The summer of 1989 was when the Grateful Dead got big. I mean really big. The success of 1987’s In the Dark lead to an influx of new fans —…
Test of the Boomerang
49 Articles
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
This week in Test of the Boomerang, Ben Wiser wishes a happy 70th birthday to Dead legend Phil Lesh.
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Relix editor Toni Brown discusses her long history with the Grateful Dead — as well as her own musical career — in an interview with Ben Wiser.
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Hey gang, sorry it’s been so long since we last rapped, but things have been way hectic. I finally cut my hair and got myself a respectful 9-5. Actually more…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
In the spring of 1971, Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, along with the band Touchstone, produced and performed the music for an off-broadway show at the Circle in the Square…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Phish is back with their first album in five years, and Ben Wiser thinks it might be their best yet. Also: A list of potential candidates for Phish’s 2009 “Halloween costume.”
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
“But there was something else tugging at Garcia as 1964 turned into 1965. For one thing, like half of America under the age of 25, Jerry had been seduced by…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
For this week’s edition of Test of the Boomerang, Ben Wiser sat down for a chat with author J.J. Colagrande to discuss his new book, “Headz.”
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Jerry Garcia would have been 67 on Saturday, and to celebrate his birthday, Ben Wiser has delivered another fine Test of the Boomerang mix.
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
In the first part of a multi-week look back at the double album, Ben Wiser revisits the birth of Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
The 2009 Dead made their last stand on July 4th at Rothbury. The second year of the Michigan festival was a rousing success and the Dead’s solid show was a…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Babatunde Olatunji – Drums of Passion (Legacy Edition) Columbia/Legacy has just released a glorious two-disc edition of Babatunde Olatunji’s 1959 masterwork, Drums of Passion, one of the most profoundly influential…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Hey gang, welcome back to another edition of Test of the Boomerang.Á‚ Happy summer solstice. I hope you all get a chance to enjoy these long summer days with some…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Demos (Rhino) In the wake of Graham Nash’s box earlier this year, and of course Neil Young’s behemoth Archives, Crosby, Stills & Nash (Neil Young…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
The Dead wrapped up their 2009 tour with two solid shows back home at Shoreline Amphitheater and then an end-of-the-tour barn burner at The Gorge in Washington. The tour started…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Man, I miss California. I really do. I don’t miss paying exorbitantly high rent. I don’t miss the collective panic that sets in whenever it rains and being in a…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
This week’s Test of the Boomerang features the column’s inaugural CD GIVEAWAY! Stop by and find out how you can win a free copy of the new Moonalice album!
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
I love the new Bob Dylan album. I do. Because the older Bob Dylan gets, the more he sounds like Tom Waits. Seriously, though, Together Through Life is another solid,…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
This week’s Test of the Boomerang is a DOOMERANG special, in honor of Isis’ highly anticipated fifth full-length release, Wavering Radiant. Ben Wiser calls it “hypnotic and engaging from beginning to end.”
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
The Grateful Dead collection at the Live Music Archive contains not only thousands of Grateful Dead concerts, it also holds a good number of band rehearsal, soundcheck, and studio session…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Spring is here. Blue skies, green grass, allergens. Rainy afternoons and cool evenings. Spring, of course, is time for renewal, and I like to think of it as a time…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Welcome back to Test of the Boomerang. Happy Spring Equinox! The folks over at Lostpedia offered up an interesting tidbit about the recent Lost episode “La Fleur.” Could the names…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
No test this week, folks, as I am going out to California to visit friends and family and show off the newest member of our tribe. I’ll be back soon…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Phish – The Clifford Ball (Rhino) Sherman, set the Way Back machine for that balmy summer of 1996! Jerry Garcia had been gone a year, and a lot of lonesome…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Noah Weiner has been the force behind The Grateful Dead Listening Guide for the past year. A longtime collector and fan of the Grateful Dead’s music, Noah digs deep into…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Chris Darrow – Chris Darrow / Under My Own Disguise Limited Edition 2 LP/CD Box Set Chris Darrow’s first paid gig was playing bluegrass with David Lindley on the streets…
Ben Wiser
2 Min Read
Hola Amigos! I know it’s been a while since I last rapped at you, but with being a new dad and all, I’ve been busier than a one-armed bass player….
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Now is the time of year when thoughts turn to the warmer days of spring and summer just ahead. It’s also the time of celebrations. Chinese New Year or Spring…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/zol2MJf6XNE” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Named after the outdoor summer shed in Columbia, Maryland, Merriweather Post Pavilion is the latest disc from Baltimore’s Animal Collective. The band named their…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Hey, you witches and warlocks. I’m taking a break this week from your usual boomerang testing to share with you a dark and doomy treat. It’s Black Sabbath, live on…
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