Cozy Grateful Dead Blankets And Gear

Check out the Slowtide collection!

While we've definitely shared some really cool Dead gear here, the Slowtide Grateful Dead collection is one of my absolute favorites. I absolutely love these blankets, especially the camp blankets that will be perfect for music festivals once we can start going again! They also have towels and ponchos that will be perfect for the outdoor music scene as well.

The tie-dye poncho has to be my favorite of the collection. Yeah, it's just tie-dye, but look at that changing design, the drawstrings, the hoodie... I just love it. I really miss going to concerts (all of the ones I bought for 2020 that were rescheduled for this year have already been moved to 2022) and I would love to wear this to them next year.

What pieces do you love from this collection? Share your favorites in the chat.

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Shopping
Collectibles

Grateful Dead Summer Looks

Share what you're wearing!

Summer is right around the corner. Where I live, we just had two super humid days and it feels like it's already here! It's time to put away all of those cute Deadhead hoodies and coats and bring out the t-shirts, but I know many of us are in desperate need of a t-shirt overhaul. Many of them have nostalgic value, sure, but if they are riddled with holes (or even have the printing fading off like one of my favorites), it's really time to recycle them (or preserve them if they're special) and get something new.

So where do you go to get Grateful Dead t-shirts? Smoke shops, hippie stores and the like are obvious choices but those are going to be brand-new, which might be just what you need But if you want something vintage, Grateful Dead vintage shirts can be harder to find sometimes.

Where do you go to get your gently used tees? Share your resources in the chat.

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Shopping

Shopping For 420 Merch Inspired By The Dead

What did you find?

In honor of 420, I spent much of the day calling and writing my elected officials to ask them to support legalization as well as releasing past offenders. It's atrocious that people are in jail for marijuana use in this nation while so many states have long since legalized it. National legalization is long overdue and I'd argue that those who've served are also deserving of reparations.

It's hard to celebrate a holiday knowing this, but there is definitely plenty of merchandise to enjoy for those who do celebrate--especially if you're looking for merch inspired by the Dead. Variety has a wonderful list of items up to check out, from the usual goodies we scout for here like socks to really fun off-the-wall items like bath soaks and ties to wear.

Did you find any great Grateful Dead swag? Share it in the chat!

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Holidays

The Best Grateful Dead Socks

Share yours in the chat!

One of the easiest ways to identify a Deadhead is by their bumper stickers or wearable swag. Tie dye? Dancing bears? Skulls? Yep, you can safely guess that you've met a fellow fan. But swag can be expensive, especially these days when everyone is trying to make a buck, and sometimes you have to dress a little more "professionally," whatever that means.

That's where Grateful Dead socks come in. I love hidden colorful socks under long slacks! It's like a little secret you harbor, especially if you have to dress up for an event but want to stay true to yourself. And there are so many great sets like these so you could always have a different pair every day of the week. 

What do your favorite pair of Grateful Dead socks look like? Share them in the chat.

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Style

The Best Recent Dead Covers

What's your favorite?

Many Grateful Dead fans love a good cover, even if it's a far cry from the original version of the song. In fact, lots of people prefer it that way so it encompasses the artist's spirit rather than parroting the Dead. Whether you love them or not, there's always a cover happening somewhere in the country!

Billy Strings just covered "Cassidy" over the weekend, and he and his band performed several other cover songs from different groups in addition to a few of their own songs. What do you think when bands mix it up like this? Do you like that better, or is it more fun when they perform as a tribute band?

What are some of your favorite covers? Share them in the chat!

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Entertainment

800 Hits of Acid

The Grateful Dead had them in a cake

Maybe I should already know this as a Grateful Dead fan, but Jerry Garcia passed away when I was just starting college, so bear with me here. A fan apparently once made a cake for the band that was loaded with 800 hits of acid and the band ATE it. Jerry knew it was loaded and the fan was known to be a wild guy, but the birthday cake was apparently too good to resist--and the band had no idea just how loaded it was.

If it sounds unbelievable, what Dead story doesn't, honestly? Here's Jerry talking about it himself. He said at that point he wasn't even having fun anymore. Obviously he was alright after eating the cake, but WOW.

What is the wildest story about the band that you've ever heard?

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Entertainment

Make America Grateful Again

Have you seen this slogan?

A shirt featuring the slogan "Make America Grateful Again" is making its rounds right now, and I'm really not sure how I feel about it. Normally I'm okay with just about any political spoof, as long as it's just funny and not sexist or harmful, but this seems almost supportive of the original MAGA slogan.

MAGA certainly isn't something Jerry Garcia and co. would be supporting, both in their music or in their personal lives, so I don't think they would mind a slogan that's actual satire. The fact that it also comes with the hashtag #wewillgetby helps, given that people understand times are hard and that Touch of Grey way of thinking is important right now. But it's not exactly denouncing MAGA, either...

I don't know. What do you think of the slogan?

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Shopping
Collectibles

These Dancing Skeleton Bobble Heads Are Everything

I want them all!

Remember when we shared the adorable dancing bears bobbleheads a few weeks ago? Well now they have a set of dancing skeletons and OMG. I am here for it. I want these skeletons so much more than the cute bears! I'd get all of them, too!

Aren't they so spooky cute? I think that's my new favorite aesthetic. I've always liked it but wow, it's everywhere right now and easy to find. I can't wait to see what other cute things they'll come up with!

What was your last Grateful Dead purchase? Share your cute finds here!

The Dead Tribute on Twitch

Will you be checking it out?

A Grateful Dead tribute will be on the Twitch channel The Relix Channel next week. On March 18, DJead Night will be hosting this event featuring several of the band's classic performances. The event will kick off at 11:00 PM ET so be sure to tune in.

With Covid going on, there aren't as many awesome concerts to attend as usual, so this is one of the few anyone can attend safely from home. Do you know of any other good online performances? How about live ones from a distance?

Share the performances you plan on attending in the chat!

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Entertainment
Music

Your First Grateful Dead Song

Do you remember it?

Stories about first Grateful Dead experiences are circling around the Internet lately and it made me curious. Do you remember the first Grateful Dead song you ever heard and what it meant to you?

Sadly I don't, but I am sure I was quite young when it happened. My parents listened to The Dead and many other 70s bands while I was growing up and I honestly don't remember where or when it happened. I do remember singing along as early as six or seven.

Where were you when you first heard or fell in love with a Grateful Dead song? Share your experiences in the chat.

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Entertainment
Music

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