HOW THE GRATEFUL DEAD’S COOL NEVER DIED

[ghostsinthemachine]

8. once people get past the "drug band" stigma

They realize just how important the Dead were. I have a number of music loving friends, none of them into the band until recently, and now all they want is more. Around my town we have an as load of GD cover bands. Like 20 and they pack the place. One of them is a blues guy but plays a ton of dead songs, in his style, and it is funny seeing old straight people, who probably never saw them, dancing singing and knowing all the words.
Finally, they are getting some respect outside of the dead head community.

What really cracks me up is how ingrained they are in the American consciousness.420? Dead tour. Craft beer and Sierra Nevada? Jerry says his favorite beer is Sierra porter in Rolling Stone and the next day the lot switches from PBR to Sierra. The Game Of Thrones guy tells America he has ben sticking dead quotes into the series. Then there's Bil Walton.
Mostly though it is the musical legacy. So many artists say "I saw the dead and I knew that was what I wanted to do. Not just the obvious guys like Phish, String Chess, widespread panic, but musicians from every genre, rappers, jazz guys etc who were their biggest influences.