From: wtr@mitre.org (Bill Ralston)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Re: What do the Dead Represent? (was Re: Deadheads)
Date: 28 Aug 92 00:39:54 GMT
Organization: The MITRE Corporation

in article  <4888@balrog.ctron.com> mattb@ctron.com (Matt Brown) writes:

>Well, my newsfeed is so messed up that I am seeing replies to Steve's replies
>before I see Steve's replies, but I'd rather say something now rather than
>wait to catch up.

Don't start worrying until you start seeing replies to your posts before 
you make them.

>1) Represent...values...just a band.
> At base, they are just a band. But, they are more active in world-wide
> socual, political, and cultural issues than they ever were.  They are
> no longer a bunch of hippies living in the Haight.  They are talking
> about legisation, environmental issues, freedom of information, support
> of the arts in the face of censorship, ignorance, and cultural snobbishness.
> And more.  You tryin to tell me Barlow lives and dies Rock and Roll?

Does this band really represent these things, or have they just decided to 
channel some of their awesome earning power into supporting these things?  
I've never gotten the impression that folks that go to shows were expected 
(by the GD organization) to hold similar views, but it does seem that some 
of the deadhead crowd does has these expectations.

> Granted, the music is the central focus, by far. And the people who get
> too mystical about the Dead are overboard.

Careful - you're making a value judgement here - people do have the right 
to worship the Dead if they want.  They don't have the right to insist we 
all share that view, and they don't have the right to demand anything from 
the Dead simply because the band is the object of their worship

>2) Mold on bread
>  Dave Marsh? Are you out there?  Just kidding. Bill. Dave would have 
>  reversed the analogy - wth us as the bread and the Dead are the mold.
>  Actually, the analogy works,
>  but less today than a few years ago. The band is steering some of the
>  energy of the scene through Rex Foundation, Panther Dream, Lithuanian
>  T-shirts, etc.  They are picking their issues perhaps more carefully than
>  we, but they are getting active, and dragging the scene along.

The analogy does work either way; I like that.  Although I may not agree 
with all the causes the Dead support, they do it with style and without 
offending me, so I continue to support them by buying CDs, tix, and tees.

>3) The scene, the politics, the music
> These are the three central things revolving in this thread.  The original
> portrait of a deadhead talked about the scene, the culture, the attitude.
> I noted some ways this has changed.  Steve brought in the politics of the
> scene, then when I commented on the politics and activism, he moved on to
> the music.  Threading with Steve is always interesting.  Kind of r.m.gd
> version of Drumz/Space.  You never know when he will make the next
> thematic transition, and it's different every time, no matter how many
> times you've heard it. And you never know when the rest of the band will
> jump back on stage and add their notes (figuratively speaking).

Nice analogy; explains to me nicely why I jumped into this thread having 
hardly ever posted here before.  I just hope we can keep enjoying this 
space (continuing the analogy) without a bunch of audience members 
destrying the mood by starting to scream "Saint Stephen! Saint Stephen!".

Bill
---------------
wtr@mitre.org
** Opinions are mine only, and not my employer's **