On a warm evening at the end of June of 1981, the dimly lit stage at the Los Angeles Forum illuminated to reveal a musical band of brothers, each armed…
the Grateful Dead
62 Articles
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…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Just when you start to think that Rhino is the only company that knows how to do the box set thing, along comes ABKCO Records with their entry in the…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Already a treasure trove for fans of live music, Wolfgang’s Vault is about to get bigger and better. Find out how in COO Eric Johnson’s interview with Ken Shane.
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
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…
Kelly Stitzel
1 Min Read
In our new series, Kelly Stitzel and the Popdose staff bring you 27 — count ’em! — versions of the great blues-folk song “Stagger Lee.”
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
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
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…
Ed Murray
3 Min Read
The original Lowell George-led Little Feat had a string of classic albums in the 1970s, from their self-titled debut on through 1978Á¢€â„¢s live Waiting For Columbus, their best seller. After…
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
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
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…
Dave Steed
1 Min Read
This week we have a ginormous, gigantic, gargantuan post, as we finish up with the letter G on our trek through the bottom of Billboard‘s Hot 100 charts during the…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
A 2-DVD set and 24-page hardcover book featuring Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Mike Gordon (Phish), Steve Kimock, Sikiru, and Jen Durkin (Bomb Squad, Deep Banana Blackout). The ultimate…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Test of the Boomerang – Top Ten of 2008 I will dispense with the usual bullshit “Let’s take a look back…” year-end review. USA Today will have that shit in…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Things have been hectic at the Test of the Boomerang headquarters: I just became a father, and things have been understandably hectic. I took a break from changing nappies, though,…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Free Phil! Phil Lesh has just released a free Soundboard recording of the Phil Lesh and Friends concert at the Warfield in San Francisco, May 13th of this year. That…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
Its unthinkable now. A crusty old rock band packing up family and crew to play a series of concerts at the Giza Necropolis. To kick out the jams at the…
Ben Wiser
1 Min Read
I. Report from the Land of the Dead It has a been a busy time in Deadland. Most notably, tickets went on sale this past weekend for the Deadheads For…
The Chartburn Panel
1 Min Read
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/5NEE8oURdM0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Mainstream Rock: Grateful Dead, “Touch of Grey” (1987) John C. Hughes: Puppets! Á‚ Well, marionettes. Á‚ Everything is better with puppets/marionettes. Á‚ Except for this. Jon Cummings:…
Ben Wiser
2 Min Read
I had originally intended to post this during the week of August 1st and August 9th, but I wanted to give a shout to Isaac Hayes last week. Get out…