yes, it seems there is a degree of elitism in Grateful dead culture, even between Deadheads and Phishheads (i think thats what you call them). I try to avoid as much as I can any kind of thumbing my nose at any one type of music or band, owing much of that to, believe it or not, the Grateful Dead. One of only a few bands that have dipped their feet in a wide-range of genres. The thing is, I was a U2 fan years before I even heard of the Dead. When I found the Dead, I was already in a U2 lull of a few years. Didnt hate them, just out of the U2 phase, and just started discovering classic rock and music from past decades at that point in time. That was back in 93-94. Before that, I was only into alternative, also known as "college rock" up until the big "A" alternative showed up. U2, Depeche Mode, Pixies, INXS, New Order, etc. Classic rock was "fogey" music to me, being a child of the 80's. Then I loosened up, or got sick of the college music scene, either/or, and discovered Beatles, Stones, CCR, Led Zeppelin, and the Dead, etc. Oddly enough, the college rock I listened to as a kid, now became like "oldies" for me, flashing me back to times I could remember as a kid and early teen, much like boomers harken back to their days when they hear songs from the 60's, 70's. Now I can fully embrace all these eras again, and its pretty fulfilling. But, if it wasnt for the Dead, I would have never discovered the roots of rock music. And if it wasnt for U2, I wouldn't have learned to appreciate more emotional, powerful music.
