Truth be Told, I was was shocked…
It was 1986 and a bunch of my hippy friends weren’t going to be able to hang out that weekend. It turned out that the Grateful Dead was going to be at Alpine Valley and they were all going.
I should say at this point that I had literally Zero interest in tagging along.

Yes, I grew up in a family that went camping often. Yes, it was a very Musical Household (my Dad used to say that “even our sewing machine was a Singer”). However, I was into Motorhead, UFO, Maiden, Husker Du and the Clash at the time and figured that if I wanted to take a nap, I could do it at home for free. And so I told all my hippy friends repeatedly. Who looked at each other and laughed knowingly.
Then they told me that one of the guys going was bringing his girlfriend.  One of her friends, who I was kind of crazy about, was going to be going.

So I decided to go…

In the car on the way to East Troy, Wisconsin, I asked the guys what I was getting in to. Was I going to hear Trucking each night? What about Box of Rain? I loved that song, but hearing it 2 or 3 nights in a row might seem predictable, boring, etc.
They chuckled and told me not to worry. At that point I specifically recall thinking “…if we are going camping and there’s Live Music and she’ll be there, just how bad can it be..”?

Fast forward to the Show.

Immediately, I loved the Vibe.
Actually, people often miss that the community feelings at a Dead Show are familiar to certain parts of Punk/Metal Shows. They all share a certain marginalization aimed at them from mainstream Society and have learned to embrace that. Both scenes, at their best, foster a sense of Community that can rival the Music as a source of comfort and belonging.  To me, the Dead vibe was welcoming, familiar and very friendly. Again, I thought, “how bad can the Music be?”

By the 3rd song they had me. Forever…

By the end of the night I felt energized and really lucky that I had friends who would drag me to something that I had loudly and repeatedly told them that they were crazy to enjoy, but that’s what friends are for.

Mars Hotel Blotto is a Grateful Dead-themed Festival held each year at the Best Western in La Porte, IN. This year it’s November 2nd & 3rd. Go to the Festivals Tab on this website for more info and Ticket Sales.

-Chief