By: Dan Gabel

“Lots of people got into bluegrass and old-time music under the influence of the Grateful Dead, but I went the other way. For me, following the Dead for several years was a rock-and-roll extension of the old-time music community I grew up with and loved. Everybody danced! The first time I came to California, in a shag-carpet van with my college boyfriend, we were following the Dead, selling beaded jewelry. It was my first time really traveling West of the Mississippi, and I was blown away by the immense geography of the US, all of it expanded my 19-year-old mind. Living in Oakland for many years now, it took a while to find the Dead song I wanted to cover, but here’s one that translates well to the banjo. I still have my hand-drawn cassettes, and an open mind.”

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