Growing Up Dead

The Hallucinated Confessions of a Teenage Deadhead

By: Peter Conners

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Told against the backdrop of the American landscape of the late '80s to the mid-'90s, Growing Up Dead is the story of Peter Conners's journey from straight-laced suburban kid to touring Deadhead. Peter discovered the Grateful Dead in 1985, at the age of 15, through friends who exchanged bootleg tapes of live Grateful Dead concerts. A teenager living in the suburbs of Rochester, New York, he became exposed to an entirely new way of life, and friends who were enjoying more freedom and less parental guidance. At the age of 16, he attended his first Grateful Dead concert on June 30, 1987 - he was hooked.

Between 1987 and 1995, Conners would attend Dead 'shows' all over the United States. He traveled with a makeshift 'family' of other Deadheads in a Volkswagen camper, selling drugs and whatever else would provide gas money to the next concert. His hair was a wild, unkempt bush and baths were infrequent. In short, he had progressed from suburban kid, to Grateful Dead fan, to full-blown Deadhead. Chronicling this progression, which culminates with the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia, Conners reveals the truth behind Deadhead culture and history. The result is a riveting insight into the obsessive fandom that made The Grateful Dead the most successful touring band of all time, as well as a cultural phenomenon.

©2009 Peter Conners (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

I lived this too!

I am the same age and did all the things this guy did following the dead - great nostalgia story and was great listen - loved the book!!!

Really enjoyed it

Brought me back to some fond memories hasn’t thought of in a while. Never was fortunate enough to see the Dead but you articulated a lot of hard to describe emotions and feelings.