Shakedown Street (Grateful-Dead-Vending)
Encyclopedia
Shakedown street is the area of a Jam Band
parking lot where the vending takes place. It is named after the Grateful Dead
song of the same name and has been popular since the early 1980s.
community, and other likeminded musical scenes, an interesting tailgating
culture evolved. More than just a party for fans, it is a way for the faithful to sell wares which in turn fund their tickets and gas to the next concert in order to spend weeks, months, or even entire tours on the road. Along with the more traditional fare, there is a large selection of vegetarian food such as egg rolls, burritos, pizza
, and falafel
. Certain illicit foods like hash brownies and "ganja gooballs" are also often found among the foods in the parking lots. Other products available for the tailgaters include handmade jewellery, bumper stickers, t-shirts, or drug paraphernalia.
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
parking lot where the vending takes place. It is named after the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
song of the same name and has been popular since the early 1980s.
Tailgating
In the DeadheadDeadhead
Deadhead or Dead Head is a name given to fans of the American jam band, the Grateful Dead. In the 1970s, a number of fans began travelling to see the band in as many shows or festival venues as they could. With large numbers of people thus attending strings of shows, a community developed...
community, and other likeminded musical scenes, an interesting tailgating
Tailgate party
In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and...
culture evolved. More than just a party for fans, it is a way for the faithful to sell wares which in turn fund their tickets and gas to the next concert in order to spend weeks, months, or even entire tours on the road. Along with the more traditional fare, there is a large selection of vegetarian food such as egg rolls, burritos, pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, and falafel
Falafel
Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces...
. Certain illicit foods like hash brownies and "ganja gooballs" are also often found among the foods in the parking lots. Other products available for the tailgaters include handmade jewellery, bumper stickers, t-shirts, or drug paraphernalia.
Slang
Within the Shakedown Street culture, a common set of slang terms evolved for things related to both the selling of wares and also the drug culture that has become closely associated with that particular area of the parking lots.Common slang terms
- Nugs - Marijuana
- Molly - pure powder or crystal MDMA
- Rolls - hits of Ecstasy
- L,Lucy, and doses - LSD
- custy - customer, someone who doesn't go to a lot of shows
- Heady - of the highest quality "those nugs are heady" "that's a heady burrito"
- boof - rectal administration of drugs
- Booms, Fungus, shrooms, mushies - psychedelic mushrooms
- Wookie - A person that has followed the band for tours and tours. Typically, they have poor hygiene, are hairy and do tons of drugs.
- Wookette - Same as above, but of the female variety
- Gooballs - Homemade food usually containing chocolate and caramel with marijuana cooked inside of it.
- Kitty or Kat - Ketamine
- Schwag - Not real or of poor quality "this veggie burrito is schwag" "these nugs are schwag" "this schwag is schwag"
List of bands with similar vending areas
- Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
- PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
- The String Cheese Incident
- FurthurFurthurFurther was a 1939 International Harvester school bus purchased by author Ken Kesey in 1964 for $1,500 from Andre Hobson in Atherton, California. The bus was stripped down and remodeled inside and out for a psychedelic excursion across the country with Kesey and his Merry Pranksters on board...
- Dark Star OrchestraDark Star Orchestra-References:* at the Internet Archive* - John Kadlecik's official website & personal pages**-External links:* , official website of Dark Star Orchestra* , official website of Dino English...
- Widespread PanicWidespread PanicWidespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
- RatdogRatdogRatDog , is an American rock band. The group began as a side project for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in December 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995, RatDog became Bob Weir's primary band...
- Phil Lesh and FriendsPhil Lesh and FriendsPhil Lesh and Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead.Phil & Friends is not a traditional group in that several different lineups of musicians have played under the name, including groups featuring members of Phish, Little Feat, and the Zen...
- Disco BiscuitsDisco BiscuitsThe Disco Biscuits are a band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania known for their live performances and light shows. The band consists of Allen Aucoin , Marc Brownstein , Jon Gutwillig , and Aron Magner ....