As'

issue: drawing the line between
true Deadheads and fans who
are merely poseurs, people
who've been to a concert or two
but don't know the true mean-
ing of Deadhead.
Filmed during the summer
tour of '94, Tie-Died is a retro-
spective glance at the way things
were, but also includes some '90s
elements that give it a modern-
day flavor.
One of the documentary's in-
terviews is with a pair of T-shirt
vendors who are disillusioned
with the whole scene. They say,
"Deadheads are selfish, with no
boundaries. The scene has real-
ly deteriorated."
Behar also shows the drug cul-
ture on tour, which is practical-
ly synonymous with Deadhead
life. Among Deadheads, drugs
are as popular as they've ever
been, but in the '90s drug use
comes with stiff penalties. A
piece of advice the movie gives is
this: Don't buy or sell drugs at
a Dead show. There are under-
cover cops all over the place.
Despite its '90s elements, the
prevailing mood of Tie-Died is
one of peace and love. This
movie is about the lives of the
only true hippies left on earth,
people who have completely
thrown away the conventions of
society for a life of freedom and
music. If you're a teen-ager and
wonder whether the "free love"
and "peace" of the '60s did in fact
exist, or if you're older, and won-
der if 30 years ago was just a
pleasant dream, Tie-Died is re-
assurance that the '60s were real
and still survive. And if anyone
has ever doubted the importance
or historical impact of the Grate-
ful Dead, this movie is com-
pelling evidence that the Dead
are not just a music group but
a way of life.
With the death of Grateful
Dead spiritual leader Jerry Gar-
cia, the future of the Grateful
Dead, and the Deadheads, seems
bleak. Tie-Died has an almost
eerie feel to it, because even
though it's a brand-new docu-
mentary, the life it portrays may
> now be extinct. In retrospect,
this movie raises a question:
What will become of all these
Deadheads now that the focal
point of their lives may be on per-
manent hiatus? Who knows? If
Deadheads do survive, it's doubt-
ful they'll be able to continue co-
existing as a single unit. There
will probably be a Deadhead di-
aspora of sorts, something to
which we, as Jews, can relate.
Tie-Died was produced by
Marsha Oglesby and James
Deutch (a Detroit native) at an
appropriate time. It's a celebra-
tion, really, of a life that is no
more. And now that the tour bus
has reached its final destination,
one thing is certain: Jerry must
be proud. ❑
Rating: Three out of four bagels

r

A Jewish Tour Of
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

writing warehouse that was
home to Gerry Goffin and Car-
ole King, Jerry Leiber and Mike
Stoller, Barry Mann and Cyn-
thia Well, Jeff Barry and Ellie
Greenwich, Neil Sedaka and
Don Kirschner. All of them are
honored in the museum, either
by their songs or as Hall in-
ductees.
*The Hall of Fame entry for
Booker T. & the MG's — the
famed Stax Records rhythm
section whose own enduring
hit is "Green Onions" — recog-
nizes original bassist Lewie
Steinberg, who was replaced by
the better-known Donald "Duck"
Dunn.
GARY GRAFF SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
*On the modern-rock edge,
you'll find Perry Farrell — for-
LEVELAND — And the Jewish tour of the museum vices he used to record hits such merly of the band Jane's Addic-
over here we have the offers far more redeeming trib- as the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," tion, now with Porno For Pyros
Ike and Tina Turner's "River and the founder of the Lolla-
Bruce Springsteen ex- utes:
Deep, Mountain High" and the palooza festival. And don't for-
*A
Paul
Simon
exhibit
fea-
hibit. Note the old gui-
Shagri-Las'leader of the Pack." get the Beastie Boys — Adam
tures
his
black
acoustic
guitar,
tar, the chicken scratch lyrics to
*Al Kooper, the founder of Horovitz, Mike Diamond and
the
guitar
strap
and
jeweled
pin
"Jungleland" and "Backstreets,"
Blood,
Sweat & Tears — and the Adam Yauch.
from
his
1991
world
tour,
a
the poem in the college literary
man who came up with the fa-
handbill
for
the
Jonah
Levin
*Legendary concert promoter
magazine.
Whoops, that's Springsteen, Band that was used for the "One mous organ riff for Dylan's "Like Bill Graham, who fled Nazi Ger-
Trick Pony" film and neatly re- a Rolling Stone" — hasn't been many as a child, is a Hall in-
not stein.
inducted yet, but he's a scholar- ductee who's featured in the
But wait; who are those Cha- written lyrics for "Graceland,"
sidim over there, the guys with "You Can Call Me Al," "Hearts ly presence in the museum's as- museum's films, talking about
the long beards? Oh yeah. That's and Bones," "50 Ways to Leave sorted films that trace the the growth of rock 'n' roll as an
Your Lover" and "Slip Slidin' history and development of rock industry and as a social force.
ZZ Top.
'n' roll.
*Murray (the K) Kaufman,
All right, so Springsteen and Away."
*Lou Reed, real name the self-designated Fifth Beat-
ZZ Top aren't part of the
Louis Firbank, pops up le, is one of the landmark disc
Jewish tour of the Rock
all over the museum. jockeys honored in the radio ex-
and Roll Hall of Fame and
He's in a photo display of hibit area.
Museum on the banks of
his old band, Velvet Un-
*And then there's Elvis Pres-
Lake Erie here. We kinda
derground — which is ley. Elvis Presley? That's right.
knew that going in.
curiously absent from the For a time during his childhood,
But Jews are hardly
Hall of Fame's ranks — Presley's family lived in a two-
strangers in the $92 mil-
and he's also on the list family house in Memphis owned
lion, 150,000-square-foot
of 500 songs with his own by a rabbi. Elvis was something
shrine. Their contribu-
"Walk on the Wild Side" of a Shabbat hound dog, turning
tions are duly noted and
and the Velvets' Heroin" lights on and off and performing
displayed — not in any
and "White Light/White other tasks for the observant
separate exhibit, of
Heat."
family. And Elvis memorabilia
course, but as part of the
*Gene Sim- is all over the museum.
fabric of the 40-odd years
mons of Kiss
The museum has more Jew-
of rock 'n' roll's history.
— yeah, the ish entries in the offing, too. A
So it's not hard to kvell
guy who number of Jewish groups in the
a little when you walk by
breathes fire and spits Cleveland area are donating
spaces devoted to trouba-
blood (and whose real money to help the museum put
dours Paul Simon or Bob
name is Chaim Witz) — together an archive honoring
Dylan. Or to the great
donated one of his gar- Leo Mintz, the Cleveland record
record producers Jerry
goyle stage costumes for store owner who called disc jock-
Wexler and Phil Spector
display. Kiss' "Rock and
We'll warn you now Jewish involvement made itself known even in rhythm and Roll All Nite" also made ey Alan Freed's attention to the
large number of white teen-
that there are some blues and the Motown sound.
the 500 songs list.
agers buying R&B records.
shameful realizations as
*Wexler, best known Mintz coaxed Freed into playing
well; Steven Greenberg was the
*Simon and Art Garfunkel, for his work with Aretha those songs on the radio, and
Minneapolis mastermind of
who
were inducted into the Hall Franklin, Wilson Pickett and some theorists say it was Mintz,
Lipps Inc., whose 1980 disco dri-
as
a
duo, are not particularly other rhythm and blues legends, not Freed, who canned the term,
ve, "Funkytown" is commemo-
well-represented,
though their is another ubiquitous presence "rock 'n' roll."
rated in the museum's One Hit
hit
"The
Sounds
of
Silence"
is in- in the museum. He's a fine sto-
Meanwhile, Max Weinberg, of
Wonders display.
cluded
in
a
list
of
500
songs
that ryteller, and his detailed narra- Bruce Springsteen's E Street
At least Greenberg has a good
tives liven many of the Band and "Late Night With Co-
story to tell about his naysayers. shaped rock 'n' roll.
museum's films. Wexler also nan O'Brien" will soon be do-
*Bob
Dylan
pickings
are
slim;
"I went to a promotion meet-
ing," he remembers about intro- he's represented by a display of provides the oral history of nating his drum kit from the
ducing "Funkytown" to posters from his concerts during Franklin's "Do Right Woman, "Born in the U.S.A." tour.
Do Right Man," remembering
The Rock and Roll Hall of
executives at Casablanca the early '60s. Five of his songs
how he helped songwriters Dan Fame and Museum is open
—
"Blowin'
in
the
Wind,"
"Like
Records. "The black music guy
Penn and Chips Moman finish every day but Mondays, Thanks-
said, 'We'll never get it on black a Rolling Stone," "Subterranean
the song's bridge by offering a giving, Christmas and New
Homesick
Blues,"
"Tangled
Up
radio; there's too much synthe-
bit of Jewish jargon — "You can't Year's Day. For ticket prices and
in
Blue"
and
"The
Times
They
sizer.' The pop guy said, `Disco's
prove that by me."
Are
A-Changing'
"
—
are
in-
information, call 1-800-493-
waning. It won't make it.' "
*Music industry folks used to 7655. For membership informa-
cluded
in
the
500
songs.
The song hit No. 1 on the
*Original recording equip- joke that if you needed a tion, call 1-800-349-7625. ❑
charts.
If "Funkytown" is an ambiva- ment from Phil Spector's studio minyan, you could call New
York's Brill Building, a song-
lent entry in the hallowed Hall, is on display, preserving the de-

From Simon to Sedaka to Steinberg, Jews have
made their mark on this important part of
American music.

C

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'R. . n,

••• - ge , IS" es,

