It seems like just yesterday (it was) we were referencing The Grateful Dead and its policy encouraging fans to record the group's live shows and spread them via bootleg tapes. The new incarnation of deceased vocalist/guitarist Jerry Garcia's website is a godsend for the fans that used to trade in tapes.
JerryGarcia.com went live on Thursday night, revealing a playground for Deadheads and fans of everything else Garcia did. The site features more than 15,000 hours of recorded music, which translates to 625 days of listening. Somehow, we know that a Grateful Dead diehard will manage to listen to all of it. Granted the site doesn't add further material in the future.
The sheer amount of recordings available isn't even the best part of the deal. Fans will be able to trace ten of the tours Garcia embarked on with various bands throughout his career. For example, you could follow the entirety of the '77 Grateful Dead tour, listening to every concert set included. Nine of the included tours are from the Dead, but the '93 Jerry Garcia Band tour is included as well.
Garcia was involved with a litany of acts throughout his life, and 26 of them will be profiled on the site. Don't worry, Deadhead traditionalists: Although the new site may seem to contain everything the man he ever did, that isn't true. A second half of the site is planned to be revealed later, featuring a "Parking Lot" feature for fans to host discussions and, possibly, share their own Garcia recordings. Everyone wins.
