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                 Music Preview: Biographer recounts a life with the Dead

                     Friday, November 29, 2002

                     By Scott Mervis, Post-Gazette Weekend Editor

                     It seems strange that the Grateful Dead's publicist would
                     turn around and write the band's biography, considering
             that it didn't happen in that order.

                     Dennis McNally, a Ph.D in

                     history who had written an
                     acclaimed biography of Jack
                     Kerouac, originally signed
                     on in the early '80s as the
                     band biographer. Little by
                     little, because of his media
                     savvy, he was pulled into
                     the daily business of the
                     Dead.

                     He put the book aside in
                     1984 and did PR duties up
                     until the day Jerry Garcia
                     died, and beyond, now
                     working with Grateful Dead
                     offshoot, the Other Ones
                     (see story below). But the Dead's ultimate demise in 1995
                     did give McNally a chance to write and publish "Long
                     Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead," a
                     historical treatment that not only follows the band's
                     adventures but the interesting times in which they lived.

                     While some have been critical of the idea of
                     publicist-biographer, McNally swears that in true Grateful
                     Dead fashion, nothing was held back. Here's what he had to
                     say in a recent interview by cell phone from a Starbucks
                     in Boston.

                     First off, how have the band members reacted to the book?

                     Not to pat myself on the back, but they loved it. They all
                     vetted it first for fact and corrected fact and not one of
                     them said, 'It's embarrassing, take it out.' 'Cause
                     there's a lot that's embarrassing; they're not saints.

                     It must have been unnerving to
                     have them read it.

                     I've been doing this for 20
                     years. I had my facts pretty
                     accurately. I wasn't smart enough
                     to be nervous. The whole point of
                     Grateful Dead music was that it
                     was honest, it was what was on
                     their minds each night. There was
                     no theater, no costumes, no funny
                     stuff. That extends to them. They
                     have solid egos about who they
                     are. I mean, they're all crazy as
                     bedbugs, 'cause they're
                     musicians, of course.

                     You were drawn into the magic the
                     way everyone else was. Did it
                     last for you seeing them night
                     after night?

                     I couldn't lock into the magic, because for the first hour
                     and a half of every night, I was working my [behind] off.
                     I was able to suspend being an employee and become a
                     Deadhead most second sets. I was always one of those
                     critical Deadheads. They're not all there just standing
                     there dancing. A lot of them are standing there saying,
                     'This sucks. This isn't good enough tonight.' I was
                     certainly bowled over in the earliest days and then it
                     would be a matter of moments when I would just say 'Wow.'

                     They're all strong personalities. Were they frank with
                     each other?

                     Up to a point they were. Unfortunately, toward the end,
                     the only time they talked to each other was on stage. The
                     business was pretty much on automatic pilot. It was kind
                     of like a marriage that was going on for 30 years.

                     What were some of the points of contention? If Jerry had a
                     weak night, would they ever get on him?

                     No, people would grumble a little. Billy [Kreutzmann]
                     would complain to Mickey [Hart] or they'd roll their eyes.
                     They were not confrontational. That was one way you could
                     go on for 30 years. It happened. I remember one night
                     Bobby [Weir] was so mad at the drummers, he drew up a
                     petition that he wanted the rest of the band to sign. They
                     sort of looked at him, like, 'Yeah, right.' The first
                     lesson you learned is you never ever complimented them
                     after the show. If you said, 'Oh great show,' they looked
                     at you like you were dim. Because they were always
                     critical of themselves.

                     How hard was it watching Garcia struggle with his
                     addictions?

                     It was agony. You say 'addictions' because it more than
                     just drugs, like watching him cheat on his diet and
                     pretend to exercise and not. He had a self-esteem problem.
                     He did not take care of himself. Remember, he died of a
                     heart attack. He was a textbook, slightly overweight guy,
                     still smoking, eating badly.

                     What do you mean he had a self-esteem problem? How could
                     that be?

                     Hey, man, it doesn't matter what other people tell you. If
                     you ultimately have doubts about yourself, and he clearly
                     did. ... What person who respects himself would
                     systematically destroy his own health? Why do you think he
                     did drugs? He self-medicated for depression and anxiety.
                     This is fancy talk but it's the truth. He was in emotional
                     pain. As he got older the pressures of being Jerry Garcia
                     made it worse.

                     Were the band's days winding down even without him dying?

                     It was very peculiar that at the same time his health
                     troughed that our last tour should be such a horrible one
                     in terms of logistics. ... At any rate, the answer is, it
                     needed to stop for a time. I think if Jerry had made a
                     full and whole-hearted recovery and he was trying, [it
                     would have gone on]. Remember, he was sober when he died.
                     He'd made his commitment. He'd made his stand. He could
                     have died in some hotel room, but he died fighting, he
                     died making a stand for the light.

                     Was Three Rivers Stadium one of the last great shows?

                     For my money. It had that certain aura, because it was so
                     goofy with the rain shower. It was very odd and sweetly
                     odd. Pittsburgh had a sense of humor. If you're going to
                     have to stand around in the rain, you might as well keep
                     smiling.

                     What was the period after his death like for the band? I
                     hate to say it, but was there almost a sense of relief?

                     We had spent a lot of years worrying about Jerry and
                     wondering what was going to happen. And now we knew. God
                     knows nobody liked it, but for anyone who has ever had an
                     family member ill for a long time and then die, there's a
                     sense of resolution. Billy said, 'I can't tour anymore,
                     I'm going to Hawaii.' Everybody said, 'Look. Let's take
                     some space.' They each took some space.

                     What about the Other Ones. Is it a living, breathing
                     thing?

                     Somebody said 'museum piece' and I understand the impulse
                     to call it that. But that's not fair. You make your own
                     judgment after you hear it. Here's why I don't think that:
                     This band has rehearsed way more in one year more than the
                     Grateful Dead did in five years. Last summer they played
                     two shows. They got together in Alpine. They rehearsed
                     Friday night -- hard. Saturday they played a very good
                     show. They played 'Dark Star' and 'St. Stephen.' The
                     audience was going bananas. Just on the one day, I could
                     hear a progression. I kept thinking, 'My God, what's going
                     to be happening after four, five nights on the road?'

                     -----------------------------------------------------------

                     Scott Mervis can be reached at [e-mail] or
                     412-263-2576.
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