The Tragic Odes of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead; Mystery Dances in the Magic Theater; First Edition

The Tragic Odes of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead is a multifaceted study
of tragedy in the group’s live performances showing how Garcia brought
about catharsis through dance by leading songs of grief, mortality, and ironic
fate in a collective theatrical context.
This musical, literary, and historical analysis of thirty-five songs with tragic
dimensions performed by Garcia in concert with the Grateful Dead illustrates
the syncretic approach and acute editorial ear he applied in adapting songs of
Robert Hunter, Bob Dylan, and folk tradition. Tragically ironic situations in
which Garcia found himself when performing these songs are revealed,
including those related to his opiate addiction and final decline. This book
examines Garcia’s musical craftsmanship and the Grateful Dead’s collective
art in terms of the mystery-rites of ancient Greece, Friedrich Nietzsche’s
Dionysus, 20th century American music rooted in New Orleans, Hermann
Hesse’s Magic Theater, and the Greek Theatre at Berkeley, offering a clear
prospect on an often misunderstood phenomenon.
Featuring interdisciplinary analysis, close attention to musical and poetic
strategies, and historical and critical contexts, this book will be of interest to
scholars and researchers of Popular Music, Musicology, Cultural Studies, and
American Studies, as well as to the Grateful Dead’s avid listeners.