Lol, you’re brave. I’m a HUGE Deadhead. I’ve followed Phish in my younger days. I’ve seen moe. over 100 times. Too many festivals to count. I had a touring jam band for awhile. (I have had a lot of roles in my professional musician days. My own band, the studio musician band I put together, being the “lead backup” guitar when the frontman sucked at guitar so I joined that touring outfit.) I went to school for music, where there are snobs galore. Talking about musical influences was how you introduced yourself... it’s unfortunately hard to be taken serious when you tell people you love the Dead and Phish. I also avoid bringing it up with people who don’t know me. (Part of this is because I fit the jam band listener stereotype.) I bought “In the Dark” before Jerry died (I was 9). I never sought them out per se. One of those “they choose me” situations, I can’t help it. The Grateful Dead have been my favorite band forever. My 4th grade school picture is me wearing a Dead tour shirt and a hemp necklace (don’t judge me on the hemp, I was young). So it’s like... yeah, I have been smoking reefer for many many years, love psychedelics, and am into jam bands. That doesn’t mean that I’m a “hippie”. It’s been a point of contention concerning interactions with bosses, teachers, dating... Ya know, I wrote a symphonic version of “Run Like an Antelope” and burned a J before coming to class, but I also spend a lot of time with particle physics, cosmology, quantum theory, Existential philosophy and took an AP course three times because I tested into AP classes in 10th grade. There weren’t any more advanced classes (very small private New England boarding school) so in the first time in school history I took a single class for one whole trimester. But I also take bong hits every day. It’s such a weird thing... I don’t think the word ‘stigma’ fits, but certain people will always think of you as a dirty burnout when you mention anything Dead related. (Lol, I also LOVE Phish so much that I went to UVM. It was the only school I applied to. I ran into Fishman, Gordo, Page all the time. Trey was a rare sight. Fishman almost hit me with his car. I saw Page take his daughter out trick or treating. Gordo personally invited me to an art show displaying collaborative art between he and his Mom.)

(One summer I saw moe. SO many times in a row that Al noticed that I wasn’t around for a show or two. He was like “Heyyyyy! You’re back! I was wondering where you went...”)

This has been my confession. I will not repent. I’ll eat 30 hits of L and wag my genitals at any Diety. I’ll also dance like a motherfucker when tunes get funky.

don’t @ me

(Thanks for coming to my TED Jam.)