The Grateful Dead as the ultimate jam band
The last time anyone got to hear Jerry Garcia play live was on July 9, 1995, when the Grateful Dead performed in Chicago. At the time, no one knew it be their last show: Exactly a month later ? fifteen years ago today ? guitarist Jerry Garcia died.
Today we take a look at the cultural impact Garcia and the Dead had (and still have) on music lovers, from the band’s beginning in the ’60s through today.
We want to hear from you. What are your favorite jam band experiences and what are your favorite jam band tracks?
David Shenk joins us ? he is the author of “Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads.”
Also with us is Luke Stratton, a 27-year-old guitar player in the band Mondo Gecko, whose music has been greatly influenced by the Dead.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.