Guess the Year

Bay Area! Stop by Book Passage in Corte Madera to hear the great John Brackett discuss his newest book about how the Grateful Dead became pop stars. John is a hall of fame GTY guest and one of the greatest thinkers and writers about the Grateful Dead that our community has to offer. 1pm, Saturday, August 29th Rolling Stone article. Thanks again to the great Angie Martoccio.

This week, author and historian John Brackett curates the setlist as 2x defending champ Nick is joined by Kellen, Colby, and Nick. You may remember John from his wonderful book Live Dead: The Grateful Dead, Live Recordings, and the Ideology of Liveness . Lucky for us, John is set to release its follow-up, Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars on August 4th , via Duke University Press. It’s available now for pre-order. The book follows "Touch of Grey" from Robert Hunter's earliest lyric sketches through the recording of In the Dark , the iconic music video, and the promotional campaign, which turned the Grateful Dead into… pop stars.

This week, comedian Cam Herdt curates the setlist as returning champ Nick is joined by James, Billy, and Josiah. Check out Cam's hilarious Instagram , Best Show Ever podcast & YouTube channel , and snag tickets to his show at Garcia's Chicago, available now.

This week, Doyle from the music blog Nightswimming curates the setlist as three time defending champ Charles is joined by Mark, Nick, and Luke. Nightswimming has a brilliant tagline, “a blog about new music, for kids who grew up with VH1 and iPod Shuffles.” It features interviews, reviews, playlists, and of course, a Grateful Dead show of the week. Check out Doyle's recent interview with Kevin Morby. Nightswimming Nightswimming's Instagram Charles's ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

This week, Peter Conners, author of Cornell '77: The Music, the Myth, and the Magnificence of the Grateful Dead's Concert at Barton Hall , curates the setlist as returning champ Charles is joined by Sean, Jon, and Liam. Peter is the author of nine books spanning nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, including Growing Up Dead , JAMerica , White Hand Society , and the novel Merch Table Blues . His writing on the Grateful Dead and jam band culture has made him one of the scene’s foremost chroniclers. Cornell '77 Peter's Website Charles's ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Seastones Development and Research Muddy River Junction

This week, Tom from Grateful Stats curates the setlist, while returning champ Charles is joined by Archit and Charlie. Grateful Stats is a database of Grateful Dead shows, with deep search tools and advanced stats, including song sequences and durations. To mine the database’s full depths, there’s a Patreon that helps cover hosting fees, and any revenue beyond that is donated to charities like the Rex Foundation, HeadCount, and TC’s medical bills. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@guesstheyear.net⁠⁠⁠⁠ GTY's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter Osta ⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the new cover art. Charles's ⁠website⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠ Mundane

This week, 4x Guess the Year champ Gavin curates the setlist as returning champ Dave is joined by Steve, Charles, and Dylan. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: ⁠⁠⁠info@guesstheyear.net⁠⁠⁠ GTY's ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Peter Osta ⁠⁠⁠ for the new cover art. Charles's website and Facebook (amazing guitarist)

This week, Christopher K. Coffman curates the setlist as returning champ Drane is joined by Dave, Paul, and Bart. Chris is a Master Lecturer of Humanities at Boston University, and the author of Clowns in the Burying Ground: The Grateful Dead, Literature, and the Limits of Philosophy , out now via Duke University Press under its Grateful Dead Studies imprint. The book examines how the Dead’s lyricists drew from European and American literary traditions, using intertextuality and fragmentation to shape meaning in their work. This week’s prize pack is provided by Seastones , which makes custom hi-fi speakers with psychedelic, custom panels. Seastones recently shared prototypes for the new speakers drawing from the Dead’s pre 1974 sound system, and featuring vintage surfboard inlays. Clowns in the Burying Ground Grateful Dead Studies Association submissions . Bart's venues: Lakeview Marina High Dive Lounge To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: ⁠⁠info@guesstheyear.net⁠⁠ GTY's ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Thanks to ⁠⁠Peter Osta ⁠⁠ for the new cover art.

This week, setlist curator Chef Michael Cimarusti is joined by Matt, Tom, and Drane. Michael is a James Beard Award-winner and co-owner of Providence in Los Angeles, which in 2025 earned three Michelin stars. It also carries a Green Star for sustainability. Michael is also chef and partner at Connie & Ted’s in West Hollywood. He trained at Spago, Le Cirque, and Water Grill, after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. He’s one of the chef judges on America’s Culinary Cup, which is midway through its first season on CBS and Paramount+. Michael's Instagram Providence Connie & Ted's America's Culinary Cup Ears of Maize , Tom's show on KALX, 90.7FM Berkeley Matt's show on 106.5 FM Philadelphia To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: ⁠info@guesstheyear.net⁠ GTY's ⁠Instagram⁠ & ⁠YouTube⁠ Thanks to ⁠Peter Osta ⁠ for the new cover art.

This week, Dr. B. Steve Csaki curates the setlist as returning champ Adam is joined by Grayson and Barry. Steve is an Assistant Professor in English, Humanities, and Languages at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He’s co-editor of The Philosophy of the Western, and a member of the Grateful Dead Studies Association. For Volume 6 of their annual compilation of scholarly papers, Steve contributed “Caught on a Limb”: Authorial Intention, He’s Gone, and the Music of the Grateful Dead. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net GTY's Instagram & YouTube Thanks to Peter Osta for the new cover art.

Recorded live at Copperfield’s Books in Sebastopol, I sit down with cookbook author Gabi Moskowitz to talk about Dead in the Kitchen: The Official Grateful Dead Cookbook. We get into what makes a recipe spiritually Dead, why the book is vegetarian, how Dave Lemieux helped shape its structure, and how cooking—like improvisation—depends on preparation, a good pantry, and letting go of perfection.

In mid-August, I chatted with journalist Jim Newton at Booksmith in SF about his newly released Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening , which is out now. We touched on: Why Jerry would’ve been the ultimate interview guest The Dead’s wild growth in the ’80s — was Reagan the backdrop? Garcia’s allergy to politics and endorsements Jerry Brown asking for help… and getting turned down What kept Deadheads coming back, year after year

This week, Dr. Darryl De Marzio curates the setlist as returning champ Adam is joined by John, Jack, and Bryan. Darryl is the Executive Director of the Portsmouth Institute, Portsmouth Abbey’s Benedictine Center for Catholic Thought, Liturgy, and Culture. Darryl holds a masters and doctoral degree from Columbia University. His scholarship spans philosophy of education, ethical theory, and Catholic educational practice, with articles published in leading journals including Educational Theory , and Studies in Philosophy and Education . To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links Portsmouth Institute John's bands Rule of Thumb and Verst Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, professor Rick Monture curates the setlist as returning champ Scott is joined by Adam, Cory, and Matt. Rick is the director of the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University, where he also teaches in the Department of English and Cultural Studies. Rick is a member of the Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Rick is also the author of We Share Our Matters: Two Centuries of Writing and Resistance at Six Nations of the Grand River —which maps the intellectual traditions and ongoing sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee people. Rick holds a PhD in English from McMaster, is a past Fulbright scholar, and has long served on the boards of cultural and educational institutions at Six Nations. Rick is also a longtime Grateful Dead taper and member of the Grateful Dead Studies Association. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links We Share Our Matters: Two Centuries of Writing and Resistance at Six Nations of the Grand River Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, Grammy winning sound engineer David Glasser curates the setlist as returning champ Brendan is joined by Scott, Alec, and Max. David Glasser is founder and chief engineer at Airshow Mastering . With over 35 years in audio engineering, David has mastered thousands of records, including more than 80 GRAMMY nominees. He’s a three-time nominee himself, earning two Grammys for his work on the Anthology of American Folk Music and Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton. David remastered the Dead’s entire studio album catalog, Europe ’72, Without a Net-- the list is endless. This week's poster was designed by Billy King. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links Airshow Mastering Billy King's Instagram Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, author Ray Robertson curates the setlist as returning champ John is joined by Dylan and Brendan. Ray is the author of multiple novels and nonfiction works, including All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows , a journey through the Dead’s history via fifty iconic performances. Ray’s writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail , The Walrus , and Canadian Notes & Queries. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links All the Years Combine Ray's Website Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, journalist, author, and music critic Joel Selvin curates the setlist as returning champ Phil is joined by Brian, John, and Paul. Joel was the longtime pop music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and has written about rock and roll for over 40 years. He’s the author of many books, including Fare Thee Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead’s Long, Strange Trip and Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock’s Darkest Day . His latest book, Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon , is out everywhere now. It tells the story of Jim Gordon, the legendary drummer who laid down drums on classics like “Layla,” “God only Knows,” “Good Vibrations,” and many more— before a descent into undiagnosed schizophrenia led him to murder his mother and spend the rest of his life in prison. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links Order Drums and Demons Joel's Website Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, Brian Anderson, author of the upcoming Loud and Clear: The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection , curates the setlist as returning champ Denis is joined by Matty, Michael, and Phil. Brian Anderson has been a Webby Award-winning senior features editor, writer, and producer at VICE . More recently, he did a stint running the Science desk at The Atlantic , where he was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team for pandemic coverage, and was later a senior editor at Vox . Loud and Clear is available for pre-order now. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links Pre-order Loud and Clear Brian's Instagram Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, senior writer at Rolling Stone Angie Martoccio curates the setlist as returning champ Zak is joined by Jackson, Denis, and Josh. Angie has written cover stories on Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Boygenius, and interviewed icons like Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, and recently, Bob Weir. Her award-winning work often highlights overlooked women in music history. To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links Angie's Instagram Angie's Interview w/ Bob Angie's Rolling Stone author page Eric Mlyn's What a Long Strange Trip: The Grateful Dead and American Cultural Change Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram

This week, Bob Bralove curates the setlist as returning champ Corey is joined by Zak, Dave, and Isaac. Bob Bralove is a musician and producer who worked with Stevie Wonder and the Grateful Dead, helping pioneer the use of synthesizers in live performance. He has continued to release his own music, including his new album with violinist Patti Weiss, Acoustic Conversations . To be a contestant, sponsor the show, or ask questions/make comments, please email: info@guesstheyear.net More Links Bob's Instagram Bob's Website Acoustic Conversations Guess the Year's Instagram 30k ft's Instagram