DEADHEAD
Deadhead or Dead Head is a name given to fans of the American psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead. In the 1970’s, a number of fans began travelling to see the band in as many shows or festival venues as they could. With large numbers of people thus attending strings of shows, a community developed. Deadheads developed their own idioms and slang. (More from Wikipedia)
Talking about “death” in the name is a good way to make it clear your band means business, and there have been several over the years. The Grateful Dead is the best known of course; even today, when you mention “the Dead”, I think most everyone knows who you mean. And the legions of fans called “Deadheads” that followed the band in caravans around the country is a story that itself approaches legendary status.
(July 2012)
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One of the best songs on the Thomas Anderson album Moon Going Down is “Jerry’s Kids”. The reference is not to Jerry Lewis’s telethon children, but to the “Deadhead” followers of Jerry Garcia’s band the Grateful Dead. Besides showing his lively sense of humor, the song illustrates his expansive outlook on life: The song is full of expected praise for the idealistic Deadheads but does not dismiss the easy criticisms either – Thomas Anderson truly can see all points of view, unlike many of us who just say we do.
(November 2012)
