Date: 29 Feb 96 12:51:16 EST
From: Leslie Ayres <71165.755@@compuserve.com>

In reply to ..... Are Deadheads and Ravers related?

Even though I'm of an age that I could have been one of the very early Deadheads, I never really got into the Dead or the Deadhead culture ... and then later in life, I was irresistably pulled into the rave scene.. and last summer I had a chance to reflect on the similarities and differences ...

I went to a Kundalini party up in Washington a few hours south of Seattle in a place called Rainbow Valley, which is a beautiful green secluded valley where lots of Deadheads live, there are old schoolbuses and vans parked around, and they have a whole community there.. and they lease (I guess) it to ravers for parties ... really a beautiful environment.

Some of the resident Deadheads were set up as vendors for our events, food and coffee/hot chocolate (how nice to have real food to eat, hot coffee in the morning!) and t-shirts, candles and stuff -- but mostly they didn't mingle into our group (with a couple of interesting exceptions) --

Then the sun came up, and the mist was rising off of the grass as we were tired and mellow from dancing and partying all night ... and I look down the dirt road and here comes a couple probably in their late 40s, dressed in tie-dye and hippie garb, with their steaming cups of coffee in hand, and their two little boys running behind them, walking toward the dance area, to sort of check us out and share our music and vibe for a little while -- And when they got to the dance area, they just stood to the side and watched us, maybe not being moved by the music, maybe not feeling part of the group, maybe just being sleepy and not yet started on their day...

And I realized that we were different and yet the same - sort of like looking at yourself at another age, through a looking glass -- I felt a real connection with them in a way, like a feeling of the past passing on to the future -- it was especially strong for me, because I'm 42 and know that I have one foot in each side --

The moral of this story? I have no idea, I just know I'll never forget that moment. Certainly not all Deadheads are old, and certainly not all ravers are young -- but as a symbol of a generation, one seems to have passed to the next --

so.... (did you make it this far in this rambling story?) peace and love however you can make it,

leslie : )

Thought I would add some personal views to the topics at hand. I too was involved in the dead scene and am presently involved in the party thang and unfortunately perplexed by our materialistic society. Both scenes pulled in what I consider the possitive (spiritual) forces of our culture. Caring, sharing, trusting, loving, laughing and dancing are the human desires that created the force in both scenes. These desires got the ball rolln in both scenes. The dead (or wicked or the gathering or FnF......) worked hard to create a forum to share their desires. The forum was the dead show or the party. People became attracted to these possitive forces and the scene grew and grew and grew.....

Some people have different desires. Both scenes have also attracted what I consider negative (material) forces of our culture. Greed, wealth, intolerance, hatred, anger and oppression are human desires that have evolved in both scenes.

The universe is ruled by opposite forces. Magnets have two poles. We cannot have happy people without having angry people to measure them by. Wealth can only be assessed by examining poverty..............

Both scenes have blossomed, out of what I consider possitive forces. These forces are what attracted me. I evolved out of the dead scene when the band's desires changed from what I considered possitive. The desire had changed from having a good time to keeping the economic ball rolling. The negative forces ironically overtook the scene? They were not enjoying what they were doing and it showed in their stage performance. I will continue to support the scenes that blossom out of my possitive desires. The party scene is still blossoming. The present party scene has alot to learn from the dead scene. It took the dead over 30 years to grow! I hope to be on the beach dancing under the full moon for many years to come!! PEACE!!! CID