Enough with the Grateful Dead Collabs
Let’s just stick to bootlegs
As someone who likes to drink from the firehose of the internet, I continue to use an RSS reader. (I miss Google Reader, but have found Feedly to be an adequate substitute.) Lately, it feels like each day brings news of a new Grateful Dead collaboration.
Today it’s a sunglass partnership with Akila. Tuesday it was Levi’s. At this point, it’s hard to think of who hasn’t worked with the band. Everyone from Nike SB to James Perse to the brand everyone loves to hate, Amiri, have slapped a “Stealie” onto merch.
And I’m over it.
It’s not because I’m sick of the Dead. I love the Grateful Dead. I’m lucky enough (and old enough) to have seen the band perform multiple times, including a show at Shoreline on what would prove to be their final tour. I have tapes (cassette tapes!!) of memorable shows that were the lingua franca of Deadheads before Relisten became a thing. I listen to live recordings almost daily.
And it’s not because I’m a cranky old head who thinks that kids these days don’t get it. It’s actually the opposite. There are so many young people who weren’t even alive when Jerry Garcia died who are artfully carrying on the legacy of the band with amazing bootleg merch that far outpaces any of the officially licensed stuff.
The official collabs rarely go beyond slapping a Steal Your Face logo or a Dancing Bear on a product. It’s akin to the outdated “Pink it and shrink it” approach that sneaker companies used to take to designing for women, except in this case it’s “Bear it and wear it.” It feels like a money grab on both sides of the equation, and the net result is uninspired pieces.
There’s a scene in the incredible documentary Long Strange Trip where they talk about how Jerry wanted to stop touring but that he kept going because too many people’s livelihoods depended on the band’s “steel locomotive rolling down the track.” The nonstop stream of band-approved collaborations seems like a continuation of that vibe.
The genuine spirit of the Dead seems to be in the hands, as it’s always been, of the bootleggers, the lot lurkers, the Shakedown Street denizens. There are so many people creating DIY merch that is absolute fire simply because they love the music. If you want a Dead hat, you’d be much better off going with one from Allmyhatsaredead. For tees, Jeremy Dean (aka Deansnuts), Looks Legit, Gabriel Alcalca, and so many more are killing it. You can even cover your private parts in Baggies from Petrified Good.
With so many great options that win on design, vibe, and often price in the bootleg space, it’s hard to make a case for the real deal. So let’s give the bootleggers their day. Because no one needs $2,000 Amiri skinny jeans with Dead iconography running down the leg.
Hyperlite Interviews Geoff McFetridge
Geoff McFetridge is one of my favorite artists. That would be true even if he wasn’t into a lot of the same activities as me—skating, surfing, bikepacking. But the fact that he is into those things increases my appreciation of him even more. This interview with outdoor equipment manufacturer Hyperlite sheds a lot of insight into his process and his passions. It’s one of those things where you might ask yourself, “Why did this big artist do an interview with Hyperlite?” But those questions quickly dissipate and you’re just glad that he did.
—Justin
John Mayer: ‘Sob Rock’ and Implanting False Memories
It’s been exactly zero editions since we, here at Just a Thought Newsletter Inc, have stanned John Mayer. Sob Rock was released last week and the related merch is really good, but even better than the hats and tees, and arguably better than the album itself, is this interview with Zane Lowe. This is John at his best and the type of content that will convert a casual to a fanatic.
—Andrew
The Bomber Mafia (Audiobook)
Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book was “written” as an Audiobook-first and, for that reason, is probably the best executed audiobook I’ve ever listened to. However, at a measly five and a half hours (at 1x speed… which I’d never), it’s about 1/3 the length of a typical audiobook. The Bomber Mafia audiobook also features interviews and historical audio clips. Make no mistake, this audiobook is a podcast series sans ad reads, where the “episodes” have been rebranded as “chapters.” When’s the last time you heard someone brag about how many podcasts they listened to in a year? Doesn’t quite have the same ring as books. Kudos to Malcolm Gladwell and the Pushkin team for re-branding this would-be series of “Revisionist History” as an audiobook they can sell for $15. It’s worth it.
—Andrew