![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Gross commercialization, but I laughed.
Jul. 27th, 2021 04:31 pmI just got an email announcing that Levi's now has a Grateful Dead collection.
Feel free to laugh, roll your eyes, or rant about how the band was so much better when Keith was still around.
Finished? Cool.
But there's one thing in this overpriced, really-does-not-get-it, collection that made me laugh.
Some of the stuff features the phrase "Who Are The Grateful Dead And Why Are They Following Me?" I was watching when that, I guess you could call it a meme, was born. It was during one of the New Year's Eve shows that got telecast. During the shows leading up to New Year, a camera crew had gone around the Oakland Arena asking Deadheads for their best questions to ask the band. They showed the best responses to the guys and taped their responses live, and played it between sets.
It was hysterical. One guy asked what Jerry would be wearing for the NYE show. Jerry Garcia notoriously wore the same t-shirt and jeans on stage for about five years. So Bob Weir begins describing it like some big fashion statement. At which point Phil Lesh said, "The only other option is the Aztec Sun God outfit." to which one of the band members said, "but everyone's seen that."
But then came Gus. Gus managed to kill the band.
"Hi, my name is Gus, and I want to know, who are the Grateful Dead and why do they keep following me?"
The band howled with laughter, shouting they were onto Gus, and then Mickey Hart saying, "Guys, he's seen us!"
It was a great bit.
By the Chinese New Year shows we were seeing bumper stickers with Gus' immortal question on it. Patches soon followed, and now Levi's is using it.
Gus, my friend, wherever you are, you gotta keep on truckin' on.
Feel free to laugh, roll your eyes, or rant about how the band was so much better when Keith was still around.
Finished? Cool.
But there's one thing in this overpriced, really-does-not-get-it, collection that made me laugh.
Some of the stuff features the phrase "Who Are The Grateful Dead And Why Are They Following Me?" I was watching when that, I guess you could call it a meme, was born. It was during one of the New Year's Eve shows that got telecast. During the shows leading up to New Year, a camera crew had gone around the Oakland Arena asking Deadheads for their best questions to ask the band. They showed the best responses to the guys and taped their responses live, and played it between sets.
It was hysterical. One guy asked what Jerry would be wearing for the NYE show. Jerry Garcia notoriously wore the same t-shirt and jeans on stage for about five years. So Bob Weir begins describing it like some big fashion statement. At which point Phil Lesh said, "The only other option is the Aztec Sun God outfit." to which one of the band members said, "but everyone's seen that."
But then came Gus. Gus managed to kill the band.
"Hi, my name is Gus, and I want to know, who are the Grateful Dead and why do they keep following me?"
The band howled with laughter, shouting they were onto Gus, and then Mickey Hart saying, "Guys, he's seen us!"
It was a great bit.
By the Chinese New Year shows we were seeing bumper stickers with Gus' immortal question on it. Patches soon followed, and now Levi's is using it.
Gus, my friend, wherever you are, you gotta keep on truckin' on.
