The Dead were not just music or a group, they were a entire culture for decades

As music promoter, Bill Graham, once said: "They're not the best at what they do, they're the only ones who do what they do." They do Rock, they do Folk, they do Bluegrass, Jazz, Country, Blues...... They are kind of their own genre. Nice reaction.

Jerry said that the Grateful Dead are kinda like licorice. “Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice, REALLY like licorice!”

You are so fortunate to hear the Dead for the first time :) That smile couldn’t be erased from your face, it’s obvious you get it. Welcome to the family.

This was a fun video, I'm in the crowd.👌👌 Filmed at Laguna Seca Speedway in Monterey California 1987. They did the video after the Saturday concert. We were camping on the raceway and crew came and invited everyone back in to spend the evening participating!!! So incredibly fun!!!👍👍👌👌✌✌😁😁

"Uncle John's Band" is a masterpiece in songwriting. Every time I hear it it washes away all my worries.

Wow you are on the edge of the deepest modern music rabbit hole that there is. I have been enjoying the Dead for 50 years and there is so much to listen to that they never fail to make me smile. Do commit to do more and be prepared to be as surprised each time as surprised as this first time. They truly are unique

The Grateful Dead never fail to get me into a reaction video. No one is expecting them to be what they were. This song always makes me smile and lightens my heart. I still miss Jerry and I am happy others are still discovering the music never stopped. China Cat Sunflower, St. Stephen, Franklin’s Tower Ramble on Rose. You have a huge rabbit hole ahead and I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing you dive in.

Oh lord kid. The Dead's rabbit hole is deep like a diamond mine.

Their name comes from a common folklore theme- a ghost appears to someone, the person helps them out, the person is rewarded in return, thus 'grateful'. My favorite of theirs is 'St. Stephen'. "Can you answer? Yes I can But what would be the answer to the answer man?"

Grateful Dead are very much about the zen of it all. From the tribe-like connection of their fan base to the synchronization of their two-drummer rhythm section, the Grateful Dead aesthetic is one of shared experience and the journey. I was never a fan myself, but I had respect for their improvisational style and the dedication of their audience, many of whom would just drop everything and follow them across the country attending every one of the dates on a given tour. I enjoyed your first listen to them.

when my son was little this would come on MTV and he would say Bones mama bones

Saw my first Grateful Dead concert in 1980 and my last in 1995, and in between, my life just got better and better. Because of them. The story of the name is that Lead Guitarist and Singer Jerry Garcia was looking for a new band name. Their old one, The Warlocks, was being used by a New York City band, who eventually became The Velvet Underground, and he looked in a Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary and opened to "Grateful Dead". A motif where a traveler comes upon a dead body by the side of the road, and he arranges for a proper burial. Later on the traveler runs into adversity, and the spirit of the man he buried helps him out of his problem. Good vibes. It is nice to watch someone new discover The Dead, their music and their whole subculture. It is all about fun and being good to each other. Welcome aboard the bus.

She gets it. She has the Owsley hit smile.

The old bumper stickers were true: "There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert." Not only were they all incredible musicians - who managed to take just about every genre of American music and turn it into something completely original - they were also great songwriters who worked with top--notch lyricists in Robert Hunter, John Perry Barlow, and Bobby Peterson. Their touring scene was a society within a society. It promoted kindness, inclusion, and acceptance no matter who you were, three things the world badly needs today. Do yourself a favor and at least listen to the studio version of "Brokedown Palace." If that music and those words don't move you, I don't know what to say. It's a great testament to what a great band the Grateful Dead were.

I was really mesmerized by Jerry's vocals to the lyrics in althea the other day all the different emotions and grit and attitude in is singing, makes a very captivating story teller for me.

I was there watching while they filmed this video. It was after one of the shows at Laguna Seca in Monterey in 1987. They asked if anyone wanted to hang out to be part of the audience in the video. It took hours so I got bored after a while.

My first live Grateful Dead show was in January, 1971. Saw them almost 70 times between then and 1995. The symbiosis between the Dead and the Deadheads must be experienced to trully understand what's going on. The band members use to say that it was controlled anarchy on stage. Just before they went on stage they would decide the first 2 songs of the nearly 3-hour show and then just wing it from there. Some shows melted the walls, and some were fairly forgettable. Luckily, we Deadheads still loved them all.

Honestly, I was never much of a Dead fan. But I love this song and I appreciate it the older I get. Glad you decided to cover it.

Amazing she hasn't heard them before. They have so many iconic songs.

This reminds me of my mom when I played American Beauty for her. So many people just stick their heads in the sand and close their ears and minds because of the name.

I feel like I just watched the beginning stages of the creation of a Deadhead.

I'm a Deadhead of a loooong time. My recommendations to get a better feel of them would start with "Sugaree", "Ripple", "Box Of Rain", "Eyes Of The World". Tomorrow I could list a completely different set, like "Jack Straw", "Sugar Magnolia", "Scarlet Begonias". The day after, another set. So excited to see you excited to dig deeper. I hope you make many holes. Thanks for what you do. As I get older, it's warming to see my music still reaching younger folks inside. Not heavy metal. It's peace music. This song is but one of many with that at the core.

Fun fact: Jerry Garcia wrote the line, "light a candle, curse the glare." Robert Hunter wrote the rest after a night of indulging in something he hadn't indulged in for a long time.

You can’t see the Grateful Dead but you can see Dead & Co which has some original members and are incredible in their own way. And at the Sphere in Las Vegas which will be special. They are/were an incredible band with a rich history and never ending influence. I’m glad you discovered them. ❤

The song was a surprise hit. The band had been around for over 20 years at that point, and was well known, but had never really broke the charts. This song was released at the right place and time and the younger generation (Gen X) took to it. It was the Dead's biggest hit long after they were 'relevant'. Great tune.

Hi, as you've just discovered, The Dead are different. I'm 5 hours late so I'm sure everyone has told you about how they're a live band. And yeah, a bunch of guys who you'd just hang out with and listen to. Just on a large scale! I don't qualify as a "real" Deadhead because I've only seen them a half dozen times, but I still have a Dead sticker on my car. This song was their only radio hit, but the have 100s of songs that millions of us can sing along with. Give some live songs a listen. A real good intro for you would be China Cat Sunflower/ I know You Rider from the Europe '72 album. Two songs that they always played together (aka China/Rider) and that version is my favorite. All of their shows were recorded, they let their fans tap into the soundboard and there's a whole world of traded tapes out there. I attended my first Dead show in April '73 at Boston Garden and when I looked a few years ago there it was online. Anyway, glad you enjoyed them, hope you listen to a lot more. Peace

Great introduction to the Grateful Dead. They were a live touring band with a following like none other. Would highly suggest "Not Fade Away" (Orchard Park, NY 7/4/89) for a live performance reaction. It really showcases their chemistry on stage as well as connection with their followers/fans.

Great great band. Jerry’s improvised melodic lead guitar and warm vocals with well written songs is just pure joy. Especially live this band comes alive and Jerry’s ballads are incredible

Welcome to the world of the Grateful Dead, the ultimate jam band and the best community anywhere. Their catalog is deep and wide covering many genres. Robert Hunter was the lyricst and an official member of the band. Ripple would be a grate next song to check out. another must is Standing on the Moon. I can't express the many ways they impacted the music world. check out their wall of sound. Keep in mind they never played a song the same way twice which is why you will see requests for songs from a specific date.

You’ve fallen down an endless rabbithole of astounding music and culture now-good luck!💀🌹✌️💙💜💚

This song was the bane of our existence on tour. Before they had this hit touring was so easy then all of a sudden thousands of people showed up without tickets and although the seen was fun it became difficult. When they played this in shows, as opposed to this video, Jerry would go off on a great guitar solo. But in order to reduce the time for an MTV video he didn’t play the solo. I had the privilege of seeing them perform over 300 times from 71-95.

As a Dead fan since the 70’s and fully earned my Touch Of Grey, I believe this to be one of the greatest songs of all time. Can’t wait to hear Jerry sing again one day in that big concert in the sky.

A dive into the Grateful Dead rabbit hole is a good thing. Be like Alice, and go deep!

"It's a whole experience' --> yeap, that pretty much sums up The Dead 🧚‍♀️👍🧚‍♀️

There's a gold mine ahead of you!

The Dead are a trip. Every song on their album American Beauty is a classic. Try Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, or Truckin'. I guarantee that you will have fun with them. Great reaction as always Bethany😃

They're a Jam band...folk. rock. psychedelic. blues...Jerry Garcia songwriter, guitar. Lead vocals died in 1995. They're following and concert tours were hugely popular!.

Welcome to the family!! The well is deep! (~)};-》

"I had something completely different in mind" is the nearly universal response.

I was a Deadhead for a bit in the early 90's, traveled around and saw them play in several Midwestern states, great, fun times! This album was fresh when I was actively doing this... Fun fact: This song was the band's only top 10 hit song (which is amazing because they had dozens of songs that are as good as this one or better). Fingers crossed that you consider a couple other Dead tunes to review for us, including: "Ripple" "Friend of the Devil" and "Uncle John's Band"

Brightness. Exactly the right word. There’s such a happy optimism that is contagious and when you saw them in person, it was a huge dance party with the most colorful characters. Thanks for this…I needed a reminder, I will survive.

Glad you've discovered the world's greatest band. As you noted, they're everything: funk, blues, disco, bluegrass, rock, pop, jazz, and even a bit of rap. Many live audience recordings are warts and all with less polished harmonies but the official live albums like Reckoning and Dead Set are monumental. And you can even catch Bobby still performing to this day, as well as Phil and Billy. We will survive.

There are a lot of bands that can lay a good claim to the term 'unique' - bands like System, or Rush, or Tool - but I'm not sure anyone can lay that claim with such certitude as the Dead. Their community of followers - the Dead Heads - a legit subculture unto itself, based on and living the values of peace and love - spent years and in many cases decades making this band the central organizing principle of their lives, as they followed them around the country over and over and over. Without it becoming cultish. This band represented an *ethos* that sustained multitudes, primarily due to their encouraging their fans to record their shows, each of which their intentional and inveterate improvisational skills rendered unique. So much more than a band. It wasn't so much their music - it was their congenial and bohemian attitude born from the 60s that persisted vibrant and unchanged into the 90s. Absolutely remarkable. Unique indeed.

You've officially boarded the bus

To learn a lot more about the Dead, there's the book "The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics" . I never paid attention to the words that much until this song, There's a play on 3 sayings and a reference to the military alphabet. Wow!

Its so funny because this band is known for their instrumental live jams. Jerry Garcia was addled with addiction and bad choices, but no one had a bad thing to say about him. He was joy and jubilee personified. Your reaction was that of a fan listening to a jam, except you picked up the vibes through the lyrics. This was fun to watch. This is a lesser liked song among fans. Except a large swath of fans dubbed TouchHeads because they started touring with the band after their MTV hit.

grateful dead, in folktales of many cultures, the spirit of a deceased person who bestows benefits on the one responsible for his burial. In the prototypical story, the protagonist is a traveler who encounters the corpse of a debtor, to whom the honour of proper burial has been denied. Grate reaction Bethany

I can see by your expression. You're going to be listening to more Grateful dead. Welcome to the club.❤

Welcome to the greatest community in music. Where have you been? Better late than never. Get yourself a tie dyed dress and remember this phrase: "Be kind!"

One of the greatest, feel good rock songs EVER! What a superb jam! Great lyrics too!

The Dead is the best psychedelic country western band I ever heard. All their songs are beautiful. Hunter was the great American lyricist of all time and with Garcia the greatest band ever.

Greatest American band ever. So glad you decided to. They have the best songbook encompassing all genres, amazing lyrics, improvisation and a number of singers/keyboardists to delve into also. I believe they are still the biggest selling band in history in terms of concert tickets with a fan base that followed them wherever they went. The people's and the musicians' band. The music played the band :) 🌹💃🕺

Yes! Please react to more Dead!

A couple of friends went to every concert of theirs for 10,yrs straight, never missed a concert. Lots of people did the same across THE U.S. and Cda.

Imagine hearing the Grateful Dead for the first time in your 40s?

I am so envious to the people that listen to these groups for the first time ever so jealous I was 9 when I was introduced to the dead and fell in love with them back then. I am forty five now.

"Okay, we have humans now" That was funny.

Their one and only top 40 song Greatest one hit wonder band of all time

It will be fun to see you experience the Dead and meet the Dead's family of Dead Heads! Welcome to the party!!!👍👍✌✌😁😁

To appreciate what the Grateful Dead were, you need to find a live version of one of their songs to react to. They toured constantly and never played the same setlist. They also never played a song the same way twice. I hope you enjoy your journey!

You have SO MUCH to look forward to!

Jerry has what I can only describe as a "sweetness" to his vocals. Some people smile with their teeth, others with their eyes. Jerry smiled with his voice.

I was like you at first Bethany; had to do a double take. Second time through, just based on presentation, not lyrics; I saw the song as comic relief for our mortality. 👻 Indeed it’s a fun, bobbing the head to the rhythm song! 💃 Another enjoyable reaction from you, Bethany! 💜

Great review! My favorite song is by them it's called Box of Rain. I look forward to you hopefully reacting to more of their music. My favorite vocalist is Rachel Price in a band called Lake Street Dive.

as a deadhead i loved watching her experience this. she gets it. and if you were there for it you saw thousands of lovely faces like hers just beaming with joy. i miss the grateful dead. there was /is nothing else like it

I was lucky enough to to have attended both shows this was filmed at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey CA. The shows were daytime but of course the vid is after dark. I followed them around the country for years but, except for NYE shows, this was literally the best I had seen them. Dig deep. The 70s and early 80s were my favorite times. But I oved every show I was at.

I can’t stress this enough; there is no other band like the Grateful Dead. Jerry Garcia once compared the Dead to licorice, “Not everyone likes licorice but the ones that do, really like licorice.”

This is one of those songs that will make you get up in the morning and carry on with things with a smile no matter how bad things may get.

God bless you sweetheart 🎉 They are my hearts band. Their music is magic...their light is pure ❤

I have been “Dead to the Core” for so many years…we have been blessed by the music & Souls of all the band members over the yeats! 🙏🏼😎✌️

After 25 years that was their first foray into videos. But it’s all about the music. So sorry you missed out on seeing live them because no 2 shows were very the same. Eclectic and diverse, they supported a community of followers. There was nothing like them.

My favorite band of all time has many amazing songs worth a listen plus a history worth learning, thank you.

Thank you for this reaction. The Dead are Americana through and through with roots in folk, blues, country, Appalachia, rock, and psychedelia. The live concerts were notable for the vibe - the energy and bounce that is impossible to describe; it could only be experienced.

Your smile throughout the song made my heart soar 💗

Great choice! Was just jamming to the Dead this morning.

Wonderful reaction! If you like the bright shiny side of the Grateful Dead, I bet you’d love their song “Ripple.” It’s very beautiful and very philosophical.

I had the same reaction the first time I heard them. I was in high school in the 90’s and was in to jazz and blues. Kids were wearing Grateful Dead t-shirts and all the Dead’s skulls and roses imagery reminded me of bands like Guns n Roses or Iron Maiden. Then I heard the Dead on the radio one Saturday night, and it was nothing like I expected. Might even have been this song since it was their biggest radio hit. Anyway, I immediately started buying their albums - my first was a two album collection on cassette tape, American Beauty on side A and Workingmans’s Dead on side B and I listened to it so much the tape broke in my knockoff Walkman. Next was their first album - and lo and behold, it was basically blues record. I’ve been hooked for 30 years. Enjoy the ride!

I discovered The Grateful Dead over 30 years ago, and I was very later to the party. My biggest musical regret is never getting the chance to see them live. Highly recommend “Eyes of the World” (Live with Bradford Marcellus), “Ripple”, “Brokedown Palace”, “Dire Wolf”, “Shakedown Street”, “bScarlett Begonias”, “Ship of Fools”, “Estimated Prophet”… I could go on and on. Such amazing music! 💀🌹

Good grief, Charlie Brown! … totally didn’t expect this … Yes, island time… I expected Bob Marley to pop-up! Too many preconceived notions on my part. This should prompt me to do some further investigation of GD. Great analysis as always, Bethany!

They have such a huge catalog of music from very different points in their career. This is very commercial for them and came very late. Radio friendly but still good. In the comments somebody suggested Ripple and I second that. That's a good place to start to get their complexity.

I loved watching your smile during this video. It brought me a ton of joy. The Dead are my favorite band. The live shows are what any fan listens to, not the studio. There are a ton of live shows available on any streaming service. I recommend a 70's show for the vocals because Jerry Garcia's voice can get thin by the 80's due to his battle with health

I didn't really get into the Dead until a few years ago when they popped up on a play list, but glad I did. I found a lot of great music I had missed out. Also all of the band members solo or collaboration work as well. Jerry was good on a steel guitar and they did a lot of great covers as well. So versatile, and chill. Great music for a day on the boat or a lazy afternoon.

The greatest group of musicians this planet has ever seen! They WERE the cause of the hippie revolution. Theyre a great band with copious amounts of free music (they taped almost every single live show they ever had which was roughly 2100) and Jerry is considered to be the most recorded artist of all time. Multiple bands, solo ventures, grateful dead, etc. Hope your love for the dead continues to grow!

You're in for a long strange trip with The Dead. No pun intended....

One of their most popular tunes, but not close to their best by a longshot.

loved your reaction. been into the dead since '68. as someone below said they weren't just a "band" but a movement and there was nothing like a grateful dead concert. they didn't perform their "hits". every concert was different and the individual song performances differed from show to show. truly a melting pot of american music. i called them a jazz band in rock clothes. welcome!!!

Welcome to the family! Founding member Jerry Garcia was a bluegrass & country musician in his own right. Listen to more of the Dead then chackout their solo projects Garcia's Old & In the Way and García Grisman band for more folk & bluegrass.

The Dead is a never ending party ✌️

They are one of those bands where their music is an experience, not just a song.

Song fits perfectly with a old man looking around today. An not recognizing anything he remembers. Change comes for everything. Including yourself, with a touch of grey. Then excepting of it.

You found the greatest band in history. In my humble opinion. I’ve been a Deadhead since 1972. There are literally over 100 songs to recommend. Anything from Europe’72 especially China Cat / I know you Rider and Brown Eyed Women. From Wake of the flood, Eyes of the World and Weather Report Suite. Here are a few off the top of my head, Sugaree, Cassidy, Standing on the Moon, Althea, Thtowing Stones, Scarlet Begonias, Unbroken Chain and Franklin’s Tower. I had to stop myself because I could have gone on for an hour just listing. Enjoy your journey!

Please, more Grateful Dead. They were friends and fun to hang out with

Just hang on, its gonna be a wild ride! Like everyone else will suggest, live Dead is the way to go, pretty much every one of their concerts was taped and is readily available. Here is China Cat Sunflower/I know you rider, live in Paris 72, two songs always played together, great version kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rqmXjdujy57Sook.html . great place to start

The Dead are one of the few bands where I would default to live recordings. That is where the magic happens...and there was A LOT of magic happening over the decades! The 1970's are generally considered peak Dead, but you find good 'uns in every era.

The Allman Brothers had two drummers. With the Dead, many fans used to follow them from city to city, never missing a single concert. I used to know a guy back in college. The last I heard of him, he was doing that. They would sell some tie-dyes or what not outside the venue to get enough money to get to the next concert.

"Its a whole experience"... there ya go! You're already starting to get it 😊

2 of my top concerts ever --- Red Rocks 77, & Watkins Glen

Musically, you would probably find Terrapin Station interesting. It's definitely too long for a reaction video, but you might enjoy it. Shows were a very special and magical experiences. I really enjoyed this reaction, first the shattering of the metal pre-conception, then you did what everyone does listening to the Dead, you started doing the "Deadbop". Your body cannot listen to their music without dancing.

Everyone expects the Dead to be a hard rock or metal band. However, no matter what you think... the Grateful Dead, is never what you expect.