The Grateful Dead Sub-Culture

Being a Dead Head

ED 851 Christy Scott April 30, 2013

The Grateful Dead

Psychedelic jam band (folk, blues, bluegrass, jugband) 1965 1995 - San Francisco, CA Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir,

o House band for Ken Keseys Acid Tests o Monterey Pop Festival 1967 o Woodstock Festival 1969

Symbolism:
Stealie - "Steal Your Face" skull with 13 point lightening bolt in it Dancing Bears Skull and Roses Dancing Terrapins Uncle Sam Skeleton (The Grateful Dead Movie) Jester

Furthur and the Merry Pranksters

Furthur - 2009

Furthur Show - Outdoors

Furthur Show Poster

Observation site
Electric Waste Band ~ Grateful Dead Cover Band Winstons Bar in Ocean Beach area of San Diego, CA Participant-Observation during 2 hour performance of band and Dead Heads
( Monday, January 28, 2013)

Methods
Participant-Observation Focus Group and semi-structured Interview
o Analytic Memos o Constant Comparative method

Data Collection
Observation Site Notes Focus Group - 3 participants
The Tie Dye Guy 34 yr. old, white male Big Ang 37 yr. old., white female Awd Dawg 28 yr. old, white female

Individual Interview with Awd Dawg Follow - Up Interview

Codes, Categories, and Themes

4 Themes 16 Categories

378 Codes

Themes
All the Pretty Colors
The Significance of Drug Use within the SubCulture

The Family
Shared Philosophy of Community

The Message in the Music Social Norms of the Lot

The Family
Shared Philosophy of Community
Categories:
o Being with the Family o Shared community experience o Shared spirituality

I look at as every time we go, I'm going to a family reunion. ~ The Tie Dye Guy The sense of community when you're able to kind of suppress your ego and make real connections with people around you, you know, that you know are there for the exact same reason and are into the exact same thing spiritually that you are. You know, you know that the other people there, or you have a pretty good possibility of knowing that they have the same values and wants and you know, hopes and desires and automatically that makes them your family. ~ Awd Dawg

At a certain age apparently Awd Dawg is still you know, Hey sister whats up? Hey sister. Apparently when you become over 35 ish or so you no longer are a hey sister whats up, youre now a Hey Mama, how you doin? (laughs). So, its very funny because Ive noticed that your knowbrothers, and every ones brother, brother, brother, but at some point you become from a sister to a mama (laughs). You know what I mean? So, thats something Ive noticed recently, especially on this last tour from previous summer tours, you know whaterver, that, that, thats kind of a bridge that Ive crossed and I figure, fuck it, Ill just embrace it you know, Ill be Mama. ~ Big Ang

The Social Norms of the Lot

Categories:
o Buying on the Lot
o Re-investing in the Community

o Selling on the Lot o Lot Justice o Lot Names

I would say, I would say that 50/50 on any money that we make, we put so much, we put hundreds of dollars back into buying from other people on the lot. Like I buy pins, we buy food, we buy clothing, we buy drugs, whatever, you knowwe totally re-invest. ~ The Tie-Dye Guy

Significance of Drug use within sub-culture

Categories:
o Hallucinogenic Drug Use at a Show (Acid, Mushrooms, Molly*)
contributes to understanding the message in the music collective consciousness - an externalized experience related to idea of establishing community.

o Marijuana is Meaningful in the sub-culture o Going to show just to get messed up on drugs instead of for the music o Negative drug presence The Nitrous Mafia

Hallucinogenic drugs
All the Pretty Colors there's so many different things that, that go into the trip experience in general. I mean, there's the physical aspect of it where acid specifically, which is kind of my drug of choice at the show, is very energetic...it just makes you wanna get up and dance (she moves her arms up and around like dancing) you know, everything, visually everything is just stunning and beautiful...and then there's the mental and emotional aspect of it. The sense of community when you're able to kind of suppress your ego and make real connections with people around you, you know, that you know are there for the exact same reason and are into the exact same thing spiritually that you are.
~ Awd Dawg

The Message in the Music

Categories:
o Going to a Show for the Music
Like I go, we go because of the music, I love the music. If you going because you know that its a good party scene you're there for a different reason, your motivation is different. And even though you may be, you make look the same, you may sound the same, you may be partying very similar, there's different motivations that have brought you there. ~ The Tie-Dye Guy Like, the Mountain song. And its all about let the mountain be my home, let me be where the air is beautiful and free and I want that for everyone not just me...and so its a feeling you feel inside the music you know? ~ Big Ang

o Knowledge of Grateful Dead History o Seeing Electric Waste Band (Cover Band)
Music's great, you know the sense of kind of (sighs dramatically) you know...refreshment like having that kind of message put towards you that flows all through is great. But the community aspect is not the same, at all. ~ Awd Dawg

o Dressing for a Show o Touring with the Band

The bottom line is the bigger the better, you just want to make yourself a spectacle because it's all a part of that like community like beautifying ~ Awd Dawg

Analysis and Conclusion

The Family primary theme Limitations: o Researcher has been active participant in sub-culture for last 3 years o Only 3 respondents need larger data collection

Questions?