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Volume 1.


Date: Mon, 1 Jul 96
From: "JEFF BRESSLER"
To: deadfile
Subject: god i miss you all

Man, just when i was getting a grip on myself,someone turns me on to this web page and I become a sobbing idiot all over again.!! I always knew about this site but but was very reluctant to log-on.(for the above reasons). The reason I broke-down and logged on was all the crappola info I was getting regarding the further festival. I NEEDED THE STRAIGHT POOP!! Thank you all for helping me out. I got the info I needed,and a refreshing reminder of why you all were(and are) sooooooo important for me.

My vacation days revolved around the spring/summer tours in the south-east and mid-west areas. The tour was my safety-valve. One show a year would go a long way in the sanity department; two or more were a gift from god!! Even if I didnt get into a show, It was OK cuz I was always with my people which was what I really wanted;(a show too was just the most delicious icing on a already great cake!!)

My last shows were in Birmingham and Memphis. At the time I knew these two new cities would be great venues, and they were. Birmingham especially. Not since the early Atlanta shows have I been impressed by a city rolling out the red carpet. It was one of the best shakedown streets known to man. If a vendor didnt have a proper licence to sell, the local authorities issued one for a nominal fee and no disruption of commerce occured. There were porta-poties on every corner. Only gas-passers were in peril. In retrospect, it was a fantastic place to end an era for me. Well all, I hope to see you further and further.Thanx for being my friends and loving me for who I am. Thank you for being everything I think the world should be ,and,for being there when the world harshly shows me it is not!! To Jerry and the band, thanks for the calming effect you have on my soul.you have made me a better person(not perfect but better) and the people you have introduced me to have restored, and restored,and restoed my faith in the human race!!!

I am not worried about us! after viewing this page and reading the contents, I feel the rush of confidence and love I got from the shows. And I know we can and will continue because it is right and correct( as it has always been.!!) I hope some of you will e-mail me back. I am not new to computers but new to the web, so i hope you will BEAR with me for being a bit behind the curve.
I bid you good-night!!!
TENNESSEE BREZ

p.s. I am in nashville and would highly acknowledge the people who
have kept me sane since jerry passed. That would be the two Kick-ass D-J's on 91.1,WRVU. Vanderbilt's public radio station has a once- a week show called "91 dead-fish" . You guessed-it. they play LIVE dead showtapes and fish bootlegs. great program. have made some wonderful FM composites of some very good recordings.-will share.



Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996
From: ryoukind
Subject: goin' down the road feelin' bad...
To: deadfile

....and ya know it's gonna be fun! getting ready to head out to furthur tommorow at alpine valley, wisc. i was afraid something like this would never develop after we lost jerry, but you guys have proven once again that the music never stops. i love each and every one of you, and cant wait 'till the show starts tomorrow! see ya there! nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.....

tyler, deadhead since '72


Date: Sat, 06 Jul 1996
From: mee
To: deadfile
Subject: Grateul Dead Exhibit in Los Angeles

Hi there,

Attached is a txt file from the Los Angeles Times homepage.

It is an article that ran in the paper last week about an exhibit in the Los Angeles area for the next 2 months. Thought I would try to help spread the word about the show. You actually had a message about this in vol. 3, but this is new and updated. I have not gone yet, but will definitly go before long!

I still miss the Dead so much, but i am so looking forward to the Further Fess on Jerry's birthday!

Smile and be happy!

Gary Friedman
Los Angeles

O.C.'s 'Dead on the Wall' Looks at Deadheads Through Their Own Art

By JOHN POPE, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Following the Grateful Dead on the band's extensive tours
was, according to guitarist Jerry Garcia, one of the last great road adventures a person could have in present-day America.
"You can't hop the freights anymore," Garcia said a few
years ago. "But you can still chase the Grateful Dead around."
For legions of fans, known as Deadheads, that option also
came to an end after Garcia's death in August and the subsequent dissolution of the band, which formed in 1965.

Say what you will about Deadheads--they've heard it
all--but they represent an enduring subculture in their near-religious devotion to the band.

That subculture, including its art, memorabilia and music, is
examined through the eyes of its members in the documentary exhibition "Dead on the Wall: Grateful Dead and Deadhead Iconography From 30 Years on the Bus," which opens today at the Huntington Beach Art Center.
One of the exhibit's goals, curator Chris Cole said, "is to
help explain the [Deadhead] culture, which is very misunderstood. It's not just about people living out of their vans. There's a lot more to it."
Toward that goal, Cole gathered about 100 items, on loan
from fans, including artwork, photographs, clothing, handbills and ticket stubs. Cole, a veteran of more than 40 Grateful Dead performances, works as an aide at the art center and is curating his first exhibit, with education director Tyler Stallings. The exhibit also is intended as a tribute to Garcia.

"We let this show kind of take on its own shape," Cole said, noting that one of the Grateful Dead's hallmarks was the free-form structure of its music. Cole said that his recent appearance on KPFK-FM (90.7) on a weekly radio show devoted to the Dead's music helped spread the word and also lent legitimacy to his cause.

"At first people weren't really sure if they wanted to part
with some of this, even temporarily," Stallings said. "It's not like approaching an artist who expects to have his work in a gallery. This was more like asking a Catholic to let us display his cross."

Religion, in fact, is an ongoing theme in the show. The Deadhead community, as the exhibit points out, represents a strong example of a "popular" religion, based on a common pursuit of mystical experiences through the ritual uses of music, dance and, often, hallucinogens.
Some examples of this religion include the icons and graphic imagery often used by Deadheads in their artwork (the skull and roses, dancing bears and other symbols) and the unabashedly devotional items (a portable shrine called the "suitcase altar," which a group of Deadheads would reassemble in each new hotel room).

"What interested me about this project, as a non-Deadhead, is that most of this artwork came not out of formal training but out of the social setting," Stallings said. "It is an example of a true community-based art form."

Most of the exhibit's items are from Deadheads in Orange County, Cole noted. A collection of paintings by Costa Mesa artist Marc Almera, for example, will be instantly recognizable to most fans because much of his work has been purchased by the Grateful Dead's merchandising company for use on T-shirts and posters.

The distinctive Grateful Dead concert posters on display, by artists such as Rick Griffin and Stanley Mouse, provide examples of art born from the psychedelic influences of the 1960s. Many of the items on display are examples of the types sold or traded in concert parking lots by Deadheads supporting themselves on tour. The underlying message of the exhibit can be seen as transportation, whether it be literal (a van plastered with Dead insignias) or cerebral (a huge, floor-to-ceiling tunnel of tie-dyed cloth called the Jerry Garcia Memorial Curtain).

Viewers entering the gallery will encounter a psychedelic
mood created through colored lights, a flashing strobe and Grateful Dead music from concert videos chosen to highlight the group's improvisational style. Additional films, such as the acclaimed documentary
"Tie-Died: Rock and Roll's Most Dedicated Fans," will be shown over the course of the exhibition's two-month run.

Although most Deadheads will have seen many of the types of items on display, even the most ardent fans may be impressed with at least two: an original "American Beauty" album cover signed by all the contributing band members, and a collection of postage stamps featuring Garcia's image.
(Although the U.S. hasn't issued any, at least seven nations have honored the guitarist with stamps.) "Dead on the Wall" does not present a complete biography of the band, nor is it meant to.

But through the items on display and the accompanying text, which the curators took mostly from the book "Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads," visitors should be able to gain some insights into the music and appeal of the Dead.

For instance:
* The group's policy of permitting--even encouraging--Deadheads to record concerts was revolutionary and generated intense loyalty among fans. Tape trading and collecting was an integral part of the scene.

* The nomadic Deadheads created town-like settlements in the parking lots before each concert, with bazaar-style vendors hawking a variety of wares, often accompanied by a frenzied drumming circle.

* No two Dead concerts were alike. Their improvisational
blend of jazz, blues, rock, electronic and country music prompted many fans to record the songs in the order they were played. These set lists were often put into notebooks, which are also on display in the exhibit.

* "Dead on the Wall" opens today at the Huntington Beach
Art Center, 538 Main St. Gallery hours: Fridays-Saturdays, noon-9 p.m.; Sundays, noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, noon-6 p.m.; Thursdays, noon-8 p.m. $3. A free opening reception will be tonight from 8 to 11 and will feature the Grateful Dead tribute band Suns of the Dead, a Deadhead car show and two light shows. Cole will give a lecture today at 2 p.m. Through Sept. 1. (714) 374-1650.
Copyright Los Angeles Times



Date: Sat, 06 Jul 1996
From: mee
To: deadfile
Subject: Grateul Dead Exhibit in Los Angeles

Hi there,

Attached is a txt file from the Los Angeles Times homepage.

It is an article that ran in the paper last week about an exhibit in the Los Angeles area for the next 2 months. Thought I would try to help spread the word about the show. You actually had a message about this in vol. 3, but this is new and updated. I have not gone yet, but will definitly go before long!

I still miss the Dead so much, but i am so looking forward to the Further Fess on Jerry's birthday!

Smile and be happy!

Gary Friedman
Los Angeles

O.C.'s 'Dead on the Wall' Looks at Deadheads Through Their Own Art

By JOHN POPE, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Following the Grateful Dead on the band's extensive tours
was, according to guitarist Jerry Garcia, one of the last great road adventures a person could have in present-day America.
"You can't hop the freights anymore," Garcia said a few
years ago. "But you can still chase the Grateful Dead around."
For legions of fans, known as Deadheads, that option also
came to an end after Garcia's death in August and the subsequent dissolution of the band, which formed in 1965.

Say what you will about Deadheads--they've heard it
all--but they represent an enduring subculture in their near-religious devotion to the band.

That subculture, including its art, memorabilia and music, is
examined through the eyes of its members in the documentary exhibition "Dead on the Wall: Grateful Dead and Deadhead Iconography From 30 Years on the Bus," which opens today at the Huntington Beach Art Center.
One of the exhibit's goals, curator Chris Cole said, "is to
help explain the [Deadhead] culture, which is very misunderstood. It's not just about people living out of their vans. There's a lot more to it."
Toward that goal, Cole gathered about 100 items, on loan
from fans, including artwork, photographs, clothing, handbills and ticket stubs. Cole, a veteran of more than 40 Grateful Dead performances, works as an aide at the art center and is curating his first exhibit, with education director Tyler Stallings. The exhibit also is intended as a tribute to Garcia.

"We let this show kind of take on its own shape," Cole said, noting that one of the Grateful Dead's hallmarks was the free-form structure of its music. Cole said that his recent appearance on KPFK-FM (90.7) on a weekly radio show devoted to the Dead's music helped spread the word and also lent legitimacy to his cause.

"At first people weren't really sure if they wanted to part
with some of this, even temporarily," Stallings said. "It's not like approaching an artist who expects to have his work in a gallery. This was more like asking a Catholic to let us display his cross."

Religion, in fact, is an ongoing theme in the show. The Deadhead community, as the exhibit points out, represents a strong example of a "popular" religion, based on a common pursuit of mystical experiences through the ritual uses of music, dance and, often, hallucinogens.
Some examples of this religion include the icons and graphic imagery often used by Deadheads in their artwork (the skull and roses, dancing bears and other symbols) and the unabashedly devotional items (a portable shrine called the "suitcase altar," which a group of Deadheads would reassemble in each new hotel room).

"What interested me about this project, as a non-Deadhead, is that most of this artwork came not out of formal training but out of the social setting," Stallings said. "It is an example of a true community-based art form."

Most of the exhibit's items are from Deadheads in Orange County, Cole noted. A collection of paintings by Costa Mesa artist Marc Almera, for example, will be instantly recognizable to most fans because much of his work has been purchased by the Grateful Dead's merchandising company for use on T-shirts and posters.

The distinctive Grateful Dead concert posters on display, by artists such as Rick Griffin and Stanley Mouse, provide examples of art born from the psychedelic influences of the 1960s. Many of the items on display are examples of the types sold or traded in concert parking lots by Deadheads supporting themselves on tour. The underlying message of the exhibit can be seen as transportation, whether it be literal (a van plastered with Dead insignias) or cerebral (a huge, floor-to-ceiling tunnel of tie-dyed cloth called the Jerry Garcia Memorial Curtain).

Viewers entering the gallery will encounter a psychedelic
mood created through colored lights, a flashing strobe and Grateful Dead music from concert videos chosen to highlight the group's improvisational style. Additional films, such as the acclaimed documentary
"Tie-Died: Rock and Roll's Most Dedicated Fans," will be shown over the course of the exhibition's two-month run.

Although most Deadheads will have seen many of the types of items on display, even the most ardent fans may be impressed with at least two: an original "American Beauty" album cover signed by all the contributing band members, and a collection of postage stamps featuring Garcia's image.
(Although the U.S. hasn't issued any, at least seven nations have honored the guitarist with stamps.) "Dead on the Wall" does not present a complete biography of the band, nor is it meant to.

But through the items on display and the accompanying text, which the curators took mostly from the book "Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads," visitors should be able to gain some insights into the music and appeal of the Dead.

For instance:
* The group's policy of permitting--even encouraging--Deadheads to record concerts was revolutionary and generated intense loyalty among fans. Tape trading and collecting was an integral part of the scene.

* The nomadic Deadheads created town-like settlements in the parking lots before each concert, with bazaar-style vendors hawking a variety of wares, often accompanied by a frenzied drumming circle.

* No two Dead concerts were alike. Their improvisational
blend of jazz, blues, rock, electronic and country music prompted many fans to record the songs in the order they were played. These set lists were often put into notebooks, which are also on display in the exhibit.

* "Dead on the Wall" opens today at the Huntington Beach
Art Center, 538 Main St. Gallery hours: Fridays-Saturdays, noon-9 p.m.; Sundays, noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, noon-6 p.m.; Thursdays, noon-8 p.m. $3. A free opening reception will be tonight from 8 to 11 and will feature the Grateful Dead tribute band Suns of the Dead, a Deadhead car show and two light shows. Cole will give a lecture today at 2 p.m. Through Sept. 1. (714) 374-1650.
Copyright Los Angeles Times


Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996
From: RICHARD KIRK II
To: deadfile
Subject: Quick story

I was at the "show" at Buckeye Lake 1994.We got caught in traffic,so I got out of my car and gave this kid my keys and asked him to park it so I could get in for the show.I told him I'll see him inside,if not I'd find him later.
A friend from NY who took me to my first show was with me,so off we went.

As we were in the show I realized i didn't have my keys or my car,but it was OK i was with friends,and it was great.

Marcus and I walked up front for part of the show and I saw my friend Chip.Asked him how thw show was for him. (Great) talked for awhile and was about to move on.When Chip asked if I wanted my car keys !!!????

I asked how he got them and he said he ran into this kid who couldn't drive a 5 speed and asked if Chip could drive,which he did,Chip realized it was my car.

So I moved on after talking to a good friend and realized I didn't ask where my car was parked.

As we walked out with 80'000 friends someone called my name.It was Andy we walked together and enjoy the rest of the day.I told him the story about finding my keys but forgot to ask where it was parked.Andy said it was parked behind him and would show me where it was....

That is my (Long) short story.........

Rick from columbus,ohio



Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996
To: deadfile
From: danny
Subject: Fare Thee Well

Dear Heads,
Hey there, just so everyone knows I'm using my brothers file so this is not from Daniel, its from his sister.

I don't know exactly how to start this but I know I have to say what I'm feeling right? Isn't that part of what Jerry taught us? To always be at one with yourself and nature? To express yourself and your feelings no matter how dumb they seem because if its how you feel then it can't be dumb? Thats what he taught me anyway. He has made me realize how great everything in life is. Even the littlest things like, a smile from your best friend.

Listen to me. I talk as if I'm some great wisdomus person. (Is wisdomus even a word?) When really I'm just some teenager who's been listening to the Dead for the last five years of her life. I don't even know how I got introduced to the Dead. Most of my friends in this small town listen to country or alternative music.

The one thing I regret the most is that I never got a chance to see the Dead perform. I've seen little documentary type things but thats all. I don't feel cheated out of something or anything like that don't get me wrong. I just wish I could've seen one.

Its kind of strange because the night before the day Jerry left us my friend and I were talking about what a bummer it was how we missed them when they came to our area that past June but we said we'd have to catch them during the fall tour. If only we knew. It just really teaches you not to take a moment of your life for granted. Friends, Family and Music. They are the best things in your life. Well, I guess thats all for now. Thanks for hearing or reading my words!

Sunny

P.S. To Brent Allen: Thank you so much for sharing those two poems "The Dead" And "Captain Trips". They were both excellent. You write very well. Thanks again! :-).


Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996
From: "R.A. Marsh"

Dear GD
How things change! You may like to know that the Dead have made it to the pinnacle of academic excellence! The University Library at the University of Cambridge, in England, one of the world's top universities, has two biographies on the Dead in its collection. They are 'The history of the Grateful Dead' by William Ruhlmann and 'Living with the Dead: twenty years on the bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead' by Rock Scully. Any Deadheads visiting the library can find them located at shelf position A1990.1043 and M557.c.95.586 respectively.

Yours, Rob Marsh
Deadheads in Academia



Date: Mon, 1 Jul 96
From: "JEFF BRESSLER"
To: deadfile
Subject: god i miss you all

Man, just when i was getting a grip on myself,someone turns me on to this web page and I become a sobbing idiot all over again.!! I always knew about this site but but was very reluctant to log-on.(for the above reasons). The reason I broke-down and logged on was all the crappola info I was getting regarding the
further festival. I NEEDED THE STRAIGHT POOP!! Thank you all for helping me out. I got the info I needed,and a refreshing reminder of why you all were(and are) sooooooo important for me.
My vacation days revolved around the spring/summer tours in the south-east and mid-west areas. The tour was my safety-valve. One show a year would go a long way in the sanity department; two or more were a gift from god!! Even if I didnt get into a show, It was OK cuz I was always with my people which was what I really wanted;(a show too was just the most delicious icing on a already great cake!!)
My last shows were in Birmingham and Memphis. At the time I knew these two new cities would be great venues, and they were. Birmingham especially. Not since the early Atlanta shows have I been impressed by a city rolling out the red carpet. It was one of the best shakedown streets known to man. If a vendor didnt have a proper licence to sell, the local authorities issued one for a nominal fee and no disruption of commerce occured. There were porta-poties on every corner. Only gas-passers were in peril. In retrospect, it was a fantastic place to end an era for me. Well all, I hope to see you further and further.Thanx for being my friends and loving me for who I am. Thank you for being everything I think the world should be ,and,for being there when the world harshly shows me it is not!! To Jerry and the band, thanks for the calming effect you have on my soul.you have made me a better person(not perfect but better) and the people you have introduced me to have restored, and restored,and restoed my faith in the human race!!!

I am not worried about us! after viewing this page and reading the contents, I feel the rush of confidence and love I got from the shows. And I know we can and will continue because it is right and correct( as it has always been.!!) I hope some of you will e-mail me back. I am not new to computers but new to the web, so i hope you will BEAR with me for being a bit behind the curve.
I bid you good-night!!!
TENNESSEE BREZ
p.s. I am in nashville and would highly acknowledge the people who
have kept me sane since jerry passed. That would be the two Kick-ass D-J's on 91.1,WRVU. Vanderbilt's public radio station has a once- a week show called "91 dead-fish" . You guessed-it. they play LIVE dead showtapes and fish bootlegs. great program. have made some wonderful FM composites of some very good recordings.-will share.



Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996
From: ryoukind
Subject: goin' down the road feelin' bad...
To: deadfile

....and ya know it's gonna be fun! getting ready to head out to furthur tommorow at alpine valley, wisc. i was afraid something like this would never develop after we lost jerry, but you guys have proven once again that the music never stops. i love each and every one of you, and cant wait 'till the show starts tomorrow! see ya there! nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.....

tyler, deadhead since '72



Date: Tue, 04 Jun 1996 10:20:06 -0400
From: Dan Boylan
To: deadfile
Subject: You know our love Not Fade Away...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thanks for all the work, all the time, and all of the individual and collective efforts and attentions given to 'us' throughout the years, and especially now, given that intentions are a less obvious forum than shows across America.

Please know that the continued existance of any official form of GD as organization is of itself a powerful focal point for for all that choose to see and feel. No matter how pervasive the touch of gray, or how naive the youngest of smiling faces, the synergistic compendium of voices ( been readin' too much R.H.) is as important in today's world as it ever has been. Just kiddin', RH. Love it all, even when I don't :)...

More envelopes, download time be damned!

Eileen, I'd be pleased if you gave a shot at some brief glimpses of personal feelings about the stuff in your files, the stuff you post, etc. As if you don't have enough to worry about....The real stuff from the real people...if you close your eyes its the same as the music.

Thanks again. See you in Atlanta and Charlotte. Miss you in sunny Orlando! --
<<< Dan >>>

" Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile !"


From: Brent Allen (aka. deadhead)
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 14:02:43 -0600

THE DEAD
It's more than a song
It's a remedy
It's more than lyrics
It's teachings

It's more than a hobby
It's a love, a passion
It's more than a show
It's a devine experience

They're more than the band
They're the dreamers, the creators
They're more than the audience
They're the children, the flowers of the garden,
Absorbing the melancholy rhythms,
And the sweet nectar sunlight.
He's more than a man
He's the master, the keeper of the garden

It's more than just music

It's a way of life


CAPTAIN TRIPS

The Old man we all know
Who tried his all to show
The Tao, the flow, the way to go
Who played it sweet as honey
Cleared the clouds and made it sunny
With his lod worn hands
Him and his band
They played us a song
That could say no wrong
He Played to a crowd
Most call the heads
It was more like a culture
Loving the dead.

Like a liguid Bird Song
Luring and long
He sang life to us all
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
A blue-grass blues style unknown
Ringing out in smooth soft drone
Gleaming out like abalone shell
Rosebud played, with stories to tell

The Acid Tests
The Trip of the show
After the high, there is no low

Lilac rain, unbroken chain
I tried so hard to get through the pain
But we won't walk alone now that he's gone
For he is there in his song
Jerry knew, Jerry told
In his song revelations unfold
Jerry played a melodical tune
But he left us...
...all to soon.



Date: Fri, 24 May 96 16:43:38 EST
From: "BrownEB"
To: deadfile
Subject: Mailbag

Hey Now!
I love to travel through Worcester, MA, because that's where my husband and I met. Ed and I met at the Centrum 4/2/87. I went to the show without a ticket (just like lots of other people out there), and ended up getting a ticket (at face value) from a blind man (yeah, I'm trusting). I went inside, and sat in my actual seat. I started talking with the guy directly in front of me, who, as it turned out was unusually sitting in his actual seat. So, we talked, then danced, and after the show was over decided to meet again the following night.
Now, the next night, he was late. So, of course I thought that he blew me off. But, he did show up, and that night (4/3/87), they played "Comes A Time", and the rest is history......
-"Comes a time, when a blind man takes your hand, and says 'Don't you see'."
We've been married now for 8.5 years, and have two beautiful girls-Katie Mae and Cassidy (ages 4.5 and almost 2). Katie still asks us when we're going to see Jerry again, and Cassidy is starting to sing along with the songs, in the car. Katie can't wait to see Further (she just loves going to shows). Ed just told me that he doesn't need a Father's Day present, because he got the best one last year- we went to Giant's Stadium last year with the kids.

So thanks for 9 wonderful years!

Eileen Brown

From: Lewis Johnson
To: DEAD FILE
Subject: First Time E-Mailing Dead File
Date: Wednesday, May 15, 1996 12:26

I have read a few things you have printed and I think it is great. Folks who have never listened to the Dead are really missing out. One writer said that Dead music literally saved a life through it's emotional and spiritual healing. I have no doubt that this is true.

My first show was Carter Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC in July '89. I was hooked from there on. My only regrets are that I never took my fiancee to a Dead show and never saw a show west of Atlanta. I only had the chance to see spotted shows on the East coast since 1989. We have been dating since just before my first show. She never understood why I would travel and spend big bucks to go see some rock n' roll band that I had already seen 5, 6, 10, 20 times. I don't know if she will ever get it now that the specific 'experience' will never occur again. But I will continue to subject her to many a bootleg and perhaps one day she will see that the Dead was so much more than just a band.

I look forward to the Further Fest, which hits my town on June 23. I have met some tremendous folks through my love for the Dead and I hope that I will continue to meet more with the common bond. Most often it extends past the music into a way of life. Peace to all of you and yours. Thank you for the great times, past, present and future.


Fri, 10 May 1996
To: deadfile
Subject: What a long,strange trip...

It was spring time also,24 years ago,May 11 th,1972,when I went to my first show
in Rotterdam...and I got on the Bus for a quarter of a century. It is spring time
again,now in Athens and,finding Eileen s mail bag.it occured to me to send two
words and a warm hello to everybody. Lots of Thanks and keep this net...Let it
grow...
Petros Lyberis,MD Athens Greece


Date: Thu, 9 May 1996

My wife and I own a "Dead Shop" and have been on the bus since 81. We had a
memorial to Jerry the Sunday after he passed away. We put out the word
through our little network of people and expected a few hundred people.

Much to our surprise over 3000 people showed up on a mountain top in
central PA overlooking the Susquehanna river.

It was a family day to show respect for a member of our family. Kids
everywhere! No booze, beer or weed was seen the whole day.

Just great music and brotherhood. We told everybody it was a chance to
exchange phone numbers while you weren't blasted!

We were going to do it again this August 4th (with open arms from the state
park commision BTW) and thought you guys might like to know.

We would also like to book Robert H. for a quiet little get together for
about a thousand of our friends.

We've been dealing with GDM for awhile (ask Rose) and would be honored to
be able to present a proposal to Robert.

Thanks

Mark and Frances Tucci - Owners
Custom Blends Inc.


Date: Thu, 02 May 1996
To: "g.d." <deadfile>
Subject: long strange trip.......

Dear Family:

This' my first opportunity to thank you and all the office help up
there for 25 years of true happiness.

Originally from Brooklyn... I was on the first list of fan club
members.(remember the back of the first album?)

I was 14 when i first heard the name....15 at my first
show....the 46th st. rock palace in brooklyn....i can see it in my
mind's eye... as if it were just this morning....1967?....wow!

I stopped counting the shows i attended at 100.... that was many
many years ago...
I saw good show... bad shows... mediocre shows.... terrible
shows.... they certainly ran the gammut for me....i also saw some
amazing... memorable shows...

Every day... the songs are in my head....they'll never leave
me...they're part of my life...they're sizzled into the grey
matter...tattooed permanently... just the way i like it....

I miss my brother... very very much... there is a void that only
love can fill now....

I try not to let it bring me down... that's not what the old man
in the sky would've wanted....

love to you all
Paul Cohen, Santa Monica


Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996
To: deadfile
Subject: The Music Must Continue

Dear Deadfile:

The music must continue!!!!

While I don't totally agree with the band's decision to stop performing as the Grateful
Dead -- I can understand why? It would not be the same without Jerry but to me the
Grateful Dead was more than just Jerry.

Looking back to my 1st Dead Concert (Hell's Angels present the Grateful Dead at the
Anderson Theater, 2nd Ave. NY) - there have been many changes along the way ( Pigpen,
etc) but the music always played on. As one who is pushing 50(pushing it away)- I can't
imagine not having the dead around. Thanks to places like this Home Page, the Almanac,
many of the classic rock & roll stations - hopefully the Dead's music will continue for
at least another 30 years. AND Maybe someday we will see another Grateful Dead Concert!

With all music -- new bands tend to borrow songs from groups who have gone before them.
Recently I was at my daughters HS and I heard some of the students talking about a
particular song -- I commented you should have heard the original by the beatles. I was
shocked when one replied "Who were the Beatles?" Can you imagine some new band playing
St. Stephen and those listening not knowing that it came from the Dead? It is up to us
to continue this great legacy -- and hopefully to convince the rest of the members of
the group to continue to play Grateful Dead music.

THE MUSIC MUST PLAY ON --- WHILE ALL THE WORLD DANCES IN A RING AROUND THE SON.

To the Grateful Dead -- Thanks you for 30 wonderful years - please don't stop now.


Paul Sarames
Lincoln Park, NJ


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