There will no doubt be countless tributes and posts about Bob Weir. What else can one add but to say that I, too, saw countless Grateful Dead shows.

At 16, I convinced my parents to let me spend most of the summer following the Dead’s summer tour. My friends and I got jobs washing dishes at local restaurants, we got our tickets for most of the shows through the GD fan club, I designed a cool psychedelic t-shirt, and I convinced my art teacher to let me silkscreen 100 of them in his classroom. My friends and I eventually pitched in and bought ourselves a 1973 station wagon, and then once school was out for the summer, we jumped in the car and travelled all over the US seeing show after show. We survived the road by selling my t-shirts to buy our food and gas, but to be honest, we really survived because of the strong Dead Head community, who looked after each other.

And then we did it all over again at 17.

And again at 18.

Between 19 and 22, I saw a handful more shows across the States, but by 23, my days seeing the Dead were done.

I have never considered myself a “Dead Head,” but damn if Bobby’s passing doesn’t hurt. But I am happy he will be playing once again with Jerry. ❤️