Fans of the iconic band, the Grateful Dead, are preparing to bid farewell to the band once again. This isn’t a new experience for them. Ever since the band’s frontman, Jerry Garcia, passed away almost three decades ago, the Grateful Dead has undergone multiple reunions, continuously touring and attracting new generations of fans. Each time, these fans have had their own opportunity to mourn and say goodbye, as my colleague Marc Tracy explains.
One particularly poignant moment came on the day of Garcia’s death in 1995. Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir gave a concert near Boston, and during the encore, it felt like an emotional send-off for both Garcia and the band. Albie Cullen, a devoted fan, remembers that moment, saying, “Everybody kind of knew that was the end.” But it wasn’t.
In 2015, the surviving members of the band held a series of farewell concerts. Once again, it was an emotional experience, but it didn’t mark the end. Within months, a new incarnation of the Grateful Dead was formed, known as Dead & Company. This iteration included the talented singer-songwriter John Mayer, who was born long after the original band was formed.
During the eight-year run of Dead & Company, the band once again became a cultural phenomenon. Longtime fans embraced Mayer, recognizing his skills as a guitar player. Meanwhile, many younger fans discovered the group through streaming services and the band’s extensive online archive of live concerts. In fact, the band recently had its highest record sales in 35 years. I witnessed this firsthand when I attended one of their concerts at Citi Field in New York last month, where the upper deck was filled with tie-dye-clad Gen Z fans.
Tonight, Dead & Company will play their final show of what they claim to be their final tour in San Francisco. Whether or not this is actually the end, fans are once again embracing the ritual of saying goodbye. There is something bittersweet and cathartic about bidding farewell, as Marc explains: “We find a usefulness to saying goodbye. It’s almost like practice. People genuinely enjoy the bittersweetness of it. You’re not supposed to like sad things, but people go see sad movies all the time.”
In other news, Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO has become a topic of debate. Advocates argue that bringing Ukraine into NATO would deter Russia from crossing certain boundaries, while others believe that the support Ukraine needs can be provided without admitting them into NATO.
Moving on to other stories, Ann Beattie’s latest collection of short stories titled “Onlookers” has been hailed as her best work in over two decades. The collection explores the forces shaping America through the lens of Charlottesville, Virginia. Additionally, our editors recommend “Directions to Myself,” a reflective memoir on parenthood and personal growth, along with several other noteworthy books. Colleen Hoover also dominates the latest paperback trade fiction bestseller list.
For those looking for recommendations, we have suggestions for planning the perfect weekend in Telluride, kitchen compost bins to help with sustainability efforts, tips on converting your desk into a standing one, and a list of bistros to try in Paris.
Looking ahead, here are some notable events to watch out for in the coming week: Novak Djokovic competing in the Wimbledon men’s final, jurors in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial deciding on the gunman’s sentencing, the Senate considering an annual defense bill that may be loaded with social policy provisions, Israeli President Isaac Herzog meeting with President Biden, and the start of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
To wrap things up, we present a selection of recipes for you to try in the following week. Happy cooking!
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