Grateful Dead Music

My teenager is all about cool coats and jackets, so we were checking out some Grateful Dead jackets the other day and came upon one that I LOVE. It's in the baseball style that I love, but it's one of those jackets that I think wouldn't arrive in the size it says it is. That made me wonder if other fans know of other jackets similar to this one.

I'd love a baseball jacket but it doesn't have to be this exact same style or even the colors. In fact, the more colorful, the better, and I love the dancing bears, so those would work, too.

Do you have a cool Grateful Dead jacket at home? Tell me where you got it in the chat.

Grateful Dead merch can be found in just about every store these days, from head shops to mainstream department stores and everywhere in between. The band is on booze, shoes, housewares and ornaments, and now they're inspiring a new line of mountain wear.

Artist Christ Benchlet is collaborating with Smartwool to create a collection of socks and tops to help improve performance while skiing and other mountain activities while sporting the Dead's designs. The items are designed for optimal temperature regulation and are available for purchase now.

What are the most surprising items you've seen inspired by The Dead for sale lately? Share them in the chat.

If you're making a lot of gratitude lists, or thinking about what makes life meaningful and inspiring to you lately while you're at home more than usual, you might want to consider some of the Grateful Dead's most meaningful quotes. Song quotes resonate with us so well because they put our thoughts to music and help us connect in ways we may not have connected before.

This list of inspiring Grateful Dead quotes may be just what you need to be inspired. Whether you want to set a new intention of doing what makes you happy, or you need to be reminded that planting ice will only yield a harvest of wind, these words are ones we've all clung to at one time or another when in need of solace and connection.

Which of these quotes resonates with you the most? Share your favorites in the chat. 

Metallica is known as one of the few bands with strict principles that they stick to no matter what, and now it sounds like that model has come from following The Grateful Dead. What's interesting is that the band has cited influences from many different bands over the years, but this is the first time anyone can recall them giving a nod to Jerry Garcia and the gang.

Lars Ulrich revealed, "As far as Metallica is concerned, we have our own record label, [and] we pretty much try to control all the different elements in our little bubble, our little eco system. We’re financially independent… we sort of model our existence on the Grateful Dead…who considered themselves to be living outside of the mainstream… that’s been our dream, to just be independent, autonomous, to be able to create the music and not owe anybody any money. So when you say, Who has the control? we like to think that in our bubble that we do, but obviously we’re also very fortunate in that we can channel the success that we’re so grateful for into financial independence."

Would you have guessed that Metallica was influenced by the Dead?