Noah Eckstein “America’s Dead,” a new 10-episode podcast about the enduring legacy of the Grateful Dead and the band’s profound effect on American consciousness, was released today.
The limited series, produced by Sonos Radio, is hosted by Grammy-winning filmmaker and producer Emmett Malloy and takes listeners on an improvisational journey through a diverse range of conversations, with the intent of understanding why the Dead is more popular and resonant now than ever.
This podcast takes any preconceived notion that the Dead is just some hippie band and completely shatters it. The remnants are picked up carefully by Malloy, who acts as a spiritual guide through varied conversations that illuminate the intricacies of the Dead’s fanbase.
In the series premiere episode, Ezra Koenig, frontman for Vampire Weekend, professes his love for the Grateful Dead and defies detractors by discussing how it is possible to eventually convert anyone with a listen to “Eyes of the World” from the 1970s. “There is something about (Jerry Garcia) over those chords, I don’t know how to describe it,” Koenig says. “It’s joyful.
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