“Real frustrating”: Jerry Garcia on why the Grateful Dead were so divisive
“There’s so much distraction about them,” Grateful Dead publicist Dennis McNally once said. The cult-like community of Deadheads is one of the most inexplicable rarities in music history. Despite their divisive music, Grateful Dead’s sound has left a lasting impact, for better or worse, for they are not the kind of band that yields nonchalance.
Although Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, the mystification surrounding the Grateful Dead has continued to grow and thrive, with Deadheads being some of the most impassioned music fans in the world. To comprehend the community, you must understand the appeal of the music and the reasons why it continues to gather some of the most sought-after accolades in the industry.
It’s easy to understand why the band resonate far and wide, not just because the group was made up of some of the greatest musicians who ever lived but because the music is full of the type of energy that’s almost impossible to find elsewhere. While performing live, this reached unimaginable levels, the room’s magic understood only by those lucky enough to be there.
That said, as we all know, music taste is immensely subjective. Although many may find it difficult to believe, some people absolutely loathe the music of the Grateful Dead. This means that, for some reason, they have become the ultimate Marmite band due to the fact that their music connects with some people while putting off others.
According to Garcia, the main reason for this isn’t solely based on the music alone; it has more to do with consistency and the expectation from audience members who desire nothing less than perfection. “What happens is that someone turns their friends on to us in the same spirit or sense that they would turn their friends on to pot. They turn them on because they have a good experience and they have a good time. It used to be real frustrating,” Garcia told The Relix.
“I’ve talked to fans about this who have said, ‘Jesus, I invited 20 of my friends to this, and you guys played awful!’ That stuff used to happen to us all the time. We’ve gotten to be a lot more consistent. Now, those people can bring their friends, and at the very worst, they’ll get a nice, professional show. But I’m aware of that mechanism. The thing is that it’s an ongoing process,” he added.
The musician also explained that their audience is largely teenagers, meaning that while their enthusiasm is there, their expectations are different. As their audience continues to grow, however, more people will form opinions on their live presence as well as their music, which is conducive to the epitome of the Marmite effect.
“Our audience now has a very large number of 15, 16 and 17-year-olds. They’re kids who are obviously not from our generation but are every bit as enthusiastic about what we did as any of our audiences have ever been,” Garcia explained. Concluding: “Our audience is larger now than it’s ever been. It’s more vital now than it’s ever been, and we’re happenin’.”
