This one-on-one conversation was a while in the making, and so well worth the wait.

Being a longtime customer of Grateful Fred and a fellow Deadhead, I’m honored to have hosted the founder of what I consider to be one of the premier Grateful Dead product producers in the country, Grateful Fred, Stephen McMennamy - https://grateful-fred.com/collections/badges

The episode is in no way intended to be an “infomercial” for either Grateful Fred or the podcast (I invited Stephen to be my guest, no strings attached), but more so it’s my way of sharing the story of a true entrepreneur, his love for the Grateful Dead, and how his passion to fuel his creative energy has reached new heights that he never dreamed possible.

Last but not least…. who is Fred anyway? Tune in. You won’t be disappointed :)

Join us, and let’s see where the energy takes us!

Grateful Fred

St Stephen 4.27.71

Tweezer 2.28.02

Wondering

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My friend, John Macario, returns to the show and we pick up right where we left off back in late 2024 when he first shared his amazing story.

It’s been 19 months since John lost the love of his life and fellow Deadhead, Meg, at age 52 to complications following a liver transplant. We catch up on how he and their 12-year old daughter, Gloria, are doing facing the world together as the dynamic duo. John shares how single parenting is going, and how every now and again he gets out to fuel his soul with live music, including the likes of Bulgarina-American pianist, Kristina Marinova. Marinova’s recent solo release, The Bus Came By and I Got On, is unlike any Grateful Dead music that I have ever heard before and is a must-listen.

In honor of our beloved Bobby “Ace” Weir, John insists that we tune into NPR’s Tiny Desk with Bob Weir & Wold Brothers, where Mikaela Davis sits in on harp. Their rendition of Birdsong is simply magical and instantly transports the listener with its first few notes.

We wrap up with John’s story of Gloria’s early love of Jerry Garcia, and how at just 5 years old she became attached to Jerry Garcia Band’s 1980 rendition of After Midnight. “More Jerry, Dad!” How cool is THAT, I mean really.

Finally, John reveals for the first time how he got the nickname I never knew even existed - “Spiff”!

Join us, and let’s see where the energy takes us!

Morning Dew / Kristina Marinova
Smells Like Teen Spirit / Nirvana
Please Don't Bury Me / John Prine
Birdsong / Wolf Bros
I Know You Rider / Grateful Dead
After Midnight / JGB

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In Part II of the continuing celebration of Bobby Weir and his life well-lived, I’m joined by lifelong Deadheads, Ted “The” Bahr and Paul “Nud” Schmitz. Nud kicks off the conversation by sharing his thoughts on Bobby’s one-of-a-kind “rhythmic-lead” style, and how this unique approach to the guitar was unlike any rhythm guitarist. We walk through the early days in the mid-60’s when, as Nud puts it, Bobby “couldn’t play very well, and couldn’t sing very well either” through his mastery of the axe by the early and mid-70’s.

Ted brings his Top 20 Bobby Songs to the table for discussion and debate (similar to a recent “spirited conversation” that I had on The Great Debate episode The Great Debate ) acknowledging that some songs on the list aren’t technically Bobby songs at all. Being a self-described “picky Deadhead”, he’s unafraid to admit which songs he’s heard enough of and which Bobby songs still give him joy with each listen today.

Join us once again, as we celebrate the well-lived life of Bobby “Ace” Weir, and let’s see where the energy takes us!

Bobby
Easy Wind
Passenger
Brother Esau
Feel Like a Stranger
The Other One

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