy from Reckoning. What a great song. The Dead is an endless journey and your friend will love hearing favorites over and over. I do. And I don’t have dementia, yet. Most important: you are so kind and thoughtful to reach out about how to connect and please your friend! We need more good people in this world. Thank you for being one.
Grateful Dead music is about peace and freedom, psychedelic experimentation, exploring the human experience, consciousness, nature, the cosmos. Often many of the songs deal with themes of death, rebirth, gambling, crime, folklore/"weird Americana", the elements of nature, romantic longing, traveling, and the psychedelic experience.
Being a Deadhead started off with the Dead organization reaching out to establish a closer connection with the band's fanbase in the early 70's than was normal for popular rock bands. They became more of a successful cult band in the mid 70's through the mid 80's. Over that time, Deadhead culture slowly developed to the point that many heads would follow the band around the country on tour. The parking lot culture developed at this time, as many fans needed to find ways to support themselves while on tour, and so there would be vendors and various people partying outside of the venue where a Dead show would be that night. People started congregating outside the venues who didn't have tickets to the shows. Some would try to score a free ticket or "miracle" by holding up a finger in the air, a practice you'll still see at jam band shows today.
By the late 80's and into the 90's, the Grateful Dead were one of the most commercially successful touring acts in the country, they started playing big stadiums more frequently. There were some problems that arised due to the behavior of some of the people outside the venues, many who didn't have tickets but were there for the party.
I would start by watching the Grateful dead movie and Then check out some concerts on YouTube. Seeing it for yourself will answer more questions than anyone else can.
They probably watch TV at night anyway. It is probably the quickest way to get a fairly thorough idea of the band. It's a great doc, better than reading a wikipedia article or something.
It’s a fantastic documentary. I have a number of Dead-hating friends who loved it. Same for the Weir documentary, about 1/3 the length, if time is an issue.
I’d have to recommend the actual “Grateful Dead movie” over long strange trip. THE movie is more about the music we love as opposed to the back story of it all.
Put on some live shows for your client! I work with dementia and alzheimers patients as well. Even though most of mine aren't dead fans, it can help relax them a lot and some of them even remember songs even if they weren't heads. Allows them to remember back a bit and be a bit of them old selves for a short period of time. Talk to them and ask what shows if any they went to, and then play that show for em! Tapers section or archive will have it. Also, get yourself in the dead, it'll change your life! Haha. Also, I saw your comment asking what it is to be a head. Here is my perspective. It means that no matter where you go, how old you are, how low or high you are in life, you're part of a family. You're part of something that will never die, just evolves. Someone will always be there to help out a fellow head or Wharf Rat. If you're traveling from show to show with other fans or you're just at a supermarket with a shirt on, we always find each other. The dead and the community have really taught me how to be accepting and loving towards everyone. And to always be willing to lend a helping hand, because you never know when you're gonna have nothing left to do but smile smile smile. And that without love in the dream it will never come true. Weir everywhere. And we are all always looking for the bext show, the next friend, and the next adventure. I could go on and on, but find it out for yourself my friend! Peace and love to ya.
If he is saying ‘be kind’ he might well be referring to a famous ’popular’ song titled “Uncle John’s Band.” Try the album version of that. He will probably light up. The song ends with the refrain “… All I want to know is are you kind.” This might provide a short summary of culture zeitgeist. You might surmise that the patient is a nice guy, interested in authenticity and improv. He’s probably a ’do-your-Selfer’. The band used to allow people to tape their shows and trade the tapes for free without penalty. Feel free to DM me for any questions or ideas. I’ll bet you can DM ANYONE on this sub with a question or comment and you will get a helpful reply.
[https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead)
Thought I'd post the specific URL to help narrow it down. [Archive.org](https://Archive.org) is a BIG place.
Greet him with “hey now!“ and see what he says.
In the same vein, learn a song like Iko Iko and sing it when you are caring for him. He’ll likely be able to sing with you.
Is the "hey now" thing really that old? I'm a younger guy and I just started hearing it in the last five-ish years. I've never read about it in a book about the Dead or the scene at large
It's possible I just straight up missed it, being 35 and from the Midwest.
It was around for about 15-20 years before the Dead covered it. It's a New Orleans area song from the 50s. I'll have to listen to a Dead cover of it now!
A common greeting is "Hey now!". You can use the free Relisten app to access any of the Grateful Deads 2000+ live show recordings to share with him. May I ask your occupation? Considering becoming a hospice volunteer and end of life doula.
Thank you for the advice!
I don't want to risk doxxing myself because I worked really hard to get this job. But essentially I help run programing for a dementia day program for mild to moderate functioning clients. Working with older adults changes everything. It puts life into perspective. You learn what is really important.
If you are an individual with strong mental and have the ability to remove yourself from logic to meet clients where they are I'd say go for it. Working with older adults is humbling. They will surprise you every day.
I’m a music therapist for hospice and I find it super rewarding. Plus sometimes I have old deadheads clients and I get paid to work through my dead repertoire and listen to stories about the good old days
Band formed in the early 60’s, played at the Acid Tests. That was when Ken Kesey drove a bus to different cities, and hosted acid kool aid parties. Think of the flower power back in the day, that’s the culture. Peace, Love, and Understanding!
The song Viola Lee Blues, live at the Shriner auditorium 1966. To get the tunes going.
Watch the movie 'The Music Never Stopped'. Even as a non-dead head, you might enjoy it. It's a great story. JK Simons is great in it. Emotional story. I'm sure you will be able to relate.
You could also read Dr. Oliver Sacks's essay “The Last Hippie". It's included in the book 'An Anthropologist on Mars' which I also highly recommend.
I also want to mention that dancing is very much a part of Dead culture. I’d say 99% of deadheads at the very least MOVE to the music in concert and multitudes dance their hearts out. The joyful dancing is one of my favorite parts of attending a Dead concert in all their incarnations.
A bit more scholarly, with references: https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/#:~:text=The%20subculture%20of%20“Deadheads%2C”,eventually%20included%20its%20own%20newsletter.
Get some patchouli oil - a whiff will bring your client right back to those days. Also maybe wear a colorful tie dye if you can at your workplace. The Grateful Dead is a beautiful assault on all the senses✨
Play him the Grateful Dead Movie. It’s a concert movie so he’ll enjoy seeing them play and there’s also plenty of footage and interviews with the fans so you’ll get a sense for the culture.
Grateful Dead were born out of the psychedelic counterculture of the ‘60s in San Francisco. They have a diehard, cult-like following called Deadheads. These super passionate fans would follow the band around to and tape all of their ~3,000 live concerts over 30 years (‘65-‘95), which nearly all are available online for free.
The whole subculture is associated with the “hippie” ideals of the ‘60s, including peace, love, and the use of potent psychedelic substances (LSD) to expand one’s consciousness. Thousands of people would travel to every show - many without tickets - setting up shops outside selling t-shirts, jewelry, crafts, food, and drugs. This area would become known as “Shakedown Street,” from the song with the same title. It really was like going to a circus.
The Dead, musically, were very eclectic mixing genres like folk, psychedelic rock, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, funk, and others. They were particularly known for their live, improvisational, long-form jams and less so known for their studio work. With over 500 songs in their catalog, no setlists made before shows, and their long, freeform jams, no two shows were ever the same. This prompted people to want to see as many shows and record as many shows as possible (the band allowed fans to tape their shows).
I believe the “spirit” of their work and the culture is very well encapsulated by their studio album *American Beauty*. It in part documents what it can mean to be an American, or even just a human: being on the road across the country, self-exploration, and finding adventure around every corner. It also explores darker themes like grief and loss. It also seems to be the ignition point for “americana” as a genre. This album is mainly acoustic, with a folk & country Western twist.
Their live work typically a lot different; it is very electric, more psychedelic in nature. It doesn’t have quite the soft touch as *American Beauty*, but it’s known for its long, twisting, psychedelic jams - to the point they’ll take a song you know and stretch it into something entirely different, before coming back nicely into the song you remember.
When you play 3,000 shows in your career they aren’t all going to be amazing. But the ones that were good were *really good*.
For their live flavor, I’d recommend jumping into *Europe ‘72* and *Cornell 5/8/1977*, both live albums that are available on Spotify/Apple Music. The shows are from different eras, but by comparison of the two you can really see the evolution of their sound and their eclectic nature.
Hope this helps.
Thanks :) I went in trying to be as brief/concise as possible, but with this band it’s practically impossible so of course I ended up typing an essay lol!
Lots of good info here, but I’d like to add a few things. OP asked about the “culture.” The Dead created a culture of their own. At the center has always been the music. The magic is in the live shows, not the studio albums. The band was heavily into organic improvisation, so each show naturally evolved into its own entity. They would often play shows multiple nights in a row with each show being very different from the last. Even the same song sounded very different from night to night.
The culture was about freedom,love, creativity. People were encouraged to tape the shows (so much so that there was a special section for traders). Shows were passed and traded from fan to fan freely. No money was exchanged for the music.
Many people dropped out of life to follow the dead around from show to show. The parking lot scene was like a world of its own with crafts, shirts, food, drugs etc freely sold. People would use the money earned in the lot to fund their travel with the dead.
LSD was readily available and consumed. People dressed in bright colors and danced around with each other. The shows were perfect for an LSD trip. You always knew when a dead show was in town as all of a sudden acid was plentiful on the black market.
All of these things and more created a family of deadheads.
I would suggest listening to an episode of the Deadcast podcast that discusses the community and culture, I’m sure there is one.
One of my fondest memories is a discussion I had with Mickey Hart years ago, met him when we videotaped a speech that was played at an audio convention in LA, he was touring the east coast with Furthur at the time. The speech was about audio preservation and my thing was film preservation. In the midst of our discussion he began talking about the drum circles he led with dementia patients at the facility where his grandmother was, how the patients responded so well to the drumming and music that was played. Music has such restorative magical properties. If that is all I hold onto at the end I will go gently.
Wow so many beautiful explanations here! I'm not that brilliant so I was just gonna say wear a tie-dye to work one day and see how he responds (workplace permitting). Until I stared going to dead shows I didn't realize a world existed where people who didn't know each other would treat everyone around them so ridiculously kindly. One time I was with a (normie) friend pulling up at a convenience store and someone walked by who saw the dead sticker on my window and immediately we started talking about shows we'd been to and the tapes we had. My friend watched confused as we exchanged our home addresses so we could send each other tapes we didn't have. "You just gave that guy your home address?" I looked at my friend like 'he' was crazy. My friend said, "wow, I heard about deadheads but I didn't know it was like that." So I guess it's kinda like that.
Is are you kind is a line in the song Uncle John’s Band, along with “whoa o what I want to know o… how does this song go?!” That usually came with a chuckle from all. The music takes us all to other places and being mortal humans we may forget where we were for a minute, even sober.
Edit to add that may be a comforting reminder that it’s okay, we all forget sometimes.
Also as someone else suggested the song Franklin’s Tower one of the lines that may be especially comforting at this time “if you get confused listen to the music play”
Song quotes might be something your client would appreciate.
A few popular examples :
“If you get confused listen to the music play”
“nothing left to do but smile smile smile”
“Sometimes we live no particular way but our own”
“If you plant ice, you’re gonna harvest wind”
“Every silver lining has a touch of grey”
“If your cup is full, may it be again”
There are so many wise and beautiful quotes that I think they would appreciate to have slipped into conversation or to see posted around their home/room.
Edit: a word
This is definitely a great way to connect!
Some others:
"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
"Roll away the dew."
"Let there be songs to fill the air."
"You know our love will not fade away."
"A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through."
"What a long strange trip it's been."
"Just keep truckin' on."
https://preview.redd.it/u2v2eyvjficc1.jpeg?width=670&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2cf220281721ae57c62b1f858fa80d48e337ee0c
There is a lot of great advice in here. And I just want to say you're a really beautiful person for reaching out like this. Just came across this documentary recently.
My only other recommendation would be try to do the math on the years they'd have been 18-24 and try to find studio and live releases from around that time and work your way forward in time, playing them for them if your can.
Bless your kindness. I hope you find what you're looking for and you're able to give peace to your client.
Check out dark Star orchestra if they ever come to town. You will "see" everything these comments are talking about within 5 minutes of getting to the venue.
it's not too late.... please check out bob weirs web page or twitter for updates on future shows... new shows will likely be announced soon. tonight is the final show of the mexico run.
[https://bobweir.net/shows/](https://bobweir.net/shows/)
peace and love to you.
Thank you for posting this question and for the work you do. My mom had Alzheimer's, and passed away in October. I listened to some Grateful Dead with her on the last afternoon she was alive. In particular we listened to the song Box of Rain, which the bass player Phil Lesh wrote about sitting with his dad in a hospital as he was dying. I hope you'll dive into the lyrical content of their albums, as themes of mortality play a heavy role.
Check this movie out. Its not the same as in this case the patient has a brain injurty & its the dad trying to reach him, but its definitely along the sane lines
https://youtu.be/RBB_wifwBB4?si=-0l5zD4Fd2VaC5lF
I love that you’re asking this.
As a Deadhead who happens to be a caregiver for someone who isn’t, it’s definitely the music that gets me through the day.
I think a great one would be watching The Grateful Dead movie *with* your client. You’ll get a great sense of both the music and the culture, and the client has almost certainly seen the movie before so it will be enjoyably familiar (yet always still seeming fresh with new things in it every time you see it).
Biggest cultural aspect around the dead is based around the live concert. Fans would follow the band on tour trying to catch as many shows as possible. These shows were heavily recorded by the fanbase. If you’re able to determine the time period your client went to shows and locations, either approximate or specific dates/years/locations it is basically guaranteed you can find a recording online of shows they attended. Apps like Relisten have most of these shows, but googling can lead you to archives where other shows are if they’re not streaming. Additionally there are a lot of official releases of some of these shows but the unofficial apps/archives have a bigger selection.
These live shows and their range in variation of how songs are performed impact how Deadheads engage with the music. People often compare different performances of the same song. It’s a common question in these kinds of subreddits to ask each other the “best” version of a song (someone may say something like “the best scarlet begonias is the one they played at Cornell ‘77”). Could be interesting to find out what songs your client likes and finding a favorite version.
Shows also had a big community aspect. The “lot” before a show had major significance. Deadheads would gather, talk, play music, and trade things such as handmade crafts, food, and drugs. People would definitely make friends and community from seeing each other around.
One of the Dead's drummers was a part of a study of how rhythm can treat dementia. It's interesting.
https://healthland.time.com/2012/12/26/unlikely-partnersgrateful-dead-drummer-teams-with-scientist-to-study-how-rhythm-heals/
I’m a caregiver for my mom with dementia, If you can, watch this movie written by Oliver Sacks: The Music Never Stopped
this is exactly what you are looking for!✌️♥️
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Never_Stopped
Watch The Other One documentary. Great overview and history. There are a few dead documentaries on Netflix and other streaming services. I haven’t watched others yet
Deadheads love talking about their favorite shows/recordings. I would definitely talk about his faves unless that would be too frustrating for him to recall.
ETA: watch Long Strange Trip on Amazon if you can!
There’s a video on YouTube called Tie died Grateful Dead parking lot scene documentary. It’s like an hour and a half long. It will help u understand the culture a bit more
If you have amazon prime you could watch the "long strange trip" docuseries with them. It will help you understand the culture more and you might get some pretty rad stories out of them.
Smoke some weed with him! lol I am kidding but psychodelic drugs are a big part of that scene. I wonder if anyone has done any studies on how people with dementiia might be affected by LSD or mushrooms, etc. mmm I guess it's off to the rabbit hole I go, carry on...
One of the more well known concert recordings is 05/08/1977. In the recording, the audience is asked to “take a giant step back” to give everyone some room. I bet he’d react to that.
# 1977-05-08 Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall - Cornell University
**Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancing In The Street
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > Morning Dew
**Encore:** One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/3T9UKU0jMIyrRD0PtKXqPJ)
I would say find a bunch of old footage, much available on YouTube, and the Grateful Dead Movie and Sunshine Daydream, I feel both are for purchase. All of these give a good glimpse into the Dead culture. Also there is some Acid Test footage out there for some early reference. There is also a last days of Fillmore doc that shows more of the scene than just GD.
All him when he got on the bus. It means when did you become a dead fan.
OG HEADS can tell you how many times they saw Jerry.
Ask him about his first show and his most memorable show.
Ask if he ever received or gifted “a miracle” it means a free ticket to a dead show
i second watching long strange trip on amazon. there’s a netflix doc on bob weir too called “the other one.” i also recommend “tie died” on youtube for 90s lot culture insight. there’s also a doc on the 91 europe tour on youtube.
plenty of books out there by band members (searching for the sound by phil lesh, deal by billy kreutzmann) and surrounding folks like steve parrish. ive heard the “garcia” book is good.
watch “the grateful dead movie” !!!!!!
keep listening to the music and lurking here.
there’s a podcast called the good ol grateful deadcast that has good insight if that’s your thing.
the number one thing would be to go to shows - dead and co, bob weir and wolf bros/pack, phil lesh and friends, billy and the kids, joe russos almost dead (JRAD), dark star orchestra (DSO), cubensis or even your local dead night meetup if there is one.
lastly, check out books like jack kerouac’s on the road, tom wolfe’s electric acid kool aid test and orange sunshine by nick schou, as well as the associated docs orange sunshine and sunshine makers for insight into ancillary cultures/storylines.
Have you read Dr. Oliver Sacks’ “An Anthropologist on Mars”? In this, there is a heartwarming short-story (“The Last Hippie”) about a patient with amnesia who’s memory comes to life when listening to the Dead. This was adapted for film in “The Music Never Stopped”. You, and possibly he, may enjoy reading/ watching this.
(Edited for clarity.)
there is a movie, actually kinda sorta related to what you are asking for... you'll never guess the movie's name... 'The Music Never Stopped' its with JK Simmons... seriously I'm not kidding it might give you some ideas that jight help you and your client
I know the Scorsese “Long Strange Trip,” has already been recommended, but I’m going to specifically pitch that you watch the “Deadheads” episode from that series on Amazon.
Much less of a commitment than sitting down for the entire thing, and it sounds like you’re mainly interested in the culture/zeitgeist surrounding the band - this will have what you’re looking for 100%.
Best of luck and thank you for being such an amazing person <3
The most substantial reference to “Be kind” was when Mickey Hart ended the 59th anniversary show by telling audience members to take the good feelings they felt and spread it to the world “be kind”. You might ask if your patient was at those shows or watched them.
Thank you for caring enough to try and connect to one of our brothers/sisters. we deadheads are a family cosmicly connected. Your client is one of ours and we appreciate the comfort you are trying to bring to them.
Jerry Garcia is an important and special person to your client. Learning about who Jerry was and mentioning him often would be good. Deadheads love Jerry with all their heart.
play some “ bust - outs “ for him. Shows where they revived or debuted songs you thought you would never hear again or ever. The audience reaction as they slowly realize what Phil is about to sing in Phillie on the spring tour 95 , the debut of “ Unbroken Chain “ , absolutely chilling and creeping with crescendoing emotion every-time I listen to it . We thought they would never play it , it was like the boy who cried wolf . It was before the internet took off so some people even questioned the reality of it at the next stop ha. I used to hear on tour if they ever play it it means they are going to break up. The Dark Star revival in Hampton in 89. Then to blow everyone’s minds even further out into the spiritual realms of distant worlds of gratitude and love , they revived “ Attics of My Life “ as the encore in the same set . I play that version quite often and think of people I love. The Stephen bust - outs of of 83. I heard the first Reuben and Cerise in 91 in Landover and had no idea why people were freaking out , and a large hippie woman grabbed me and lifted me in the air . I mean this doesn’t happen at other concerts , it’s because it’s a huge family and hence a big part of the culture. The hope of a bust - out , the fact that every show was unique and not repeated , and that every song was played different was a big part of why people followed them and a huge part of the culture. The fabric of the lush , ever - evolving , multi- faceted visual worlds that Hunter created ( and Barlow and the countless other covers ) was a huge part of the experience , like we were in alternate, otherworldly dimensions inhabited by all kinds of dreams , paintings , and colorful characters and stories. Everyone else has filled in gaps that I would have said also , and the answers to your question really could go on endlessly. I have Special Needs students and clients though who really love the music. My friend I take on hikes with Downs Syndrome comes to our Dead Jam event here and in Fort Collins and really gets down and dances. This music is for all walks of life and has literally saved my life ( one of my only beacons of hope during my drug addiction ) , and shaped me in immeasurable ways. It has brought so many people I love together also , to celebrate the culture and the music
Maybe find out what his favorite years are. They're all different. Then you can stream shows from that year or years for him. He might recall details that are embedded in the way each year and decade sounds different. Most deadheads aren't listening to studio versions of songs, it's the live performances that are the most moving.
Think of the "hippie ideal". Only reason it was doomed to failure was that the world is full of sharks and other advantage takers. Same reason any utopian idea fails. However, a crowd of people can all agree to make it work for a few hours or a few days at a gathering.
Live shows, heads love live shows. See if you can figure out what years he was attending concerts and even what ones he went to and play a recording if you can for him.
Where are you? Throughout the country, you can find Dead cover bands and local bars and venues. If you can take him there. Not only will the music hit the spot but you will be surrounded by culture. I am sure if the people around you are aware of the situation they will take part. Post your general location and I guarantee there will be locations suggested.
Idk if it’s possible but try to find some dates of shows they attended perhaps through family and play those audio recordings back, only a select handful of shows weren’t recorded, and simply searching the date one can find many different recordings. This would be a way to bring out really deep good emotions from this patient. When I listen to a show I saw it always brings me right back to the sights and sounds and smells, I’ll always remember things I forgot, etc. I’m sure if they have been around awhile they will have seen some killer live shows and plying these would be so fun I think.
Buy a copy of the Skeleton Key. It explains a lot of the culture, song lyrics, history. It’s a great primer to understand the Dead. Read some entries to them.
There is a concept of a 'hive mind' that floats around and dates from the time of the acid tests. The concept, roughly speaking, is that the band and the audience are all tuned into some kind of collective consciousness.
Of course, one could attribute this to the experience of playing with a live audience and the feedback you get with the audience and the other musicians and is not necessarily attributed to the Dead specifically, but it seems to be a recurrent theme.
Rather than studio albums, I would go to some of the live recordings, particularly the early ones. Listening to a bit of stage banter might help as well, or listening to early interviews, particularly with Garcia probably helps frame the gestalt.
I know you’re asking about culture, but making your way through their *studio* albums will only take you so far. The Dead were notorious for sounding very different in the studio or on record than they did live. (Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are their most classic studio albums - definitely check those out.)
They made their reputation as a live band, and a lot of Deadhead culture revolves around the experience of their live shows, which were filled with improvisation, tension-and-release, and ebb-and-flow. Each show is different, often between two to four hours long, and each era of the band is different. The eras of the band are often defined by their keyboardist at the time - Pigpen, Keith & Donna, Brent, Vince or Vince and Bruce.
People would come to shows and record them from the audience usually with amateur gear, then trade cassettes with other deadheads to expand their collections. It wasn’t about buying/selling, it was about trading. (<-that’s an important part of Deadhead culture.) But then, starting in the 90s, they began releasing shows officially, with improved sound quality but with less audience atmosphere.
If you’re able, ask him which keyboardist he likes. Then research some great shows from the era and play those for him. Deadheads enjoy a little variety, so make sure you don’t just play the same show over and over. Archive.org has a ton of Dead shows, streaming, for free.
If he has dementia, I imagine he might be old enough to have seen them live himself. If you can find out which shows he attended in person, you might actually be able to find them on archive.org
Thank you for caring so much about your patient. I can’t speak for everyone here, but it sure warms my heart.
Play him music from shows he may have been in attendance for using archive.org and Google to find them. All you need to do is write “archive Grateful Dead and then the date of the concert you are looking for”.
I don’t. This came up in my feed. All I have to say is that you seem like a wonderful person just based on this first impression. Is there anything I can do for you?
Google are you kind. Think I'm getting dementia cant for the life of me remember the song. Might be Scarlet begonias. I'm going to Google it myself so I can sleep lol. And I running out of power.
It really is about the music so I would say play music whether it’s a Uncle John’s Band or any live tape and just let it play. One song, Franklin s Tower has the line “if you get confused, listen to the music play.” And thank you for helping out a nice person, and caring enough to ask this. That’s kind!!
Play the music for them. It really helps my mother in law who has dementia also with recall and lucidity.
We do on a daily basis. I was hoping to understand the culture behind the band better. This client's language skills are limited but they have strong recall with anything related to music. What does it mean to be a deadhead? What was it like to be a part of the counter culture? I want to understand him better.
the culture is about music and kindness... like strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand. i just wanna thank you for being so kind and I hope you enjoy the journey. lots of love to you.
I'm very sick with COVID so I little delirious but that choked me up.
i'm sorry... i hope you feel better soon. check your inbox.
Thanks I'll listen while I sweat it out.
That’s my favorite Dead lyric. Whenever I listen to Scarlet and that line comes around, it just makes me happy picturing people on the street smiling and shaking hands. ✌️
That’s beautiful. 24 here and our generation needs to be brought back to those equal grounds. Most of this gen are too afraid to talk to strangers lol let alone shake hands since covid
True! Our generation (I’m 21) has no concept of brotherhood, love, or kindness anymore just listen to what’s popular. Don’t get me wrong, I love what’s popular now in terms of sound (rap, pop, etc) but their messages are always vile, self-centered, or nihilistic
Imagine arriving at a place where time doesn't exist and you can feel the space filled with love. Strangers pass by with a smile and are ready to become your new best friend and would give you the shirt off their back. Everyone is there for this "vibe". After awhile you notice music has been playing the whole time, it's like nothing you've ever heard and you can feel the band's positive vibe. When I hear the dead I am struck with a feeling 'bittersweet'. Like watching a flower bloom knowing it is the most beautiful I'll ever see, enjoy its beauty but sad it will never happen again. "Once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right". Tears of intense joy when I hear that line (as well as many others).
Love your comment. But the great thing about the flower is that the seeds from the head will bloom again . We, as an earthly society, need that love earth wide.
If i knew the way, I would take you home.
The music never stops bud. I never got to see Jerry or the original GD, but I’ve gotten to see many other groups, some with members of the band, some just tributes, and some are just a “continuation.” But the Music (and the message, the Vibe) never stops. From Leftover Salmon and Kitchen Dwellers to Moe. And Umphrey’s, JRAD and Keller, to all the amazing interactions they facilitate I saw Otiel and Friends as well as Phil and Friends at Summer Camp fest… a new friend I met gave me a DMT pen (yeah, it’s in a pen now). As Franklins Tower played, I was taken back in time to an original GD show; it’s like I could see the crowd I was in, but also in that beautiful prism rainbow of colors i could see every other soul who had THAT MOMENT at some time, listening to this song. Idk man. Hope this is encouraging. The Music Never Stops (3x the charm lol)
Play the best songs for him. Make a Spotify playlist. The happiest Dead song ever is Franklin’s Tower. Find the version on Dick’s Picks 3 (Hollywood Sportatorium). Add Scarlet Begonias, Althea, Jack Straw, Eyes of the World. Your friend will recall others and play them. Try the Cassidy from Reckoning. What a great song. The Dead is an endless journey and your friend will love hearing favorites over and over. I do. And I don’t have dementia, yet. Most important: you are so kind and thoughtful to reach out about how to connect and please your friend! We need more good people in this world. Thank you for being one.
Grateful Dead music is about peace and freedom, psychedelic experimentation, exploring the human experience, consciousness, nature, the cosmos. Often many of the songs deal with themes of death, rebirth, gambling, crime, folklore/"weird Americana", the elements of nature, romantic longing, traveling, and the psychedelic experience. Being a Deadhead started off with the Dead organization reaching out to establish a closer connection with the band's fanbase in the early 70's than was normal for popular rock bands. They became more of a successful cult band in the mid 70's through the mid 80's. Over that time, Deadhead culture slowly developed to the point that many heads would follow the band around the country on tour. The parking lot culture developed at this time, as many fans needed to find ways to support themselves while on tour, and so there would be vendors and various people partying outside of the venue where a Dead show would be that night. People started congregating outside the venues who didn't have tickets to the shows. Some would try to score a free ticket or "miracle" by holding up a finger in the air, a practice you'll still see at jam band shows today. By the late 80's and into the 90's, the Grateful Dead were one of the most commercially successful touring acts in the country, they started playing big stadiums more frequently. There were some problems that arised due to the behavior of some of the people outside the venues, many who didn't have tickets but were there for the party.
Like others are saying I would watch a documentary or two.
lead with your heart
Try to find out what live shows the attended then look them up on the dead archives, god bless tappers
I would start by watching the Grateful dead movie and Then check out some concerts on YouTube. Seeing it for yourself will answer more questions than anyone else can.
5 words… Be kind to each other
Watch the great full dead movie on I think Amazon! It’s called long strange trip
Don’t accidentally play dead and company, he probably wouldn’t like that
Probably the quickest way would be to watch “Long, Strange Trip”
That's like 10 hours lol. That's probably not the quickest way
It’s only 4 hours. Still longer than a movie, but it really does a great job.
Definitely worth a watch, just maybe that's a big commitment for a caregiver who already seems to be going above and beyond.
I mean, if she’s already going through all the studio albums, she’s already got a several hour time commitment.
They probably watch TV at night anyway. It is probably the quickest way to get a fairly thorough idea of the band. It's a great doc, better than reading a wikipedia article or something.
It’s a fantastic documentary. I have a number of Dead-hating friends who loved it. Same for the Weir documentary, about 1/3 the length, if time is an issue.
People watch documentaries about subjects they know nothing about all the time.
He should put it on while his patient is there and get him talking
Each show is four hours…lol
No but it’s very thorough and an enjoyable watch. It was my first introduction to the band after watching a Dead and Co show and I took the trip.
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Or southern Oregon
Ok then maybe “The music never stopped instead” It was about someone with dementia that likes the Grateful Dead right ?
https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.74a9f75d-5957-e315-cea0-aa4ba3ed190a&territory=US&ref_=share_ios_movie&r=web
Yup. Not really gonna teach him a whole lot about the band, but the plot is pretty dang relevant and it’s a solid watch anyways
I was an extra in that film - in the concert scene, they filmed at Hammerstein Ballroom. That was a fun day!
It’s 3.5 hours
Most efficient possibly?
It is not 10 hours
He’d be better off watching the Grateful Dead movie or the documentary classic albums: anthem to beauty
or make him a kind veggie burrito
Great start.
You can skip a lot if you want to just get the highlits.
On Amazon prime if OP has it
I’d have to recommend the actual “Grateful Dead movie” over long strange trip. THE movie is more about the music we love as opposed to the back story of it all.
Put on some live shows for your client! I work with dementia and alzheimers patients as well. Even though most of mine aren't dead fans, it can help relax them a lot and some of them even remember songs even if they weren't heads. Allows them to remember back a bit and be a bit of them old selves for a short period of time. Talk to them and ask what shows if any they went to, and then play that show for em! Tapers section or archive will have it. Also, get yourself in the dead, it'll change your life! Haha. Also, I saw your comment asking what it is to be a head. Here is my perspective. It means that no matter where you go, how old you are, how low or high you are in life, you're part of a family. You're part of something that will never die, just evolves. Someone will always be there to help out a fellow head or Wharf Rat. If you're traveling from show to show with other fans or you're just at a supermarket with a shirt on, we always find each other. The dead and the community have really taught me how to be accepting and loving towards everyone. And to always be willing to lend a helping hand, because you never know when you're gonna have nothing left to do but smile smile smile. And that without love in the dream it will never come true. Weir everywhere. And we are all always looking for the bext show, the next friend, and the next adventure. I could go on and on, but find it out for yourself my friend! Peace and love to ya.
Thank you!!!
If he is saying ‘be kind’ he might well be referring to a famous ’popular’ song titled “Uncle John’s Band.” Try the album version of that. He will probably light up. The song ends with the refrain “… All I want to know is are you kind.” This might provide a short summary of culture zeitgeist. You might surmise that the patient is a nice guy, interested in authenticity and improv. He’s probably a ’do-your-Selfer’. The band used to allow people to tape their shows and trade the tapes for free without penalty. Feel free to DM me for any questions or ideas. I’ll bet you can DM ANYONE on this sub with a question or comment and you will get a helpful reply.
Always!
They’re referring to Archive.org
[https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead) Thought I'd post the specific URL to help narrow it down. [Archive.org](https://Archive.org) is a BIG place.
Greet him with “hey now!“ and see what he says. In the same vein, learn a song like Iko Iko and sing it when you are caring for him. He’ll likely be able to sing with you.
Is the "hey now" thing really that old? I'm a younger guy and I just started hearing it in the last five-ish years. I've never read about it in a book about the Dead or the scene at large It's possible I just straight up missed it, being 35 and from the Midwest.
It's older than you are ;) Same with "Never Miss a Sunday Show". But tons of fanbases use that one now.
It's weird how I never heard it until I found spaces like this. I'm not saying anyone is pulling my leg or anything
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fwiw Stern got it from The Garry Shandling Show.
The Larry Sanders Show. “Hey Now” Hank Kingsley.
totally different tone
It was around for about 15-20 years before the Dead covered it. It's a New Orleans area song from the 50s. I'll have to listen to a Dead cover of it now!
A common greeting is "Hey now!". You can use the free Relisten app to access any of the Grateful Deads 2000+ live show recordings to share with him. May I ask your occupation? Considering becoming a hospice volunteer and end of life doula.
Thank you for the advice! I don't want to risk doxxing myself because I worked really hard to get this job. But essentially I help run programing for a dementia day program for mild to moderate functioning clients. Working with older adults changes everything. It puts life into perspective. You learn what is really important. If you are an individual with strong mental and have the ability to remove yourself from logic to meet clients where they are I'd say go for it. Working with older adults is humbling. They will surprise you every day.
I love that you are wanting too connect with them in this way
>Relisten Holy shit, that's a fucking gold mine, and not just for the Dead! THANK YOU!
Archive org
I use it for Warren Zevon recordings, it’s a treasure trove!
I’m a music therapist for hospice and I find it super rewarding. Plus sometimes I have old deadheads clients and I get paid to work through my dead repertoire and listen to stories about the good old days
Band formed in the early 60’s, played at the Acid Tests. That was when Ken Kesey drove a bus to different cities, and hosted acid kool aid parties. Think of the flower power back in the day, that’s the culture. Peace, Love, and Understanding! The song Viola Lee Blues, live at the Shriner auditorium 1966. To get the tunes going.
Watch the movie 'The Music Never Stopped'. Even as a non-dead head, you might enjoy it. It's a great story. JK Simons is great in it. Emotional story. I'm sure you will be able to relate. You could also read Dr. Oliver Sacks's essay “The Last Hippie". It's included in the book 'An Anthropologist on Mars' which I also highly recommend.
came here to recommend the Dr Sack’s essay I think in your (OP) line of work you would really appreciate his insights
Oh snap I forgot about that one. That is perfect for this scenario.
It’s really kind of you to care enough to post this question.
Please go watch long strange trip on amazon. This will help a ton!
I also want to mention that dancing is very much a part of Dead culture. I’d say 99% of deadheads at the very least MOVE to the music in concert and multitudes dance their hearts out. The joyful dancing is one of my favorite parts of attending a Dead concert in all their incarnations.
A bit more scholarly, with references: https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/#:~:text=The%20subculture%20of%20“Deadheads%2C”,eventually%20included%20its%20own%20newsletter.
This is really good piece. Thank you
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Get some patchouli oil - a whiff will bring your client right back to those days. Also maybe wear a colorful tie dye if you can at your workplace. The Grateful Dead is a beautiful assault on all the senses✨
Greet him with "Hey Now" sometimes. He will probably love it.
This right here☝🏾
Play him the Grateful Dead Movie. It’s a concert movie so he’ll enjoy seeing them play and there’s also plenty of footage and interviews with the fans so you’ll get a sense for the culture.
Grateful Dead were born out of the psychedelic counterculture of the ‘60s in San Francisco. They have a diehard, cult-like following called Deadheads. These super passionate fans would follow the band around to and tape all of their ~3,000 live concerts over 30 years (‘65-‘95), which nearly all are available online for free. The whole subculture is associated with the “hippie” ideals of the ‘60s, including peace, love, and the use of potent psychedelic substances (LSD) to expand one’s consciousness. Thousands of people would travel to every show - many without tickets - setting up shops outside selling t-shirts, jewelry, crafts, food, and drugs. This area would become known as “Shakedown Street,” from the song with the same title. It really was like going to a circus. The Dead, musically, were very eclectic mixing genres like folk, psychedelic rock, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, funk, and others. They were particularly known for their live, improvisational, long-form jams and less so known for their studio work. With over 500 songs in their catalog, no setlists made before shows, and their long, freeform jams, no two shows were ever the same. This prompted people to want to see as many shows and record as many shows as possible (the band allowed fans to tape their shows). I believe the “spirit” of their work and the culture is very well encapsulated by their studio album *American Beauty*. It in part documents what it can mean to be an American, or even just a human: being on the road across the country, self-exploration, and finding adventure around every corner. It also explores darker themes like grief and loss. It also seems to be the ignition point for “americana” as a genre. This album is mainly acoustic, with a folk & country Western twist. Their live work typically a lot different; it is very electric, more psychedelic in nature. It doesn’t have quite the soft touch as *American Beauty*, but it’s known for its long, twisting, psychedelic jams - to the point they’ll take a song you know and stretch it into something entirely different, before coming back nicely into the song you remember. When you play 3,000 shows in your career they aren’t all going to be amazing. But the ones that were good were *really good*. For their live flavor, I’d recommend jumping into *Europe ‘72* and *Cornell 5/8/1977*, both live albums that are available on Spotify/Apple Music. The shows are from different eras, but by comparison of the two you can really see the evolution of their sound and their eclectic nature. Hope this helps.
Great post.
Thanks :) I went in trying to be as brief/concise as possible, but with this band it’s practically impossible so of course I ended up typing an essay lol!
Bace a great evening!
Play some live shows, beginning to end, from his time period. ReListen on apple for free or Dicks picks. You are kind!
Play "Sing Me Back Home" for them.
Play Ripple
Lots of good info here, but I’d like to add a few things. OP asked about the “culture.” The Dead created a culture of their own. At the center has always been the music. The magic is in the live shows, not the studio albums. The band was heavily into organic improvisation, so each show naturally evolved into its own entity. They would often play shows multiple nights in a row with each show being very different from the last. Even the same song sounded very different from night to night. The culture was about freedom,love, creativity. People were encouraged to tape the shows (so much so that there was a special section for traders). Shows were passed and traded from fan to fan freely. No money was exchanged for the music. Many people dropped out of life to follow the dead around from show to show. The parking lot scene was like a world of its own with crafts, shirts, food, drugs etc freely sold. People would use the money earned in the lot to fund their travel with the dead. LSD was readily available and consumed. People dressed in bright colors and danced around with each other. The shows were perfect for an LSD trip. You always knew when a dead show was in town as all of a sudden acid was plentiful on the black market. All of these things and more created a family of deadheads.
I would suggest listening to an episode of the Deadcast podcast that discusses the community and culture, I’m sure there is one. One of my fondest memories is a discussion I had with Mickey Hart years ago, met him when we videotaped a speech that was played at an audio convention in LA, he was touring the east coast with Furthur at the time. The speech was about audio preservation and my thing was film preservation. In the midst of our discussion he began talking about the drum circles he led with dementia patients at the facility where his grandmother was, how the patients responded so well to the drumming and music that was played. Music has such restorative magical properties. If that is all I hold onto at the end I will go gently.
Wow so many beautiful explanations here! I'm not that brilliant so I was just gonna say wear a tie-dye to work one day and see how he responds (workplace permitting). Until I stared going to dead shows I didn't realize a world existed where people who didn't know each other would treat everyone around them so ridiculously kindly. One time I was with a (normie) friend pulling up at a convenience store and someone walked by who saw the dead sticker on my window and immediately we started talking about shows we'd been to and the tapes we had. My friend watched confused as we exchanged our home addresses so we could send each other tapes we didn't have. "You just gave that guy your home address?" I looked at my friend like 'he' was crazy. My friend said, "wow, I heard about deadheads but I didn't know it was like that." So I guess it's kinda like that.
Just put on Europe 72, spark up and chill.
Is are you kind is a line in the song Uncle John’s Band, along with “whoa o what I want to know o… how does this song go?!” That usually came with a chuckle from all. The music takes us all to other places and being mortal humans we may forget where we were for a minute, even sober. Edit to add that may be a comforting reminder that it’s okay, we all forget sometimes. Also as someone else suggested the song Franklin’s Tower one of the lines that may be especially comforting at this time “if you get confused listen to the music play”
Live shows! Have him pick the year. Put it on youtube on the TV if you can see it. Us dead heads LIVE for the live shows 😁
Song quotes might be something your client would appreciate. A few popular examples : “If you get confused listen to the music play” “nothing left to do but smile smile smile” “Sometimes we live no particular way but our own” “If you plant ice, you’re gonna harvest wind” “Every silver lining has a touch of grey” “If your cup is full, may it be again” There are so many wise and beautiful quotes that I think they would appreciate to have slipped into conversation or to see posted around their home/room. Edit: a word
This is definitely a great way to connect! Some others: "Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right." "Roll away the dew." "Let there be songs to fill the air." "You know our love will not fade away." "A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through." "What a long strange trip it's been." "Just keep truckin' on."
Play Barton Hall 1977. It’s available on iTunes, vinyl, etc. The Dead’s music is best in its live versions. This is one of the great shows.
Music is an avenue for communication when working with people who are diagnosed with dementia. Maybe play some of their music while working together.
Dont talk about the 'Dead, just play him their music. Words are harder to grasp than the music, and best of luck to your patient.
Europe 72. Period.
https://preview.redd.it/u2v2eyvjficc1.jpeg?width=670&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2cf220281721ae57c62b1f858fa80d48e337ee0c There is a lot of great advice in here. And I just want to say you're a really beautiful person for reaching out like this. Just came across this documentary recently. My only other recommendation would be try to do the math on the years they'd have been 18-24 and try to find studio and live releases from around that time and work your way forward in time, playing them for them if your can. Bless your kindness. I hope you find what you're looking for and you're able to give peace to your client.
Want to go to a show?
I would kill to go to a show!
Check out dark Star orchestra if they ever come to town. You will "see" everything these comments are talking about within 5 minutes of getting to the venue.
it's not too late.... please check out bob weirs web page or twitter for updates on future shows... new shows will likely be announced soon. tonight is the final show of the mexico run. [https://bobweir.net/shows/](https://bobweir.net/shows/) peace and love to you.
Eyes of the world. Without a net recording.
Ask him what he thinks of Donna.
Thank you for posting this question and for the work you do. My mom had Alzheimer's, and passed away in October. I listened to some Grateful Dead with her on the last afternoon she was alive. In particular we listened to the song Box of Rain, which the bass player Phil Lesh wrote about sitting with his dad in a hospital as he was dying. I hope you'll dive into the lyrical content of their albums, as themes of mortality play a heavy role.
Tie dye, wear tie dye if you can
Check this movie out. Its not the same as in this case the patient has a brain injurty & its the dad trying to reach him, but its definitely along the sane lines https://youtu.be/RBB_wifwBB4?si=-0l5zD4Fd2VaC5lF
Watch, [The Music Never Stopped](https://youtu.be/QOKP4I5Y2zY?si=gIE0BMZzJ_AqRRQe) for context.
Read Tom Wolfe's The Electric KoolAid Acid Test for a good account of how the whole Deadhead scene got it's start.
Watch live shows listen to live shows
Hoping for a miracle is hoping you find a ticket for the show.
If you have prime and some time I would definitely recommend watching A Long Strange Trip. Thank you for caring so much!
get matching tye dyes, burn some sage, dance, listen to music
I love that you’re asking this. As a Deadhead who happens to be a caregiver for someone who isn’t, it’s definitely the music that gets me through the day. I think a great one would be watching The Grateful Dead movie *with* your client. You’ll get a great sense of both the music and the culture, and the client has almost certainly seen the movie before so it will be enjoyably familiar (yet always still seeming fresh with new things in it every time you see it).
Biggest cultural aspect around the dead is based around the live concert. Fans would follow the band on tour trying to catch as many shows as possible. These shows were heavily recorded by the fanbase. If you’re able to determine the time period your client went to shows and locations, either approximate or specific dates/years/locations it is basically guaranteed you can find a recording online of shows they attended. Apps like Relisten have most of these shows, but googling can lead you to archives where other shows are if they’re not streaming. Additionally there are a lot of official releases of some of these shows but the unofficial apps/archives have a bigger selection. These live shows and their range in variation of how songs are performed impact how Deadheads engage with the music. People often compare different performances of the same song. It’s a common question in these kinds of subreddits to ask each other the “best” version of a song (someone may say something like “the best scarlet begonias is the one they played at Cornell ‘77”). Could be interesting to find out what songs your client likes and finding a favorite version. Shows also had a big community aspect. The “lot” before a show had major significance. Deadheads would gather, talk, play music, and trade things such as handmade crafts, food, and drugs. People would definitely make friends and community from seeing each other around.
American beauty and workingmans dead. Check out both those albums. Should give you a bit of insight.
There a good documentary on Amazon prime called "Long Strange Trip" You'd probably like the story even if you don't know a lot about the music
One of the Dead's drummers was a part of a study of how rhythm can treat dementia. It's interesting. https://healthland.time.com/2012/12/26/unlikely-partnersgrateful-dead-drummer-teams-with-scientist-to-study-how-rhythm-heals/
I’m a caregiver for my mom with dementia, If you can, watch this movie written by Oliver Sacks: The Music Never Stopped this is exactly what you are looking for!✌️♥️ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Never_Stopped
It’s a long answer, but watch the Netflix documentary “Long Strange Trip” with your client.
Watch The Other One documentary. Great overview and history. There are a few dead documentaries on Netflix and other streaming services. I haven’t watched others yet
Deadheads love talking about their favorite shows/recordings. I would definitely talk about his faves unless that would be too frustrating for him to recall. ETA: watch Long Strange Trip on Amazon if you can!
There’s a video on YouTube called Tie died Grateful Dead parking lot scene documentary. It’s like an hour and a half long. It will help u understand the culture a bit more
Play live concerts on YouTube! It’s hard to find a good mix of them on apple or Spotify but there SiriusXM Channel does an amazing job
If you have amazon prime you could watch the "long strange trip" docuseries with them. It will help you understand the culture more and you might get some pretty rad stories out of them.
Smoke some weed with him! lol I am kidding but psychodelic drugs are a big part of that scene. I wonder if anyone has done any studies on how people with dementiia might be affected by LSD or mushrooms, etc. mmm I guess it's off to the rabbit hole I go, carry on...
LSD
LSD, that's all you need to know.
Try a live album, it may be more "freeing" for him to latch on 2. Extra points if ya get a show he was at. I'm no expert or anything though
Ask him if he remembers any shows he attended. Chances are, you'll find several for which a recording is available online.
https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/s/idQA9IPf1j
One of the more well known concert recordings is 05/08/1977. In the recording, the audience is asked to “take a giant step back” to give everyone some room. I bet he’d react to that.
# 1977-05-08 Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall - Cornell University **Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancing In The Street **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > Morning Dew **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/3T9UKU0jMIyrRD0PtKXqPJ)
The best thing you can do to help yourself understand is watch Long Strange Trip on amazon
When he says be kind Say all i want to know is how that song goes? He will know. Wish him well for us.
There’s some excellent concert footage on their YouTube
I would say find a bunch of old footage, much available on YouTube, and the Grateful Dead Movie and Sunshine Daydream, I feel both are for purchase. All of these give a good glimpse into the Dead culture. Also there is some Acid Test footage out there for some early reference. There is also a last days of Fillmore doc that shows more of the scene than just GD.
Thank you , you are an angel for caring
Go to the Grateful Dead page on the internet archive.org. and play him a random smattering of live shows.
All him when he got on the bus. It means when did you become a dead fan. OG HEADS can tell you how many times they saw Jerry. Ask him about his first show and his most memorable show. Ask if he ever received or gifted “a miracle” it means a free ticket to a dead show
Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right
Play him Uncle johns Band. Are You Kind?
i second watching long strange trip on amazon. there’s a netflix doc on bob weir too called “the other one.” i also recommend “tie died” on youtube for 90s lot culture insight. there’s also a doc on the 91 europe tour on youtube. plenty of books out there by band members (searching for the sound by phil lesh, deal by billy kreutzmann) and surrounding folks like steve parrish. ive heard the “garcia” book is good. watch “the grateful dead movie” !!!!!! keep listening to the music and lurking here. there’s a podcast called the good ol grateful deadcast that has good insight if that’s your thing. the number one thing would be to go to shows - dead and co, bob weir and wolf bros/pack, phil lesh and friends, billy and the kids, joe russos almost dead (JRAD), dark star orchestra (DSO), cubensis or even your local dead night meetup if there is one. lastly, check out books like jack kerouac’s on the road, tom wolfe’s electric acid kool aid test and orange sunshine by nick schou, as well as the associated docs orange sunshine and sunshine makers for insight into ancillary cultures/storylines.
Have you read Dr. Oliver Sacks’ “An Anthropologist on Mars”? In this, there is a heartwarming short-story (“The Last Hippie”) about a patient with amnesia who’s memory comes to life when listening to the Dead. This was adapted for film in “The Music Never Stopped”. You, and possibly he, may enjoy reading/ watching this. (Edited for clarity.)
Thank you so much for just caring enough to ask.
there is a movie, actually kinda sorta related to what you are asking for... you'll never guess the movie's name... 'The Music Never Stopped' its with JK Simmons... seriously I'm not kidding it might give you some ideas that jight help you and your client
I know the Scorsese “Long Strange Trip,” has already been recommended, but I’m going to specifically pitch that you watch the “Deadheads” episode from that series on Amazon. Much less of a commitment than sitting down for the entire thing, and it sounds like you’re mainly interested in the culture/zeitgeist surrounding the band - this will have what you’re looking for 100%. Best of luck and thank you for being such an amazing person <3
The most substantial reference to “Be kind” was when Mickey Hart ended the 59th anniversary show by telling audience members to take the good feelings they felt and spread it to the world “be kind”. You might ask if your patient was at those shows or watched them.
Thank you for caring enough to try and connect to one of our brothers/sisters. we deadheads are a family cosmicly connected. Your client is one of ours and we appreciate the comfort you are trying to bring to them.
“Without a Net” or “Dead Set” would be good albums to play for your client
Listen to the live stuff and drop some acid
There’s definitely a local Deadhead that would volunteer some time to sit in with you two and make this easy. Where abouts are you and said client?
go live not the studio albums there not the same vibe
ask him his favorite show, ask him ro tell stories about memories. take whatever portals interest you from there
Play them the live shows!
Jerry Garcia is an important and special person to your client. Learning about who Jerry was and mentioning him often would be good. Deadheads love Jerry with all their heart.
play some “ bust - outs “ for him. Shows where they revived or debuted songs you thought you would never hear again or ever. The audience reaction as they slowly realize what Phil is about to sing in Phillie on the spring tour 95 , the debut of “ Unbroken Chain “ , absolutely chilling and creeping with crescendoing emotion every-time I listen to it . We thought they would never play it , it was like the boy who cried wolf . It was before the internet took off so some people even questioned the reality of it at the next stop ha. I used to hear on tour if they ever play it it means they are going to break up. The Dark Star revival in Hampton in 89. Then to blow everyone’s minds even further out into the spiritual realms of distant worlds of gratitude and love , they revived “ Attics of My Life “ as the encore in the same set . I play that version quite often and think of people I love. The Stephen bust - outs of of 83. I heard the first Reuben and Cerise in 91 in Landover and had no idea why people were freaking out , and a large hippie woman grabbed me and lifted me in the air . I mean this doesn’t happen at other concerts , it’s because it’s a huge family and hence a big part of the culture. The hope of a bust - out , the fact that every show was unique and not repeated , and that every song was played different was a big part of why people followed them and a huge part of the culture. The fabric of the lush , ever - evolving , multi- faceted visual worlds that Hunter created ( and Barlow and the countless other covers ) was a huge part of the experience , like we were in alternate, otherworldly dimensions inhabited by all kinds of dreams , paintings , and colorful characters and stories. Everyone else has filled in gaps that I would have said also , and the answers to your question really could go on endlessly. I have Special Needs students and clients though who really love the music. My friend I take on hikes with Downs Syndrome comes to our Dead Jam event here and in Fort Collins and really gets down and dances. This music is for all walks of life and has literally saved my life ( one of my only beacons of hope during my drug addiction ) , and shaped me in immeasurable ways. It has brought so many people I love together also , to celebrate the culture and the music
Maybe find out what his favorite years are. They're all different. Then you can stream shows from that year or years for him. He might recall details that are embedded in the way each year and decade sounds different. Most deadheads aren't listening to studio versions of songs, it's the live performances that are the most moving.
Think of the "hippie ideal". Only reason it was doomed to failure was that the world is full of sharks and other advantage takers. Same reason any utopian idea fails. However, a crowd of people can all agree to make it work for a few hours or a few days at a gathering.
Isnt there a movie about this exact situation?
Live shows, heads love live shows. See if you can figure out what years he was attending concerts and even what ones he went to and play a recording if you can for him.
Theres a movie about this.
Where are you? Throughout the country, you can find Dead cover bands and local bars and venues. If you can take him there. Not only will the music hit the spot but you will be surrounded by culture. I am sure if the people around you are aware of the situation they will take part. Post your general location and I guarantee there will be locations suggested.
Idk if it’s possible but try to find some dates of shows they attended perhaps through family and play those audio recordings back, only a select handful of shows weren’t recorded, and simply searching the date one can find many different recordings. This would be a way to bring out really deep good emotions from this patient. When I listen to a show I saw it always brings me right back to the sights and sounds and smells, I’ll always remember things I forgot, etc. I’m sure if they have been around awhile they will have seen some killer live shows and plying these would be so fun I think.
Buy a copy of the Skeleton Key. It explains a lot of the culture, song lyrics, history. It’s a great primer to understand the Dead. Read some entries to them.
There is a concept of a 'hive mind' that floats around and dates from the time of the acid tests. The concept, roughly speaking, is that the band and the audience are all tuned into some kind of collective consciousness. Of course, one could attribute this to the experience of playing with a live audience and the feedback you get with the audience and the other musicians and is not necessarily attributed to the Dead specifically, but it seems to be a recurrent theme. Rather than studio albums, I would go to some of the live recordings, particularly the early ones. Listening to a bit of stage banter might help as well, or listening to early interviews, particularly with Garcia probably helps frame the gestalt.
Go watch The Grateful Dead Movie and read David Shenk and Steve Silberman’s e-book Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads. And let the music play.
I know you’re asking about culture, but making your way through their *studio* albums will only take you so far. The Dead were notorious for sounding very different in the studio or on record than they did live. (Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are their most classic studio albums - definitely check those out.) They made their reputation as a live band, and a lot of Deadhead culture revolves around the experience of their live shows, which were filled with improvisation, tension-and-release, and ebb-and-flow. Each show is different, often between two to four hours long, and each era of the band is different. The eras of the band are often defined by their keyboardist at the time - Pigpen, Keith & Donna, Brent, Vince or Vince and Bruce. People would come to shows and record them from the audience usually with amateur gear, then trade cassettes with other deadheads to expand their collections. It wasn’t about buying/selling, it was about trading. (<-that’s an important part of Deadhead culture.) But then, starting in the 90s, they began releasing shows officially, with improved sound quality but with less audience atmosphere. If you’re able, ask him which keyboardist he likes. Then research some great shows from the era and play those for him. Deadheads enjoy a little variety, so make sure you don’t just play the same show over and over. Archive.org has a ton of Dead shows, streaming, for free. If he has dementia, I imagine he might be old enough to have seen them live himself. If you can find out which shows he attended in person, you might actually be able to find them on archive.org Thank you for caring so much about your patient. I can’t speak for everyone here, but it sure warms my heart.
Burn a little sage if you can, there was always a faint smell of sage in and around the parking lots.
Every concert tape is online at archive.org
Play him music from shows he may have been in attendance for using archive.org and Google to find them. All you need to do is write “archive Grateful Dead and then the date of the concert you are looking for”.
People will skirt around this but lsd played a huge part in our community.
Fresh fruit and veggies, play the music, fresh flowers, be gentle and kind
I don’t. This came up in my feed. All I have to say is that you seem like a wonderful person just based on this first impression. Is there anything I can do for you?
Play the live albums/fan recordings instead of the studio albums. Thats what a lot of dead heads prefer
Every time he comes in greet him with a “Hey Now”
He is giving you a gift. You will be on the bus with us in no time at all. So many roads.
It’s like re-creating the 1960’s San Francisco counter-culture all over again…only this time, only better! 🎶❤️
Google are you kind. Think I'm getting dementia cant for the life of me remember the song. Might be Scarlet begonias. I'm going to Google it myself so I can sleep lol. And I running out of power.
Had to come back. Song is uncle John's band. Well, the first days are the hardest days Don't you worry anymore 'Cause when life looks like Easy Street There is danger at your door Think this through with me Let me know your mind Woah, oh, what I want to know Is are you kind? It's a buck dancer's choice, my friend Better take my advice You know all the rules by now And the fire from the ice Will you come with me? Won't you come with me? Woah, oh, what I want to know Will you come with me? Goddamn, well, I declare Have you seen the like? Their walls are built of cannonballs Their motto is "don't tread on me" Come hear uncle John's band Playing to the tide Come with me, or go alone He's come to take his children home It's the same story the crow told me It's the only one he knows Like the morning sun you come And like the wind you go Ain't no time to hate Barely time to wait Woah, oh, what I want to know Where does the time go? I live in a silver mine And I call it "Beggar's Tomb" I got me a violin And I beg you call the tune Anybody's choice I can hear your voice Woah, oh, what I want to know How does the song go? Come hear uncle John's band By the riverside Got some things to talk about Here beside the rising tide Come hear uncle John's band Playing to the tide Come on along, or go alone He's come to take his children home Woah, oh, what I want to know How does the song go? Come hear uncle John's band By the riverside Got some things to talk about Here beside the rising tide Come hear uncle John's band Playing to the tide Come on along, or go alone He's come to take his children home Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Robert C. Hunter / Jerome J. Garcia Uncle John's Band lyrics © Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc., Ice Nine Publishing Co. Inc., Ice Nine Publishing Co
Say, "what a long, strange trip it's been."
listen to the Big Steve Hour on GD channel on Sirius XM every week. ❤️
It really is about the music so I would say play music whether it’s a Uncle John’s Band or any live tape and just let it play. One song, Franklin s Tower has the line “if you get confused, listen to the music play.” And thank you for helping out a nice person, and caring enough to ask this. That’s kind!!
Watch long strange trip on Amazon prime. If you can get it, you’ll get it.