Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the

Grateful Dead

This Week in Grateful Dead History

Week 1

I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train.

1/2/70, Fillmore East, New York, NY

Even the most cursory examination of the lyrics of Grateful Dead songs quickly uncovers one of the most fundamental aspects of the band’s identity: This is an American band, rooted in American culture, and built around easily recognizable locales and deeply American principles and history.

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This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 50 – December 7, 1971
We used to play for silver

The term, “Golden Age,” has been used liberally throughout history to describe certain idyllic periods of outstanding human achievement. Originating in Greek Mythology, particularly in the writings of Hesiod and Homer in the 7th and 8th centuries, B.C.E., this label has resurfaced numerous times when a specific art, skill or activity was considered to be at its peak.

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 5 - January 30, 1978
Lazy Lightning

A quick review of the Grateful Dead’s 30-year performance schedule reveals a glaring “asterisk” next to the year 1975. Sandwiched in between 40 shows in ’74 and 41 in ’76 – and with an average of almost 77 concerts per year over their entire history – the mere four appearances the band made during their hiatus in ’75 represented a significant challenge for the Deadicated.

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 42 – October 16, 1974
Once in a while you get shown the light

There are so many things I love about mountain biking is that it would be impossible to list them all. But if I had to pick the aspect of the sport I love best, it would be the way getting out on two wheels represents a true “sabbatical” from life. Once the rubber hits the dirt, and I embark on another adventure in the wilderness, all of my troubles seem to melt away. And after conquering a completely different set of obstacles on the trails, the ones waiting for me at the trailhead somehow seem more manageable than they did just a couple of hours earlier.

Stew Sallo, A.K.A., The Deadhead Cyclist

Stew Sallo is the author of the book, The Deadhead Cyclist, and founder/owner of Boulder Weekly, an award-winning alternative weekly in its 30th year of publication in print and online at BoulderWeekly.com. After graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz, he cut his teeth as a publisher in Santa Cruz for 10 years before relocating to Boulder to start the Boulder Weekly. He has been a Deadhead since the summer of 1974, attended his first Grateful Dead concert at Winterland in San Francisco on October 19, 1974, and has since been to some 200 Grateful Dead concerts. Stew is an avid mountain biker, plays competitive baseball on three teams in his home state of Colorado, and travels each year to play tournament baseball in California, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, South Dakota and Florida. In 2003, Stew founded the classic rock band, Hindsight. He plays a Martin D-41 in the band and sings lead and backup vocals. Stew lives in Boulder, CO with his wife of 23 years, Mari, and their 12-year-old dog, Bella.

Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the

Grateful Dead

This Week in Grateful Dead History

Week 1

I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train.

1/2/70, Fillmore East, New York, NY

Other Posts

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 50 – December 7, 1971We used to play for silver

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 50 – December 7, 1971

We used to play for silver

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 5 - January 30, 1978Lazy Lightning

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 5 - January 30, 1978

Lazy Lightning

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 42 – October 16, 1974Once in a while you get shown the light

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 42 – October 16, 1974

Once in a while you get shown the light

Stew Sallo, A.K.A., The Deadhead Cyclist

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 50 – December 7, 1971
We used to play for silver

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 5 - January 30, 1978
Lazy Lightning

This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 42 – October 16, 1974
Once in a while you get shown the light