The Grateful Dead And Community
By Jack Connolly
When people think of Deadheads
(the self-given title for Grateful Dead fans),
they often think of hippie, burnout 40-
somethings with dreadlocks down to their
thighs, surrounded by a cloud of smoke.
This stereotype is not only unfair, it’s almost
completely untrue. The Grateful Dead is a
band that reaches so far out into so many
different genres and reaches so many
different social classes.
The Grateful Dead is an iconic
band. They defy genre in absolutely every
way. As the guy who sat next to me at my
first Dead concert once said, “The Dead like,
bring people together. You know, like, rich,
poor, men, women, every kind of person,
man, they’re, like, all here.” Direct quote.
While he’s a person who fully embodies the
stereotype I’m trying to disprove (two
syllables and rhymes with homeowner), he’s
right. There are so many different types of
people who follow the Grateful Dead, and
every person has a different story as to how
they got into the Dead.
Art by Sarah LaFarge
Art by Lenna Makrigiannis