Reason has a great article about the Grateful Dead. I am a serious Deadhead, in fact I met my wife at a Dylan and the Dead show at JFK Stadium in Philly on July 7, 1989. Me and my brother actually got picked up. I always was amazed by what a business the Dead were, they turned touring consistently into an art that they knew exactly how much they were going to make. Spring arena shows; 20,000 people at each show from the Omni in Atlanta through the Meadowlands. Summer; 65,000 people from RFK Stadium in Washington, through Foxboro, Mass. to Buckeye Stadium in Ohio. Fall; 21,000 from Raleigh, NC to the Centrum in Worcester. That's not even counting the West Coast shows at Shoreline or Kaiser. then add in the Jerry Garcia Band tours. I attempted to discuss this with some heads before, the fact that the Dead were a business, which in turn, supported a smaller group of businesses ranging from selling weed, acid, and nitrous, to shirt hawkers and grilled cheese makers. Mostly the reaction I got was a succinct "No way, Dude" as the guy was selling imported beer for four bucks a bottle. I probably saw between 50-100 shows around the country and sincerely enjoyed each one. I saw the Other Ones in the fall and Bob Weir's Ratdog twice last year. I'm still a head and listen alot. My daughter falls asleep on my chest listening to the Dead on the computer. Read the article, well written, and fair. (Thanks to Ken Layne)