On Tour with The Dead
The Grateful Dead not only allowed fans to tape their concerts, but they also encouraged it. The band even set up a “taper’s section” for them. That means that there are tapes of all of the 2,500 shows the Dead performed during their 30 years of touring. And if you ever have a lot of time to kill, just ask a group of Deadheads about their favorite live show. You’ll be there for hours.
Grateful Dead tapers 1983. Photo by Bob Minkin, Shutterstock / Bob Minkin, mediapunch, Shutterstock
Jokes aside, Deadheads really do have a reason to reflect fondly on their time “on tour” with the band. There was a certain sense of community and a deep bond between the audience and the band that has rarely been replicated since.