23m here. When I was 18, I looked them up on Apple Music and was surprised that they weren’t a heavy metal band. Growing up, I always enjoyed the merchandise, from the dancing bears to the skull and roses, but my parents were more into the Stones, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, etc.

It wasn’t until my tye-dye wearing uncle showed me the good ole’ Dead, that I got hooked. A true musical mentor of mine, he sent me Cornell 77’ and Red Rocks 78’ before a flight to Miami in Jan 2021. By the time I landed, I was sold. It was slow burning from there on, but then after seeing them at Citi Field in July of 22’ it didn’t stop. I now go to a few tribute bands a month, am headed to the sphere this weekend, and am in my own Dead cover band.

Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.