Understanding the Grateful Dead isn’t just being able to rattle off setlists and songs, or knowing what kind of guitar picks Jerry Garcia preferred (Dunlop Adamas Graphite 2mm). It also requires familiarity with the situations and events that shaped the personalities behind the music. Show posters, letters, press clippings, and mountains of editorial content are available to any ‘Head who wants to take their Dead education to the next level. The Grateful Dead Archive at the University of California at Santa Cruz is the official repository of Dead history, much of which can be found online. There’s also no shortage of books, including scholarly analysis of the band and scene. But some of the most insightful observations come from outside of academia.

Our special guest Blair Jackson—author of Garcia: An American Life and former publisher of The Golden Road—has spent decades documenting the Dead through interviews with band members and thoughtful analysis of their art. His stuff is thrilling to read, and serves as a cornerstone of what has come to be known as Dead Studies. You won’t want to miss our conversation with Blair about his motivations for writing about the band. Casey and Eduardo also talk about why the Dead have become attractive to scholars, and Feed Your Head profiles original archivist and office manager Eileen Law. Check the show notes for a reading list!

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Show Notes

Reading List:

• Blair Jackson, Garcia: An American Life

• Blair Jackson, Goin' Down The Road: A Grateful Dead Traveling Companion

• Blair Jackson & David Gans, This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead

• Dennis McNally, A Long Strange Trip

• Steve Silberman, Skeleton Key

• Paul B. Grushkin, Grateful Dead: The Official Book of the Dead Heads

• Grateful Dead and Philosophy, edited by Steve Gimbel

• Perspectives on the Grateful Dead: Critical Writings, edited by Robert G. Weiner

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Would you let a hippie run your business? How about a couple dozen of them, including road crew? Considering the Grateful Dead’s success, it might not be a such a bad idea. This episode looks at how a ragtag group of rockers who were intensely skeptical of the corporate world became true innovators in business. Our special guest is Dr. Barry Barnes, Professor Emeritus of Management at Nova Southeastern University, who literally wrote the book on this topic, Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead. An old school ’Head, Barry is dialed into what makes the scene so special. Everybody is in it together—the band, the crew, and the fans. Call it a family. Call it a posse. Call it Dead as Company. That’s what we’re calling this episode, anyway. With Eduardo off globetrotting, Casey sits down with Kevin to argue about Greta Van Fleet, Grateful Dead tribute acts, and the idea of bands as brands. Feed Your Head profiles the ultimate Deadhead business, Ben & Jerry’s. Now we’ve got the munchies.