Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the
Grateful Dead
Deadaphors of the Greatful Dead
Got my chips cashed in
Truckin’ is perhaps the best known song in the entire Grateful Dead repertoire. Indeed, only Touch of Grey ever climbed to a higher position on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart (Touch of Grey reached #6; Truckin’ topped out at #64 in December, 1971). As with all Grateful Dead tunes, the deeper meaning of the lyrics is found in the metaphors – I call them “Deadaphors” – and Truckin’ is overflowing with “Deadaphoric” references that beg for deeper exploration.
Upcoming Weeks
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 16 - April 12, 1978
Is there anything a man don’t stand to lose
I was first exposed to bigotry at the age of five when my family unwittingly became the only Jewish residents of what proved to be a passionately anti-Semitic neighborhood in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The year was 1960, and the hateful echoes of the Holocaust were still plainly audible, particularly among the already settled Scandinavian and Protestant Anglo-Saxon population, which made no effort to conceal their displeasure at the significant influx of Jewish families to the Twin Cities.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 17 - April 23, 1977
Without love in the dream
Ask any Deadhead what period represents the apex of the band’s touring career and the Spring, 1977 tour will inevitably be cited. Much like references to the “seventh member” of the six-piece band being present during a particularly outstanding show, there was a seventh member quality to the magic of the 30 shows the Grateful Dead played in the spring of 1977.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 18 - May 1, 1977
I don’t trust to nothing
As we continue our focus on the Spring ’77 tour, we run head-on into five shows at the Palladium in New York City, April 29 – May 4 (with a well-deserved night off on May 2). The 3000-capacity Palladium played a storied role in rock music history during the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, when the property was purchased by New York University and converted into a student residential hall, affectionately referred to as Palladium Hall.
This Week in Grateful Dead History
Week 1
The storyteller makes no choice, soon you will not hear his voice; his job is to shed light and not to master.
It is often said that all good things must come to an end. But what is equally true – and far more promising – is that every ending offers the potential for a beginning. In that spirit, this literary trip around the sun begins at the end: the end of a year, the end of a beloved venue, the end of an era.
Upcoming Weeks
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 16 - April 12, 1978
Is there anything a man don’t stand to lose
I was first exposed to bigotry at the age of five when my family unwittingly became the only Jewish residents of what proved to be a passionately anti-Semitic neighborhood in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The year was 1960, and the hateful echoes of the Holocaust were still plainly audible, particularly among the already settled Scandinavian and Protestant Anglo-Saxon population, which made no effort to conceal their displeasure at the significant influx of Jewish families to the Twin Cities.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 17 - April 23, 1977
Without love in the dream
Ask any Deadhead what period represents the apex of the band’s touring career and the Spring, 1977 tour will inevitably be cited. Much like references to the “seventh member” of the six-piece band being present during a particularly outstanding show, there was a seventh member quality to the magic of the 30 shows the Grateful Dead played in the spring of 1977.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 18 - May 1, 1977
I don’t trust to nothing
As we continue our focus on the Spring ’77 tour, we run head-on into five shows at the Palladium in New York City, April 29 – May 4 (with a well-deserved night off on May 2). The 3000-capacity Palladium played a storied role in rock music history during the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, when the property was purchased by New York University and converted into a student residential hall, affectionately referred to as Palladium Hall.
All Material Copyright 2020-24 by Stewart Sallo