The Dead Kill Online Downloads

The New York Times yesterday ran an article about the decision on the part of The Grateful Dead to force an onlive archive of its shows to remove them so that people will have to pay the band for downloading these shows. This is pretty much against the entire history of The Dead whose popularity can be attributed to the community that evolved partially as a result of the fact that they allowed and even encouraged people to tape and trade their shows for free. The excuse they offered is that the web is not about community building. Here's the quote from the band's spokesman Dennis McNally:

One-to-one community building, tape trading, is something we've always been about," Mr. McNally said. "The idea of a massive one-stop Web site that does not build community is not what we had in mind. Our conclusion has been that it doesn't represent Grateful Dead values."

Here's what I think they are missing. The definition of community is changing. Look at MySpace and tell me where that fits into the understanding of community that existed when The Dead started out 40 years ago. It doesn't. Yet, today, in 2005 it is in fact a growing community. These people are stuck back in the day when community meant actually knowing someone - or at least writing a snail mail letter to someone. (When was the last time YOU wrote an actual snailmail letter? I haven't in years!) Greatful Dead values? You gotta be kidding me - as if that were based on some sort of immutable Torah that G-d gave to Jerry on Mt. Shasta in '68... Ha!

So now there's this petition online where people are proclaiming that they will boycott all GD merch etc. unless thye decision is reversed. I signed. They insisted that I post a comment along with my signature which I did and then I found some other comments that people posted and decided to share some of my favorites with you. And here they are:

Suzanne Delaney of Flanders, NJ - please bring back the soundboards, my husband cant survive w/ out them

Ernie Jenkins of NYC - GD's Soul for Sale: $19.95 or best offer

Rob Miller of Candler, N.C. - That's it I quit,I am going to start listening to country music, at least I know all they care about is money.

Scott Nichols of Portsmouth, NH - I'm throwing your tea into the harbor starting now.

Frank of Florida - If you wrote some (good) new stuff, you wouldn't have to worry about squeezing the last nickel out of 30 year old concert recordings

Joe Weaver of Phila. PA - have you all been hangin' out with Metallica?

JERRY GARCIA of Heaven - What are you people doing to our legacy? WHY? I may have to come back and overturn this decision. Our poor fans.

Michael Hopping of Memphis, TN - Estimated Profit?

Derek Bryant of St. Louis, MO - What a bummer. You guys are really harshing my mellow.

rachael marinelli of Rochester, NY - what an UN-fun, UN-sexy time for you all!

James Dunleavy of Lawrence, KS - Don't you guys sell enough golf balls and frisbees?

Christopher Taylor of Vernon, CT - Have fun on your "ship of fools"!

Joshua B. Julian of Binghamton, NY - we would share with you.

Steve Hoffman of Pekin, IL - Did you get bought out by Sony?

Ken Cummings of Pittsburgh, PA - will they stop Dark Star Orchestra next??

James Nadeau of Brooklyn, NY - what's next? "The Dead, brought to you by Disney"

Steve Whiteduck of Maniwaki, Quebec, Canada - I've never been so embarassed to be a Deadhead

About that last one - I'm wondering about the other times he was embarassed to be a Deadhead. I know they weren't AS embarassing but still....

The article is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/30/arts/music/30dead.html?incamp=article_popular_3l

you can sign the petition here: www.petitiononline.com/gdm/petition.html

A Fascinating Snippet

Something I heard earlier this evening as I sat in a bar in Alphabet City caught my ear. And I remember clearly that as I heard this snippet of conversation it occured to me that this would be a really good subject to write about here on my blog. And so I am. But, of course, now I can't for the life of me remember what it was about. Bah!