Entertainment

The keepers of the Grateful Dead’s history

NPR Music will be publishing stories from August 1-9, 2014 about the Grateful dead and what draws people to them. They also discuss how the Grateful Dead’s legacy is to be carried forward.
A visual history of Grateful dead’s life is housed in a climate controlled facility, located just a few minutes from Central California coastline.
Truckloads of archive materials, donated in 2008, just over a decade following the official, though not spiritual, demise of the band, were given to University of California, Santa Cruz Library Special Collections. Nearly a 1,000 boxes of flyers and posters are displayed in the large, yellow exhibit space called Dead Central. There is also written correspondence, marionettes, as well as the original video for “Touch of Grey”.
Grateful Dead fans, historians, and members of the band’s sound crew have all worked for decades to continue this legacy and push it in new directions. Along the way there were archivists who worked with the sound crew, as well as historians. They all dedicated their time to maintaining and recording the vast collection of memorabilia and music that the Grateful Dead has amassed over the years. You can clearly see how the collective spirit of the band was formed by looking back at the history.
The Dead’s visuals are a reflection of the counterculture communication and psychedelic imagery of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and time. The Stealie skull, with its lightning bolt in the middle and the dancing little bears are all visuals that have been used as a secret handshake by fans. They can be found on T-shirts or hats. You know if you’re in the know.
Sam Regal is the Instruction and Exhibitions Librarian in Special Collections and Archives, UC Santa Cruz.
The archive reveals how innovatively the Grateful Dead built their community from the very beginning. The Grateful Dead launched a newsletter in 1972 that would lead to a loyal group of fans. In the first issue, which was pulled from their archive, it read: “Deadheads unite.” It also tells the reader to take care, enjoy themselves and remain high. This fan club eventually evolved into a ticketing hotline: A 24-hour service on the East Coast as well as the West Coast where fans can order tickets from the band directly.
Grateful dead put in a lot of work to preserve this history. It’s so important that now it is a collection special at a university. The collection is open to all, in keeping with Deadheadism’s approach of welcoming everyone.
Regal’s collection is meant to be used. We make the collections accessible not only to serious researchers, but to casual enthusiasts as well. No appointment necessary. Anyone with an interest is welcome to stop in at any time.
The band also approaches its archive of music with the same accessibility philosophy. The Grateful Dead collected and preserved the physical memorabilia from the band, just as its members did with their own live performances.
The Vault, as Deadheads call it, is located in a climate-controlled storage warehouse facility. The vault contains the master recordings for all 13 of the group’s studio albums. Nine live albums were released on vinyl. Some unreleased tracks from the studio are also included. But the most important thing is that it includes 2,318 recordings made live at every point in the band’s history. The band began recording live shows in 1966 under the guidance of Owsley Stanley. This was partly to allow Stanley to listen and provide feedback about the performances.
These recordings are crucial because they show how the Grateful Dead operated as a jazz band with the spirit and energy of a rock’n’roll group. There were never any set lists at live performances, and there was no way to predict what would happen. Every moment of every show, the band members were listening to one another intently. They would select songs according to their perception of the mood of an audience or a particular room.
Bob Weir called the songs “critters”, and they have the feel of campfire music. The songs are character-driven, with long, sprawling meditations about the origin of inspiration, false prophets, and the joy of being in the present, all set to unforgettable melodies. The magic of the music kept Deadheads coming to concerts, and through their massive archive of frequently released live recordings, the ethos is still being passed on to new generations.
David Lemieux, an “archivist” and legacy manager is the person in charge of managing these recordings. “I am very conscious of my good fortune. “I never take anything for granted,” says he.
Lemieux, who was born in Canada, worked at both the National Archives of Canada in Vancouver and British Columbia Archives. He joined the group in 1999, under the guidance of Dick Latvala, the first official archiver.
Latvala was a long-time fan who organized a collection of boxes with reel-toreel cassettes that had no labels. He began releasing a commercially-available archive of recordings in 1993. The series was called Dick’s Picks. Later, Lemieux revived it as Dave’s Picks.
Latvala was able to decipher this disorganization, because he is a taper. A taper is a Deadhead who brings high-quality equipment to shows to record at a specific spot near the front of house soundboard. He then trades tapes with other Deadheads. The band began encouraging the taped shows in 1984 as a way to increase attendance and show the importance of audience members.
Lemieux’s archive, which he took on after Latvala died unexpectedly in 1999, did not contain any noisy recordings of the audience. These tapes are actually meticulously multitracked recordings made by Grateful dead sound engineers.
Betty Cantor Jackson, who recorded hundreds of Grateful Dead shows from 1968 through 1981 and became known as Betty Boards in the Grateful Dead taper community, says, “I always wanted the sound to be more true to how it really sounded, as opposed to the sound reinforcement at the time.” She was born in Bay Area and became interested in electronic music during her teenage years.
Cantor Jackson says that she wanted to capture the musical magic experienced by Deadheads at shows and not just the sound from the speakers. She recorded all of the live instruments and mics onstage, but also created a mix using the direct inputs.
She says, “I didn’t think about [commercial] releases or later release at all.” It was because I enjoyed it and it was good music. This was just my thing to do. “It’s my form of art.”
The Library of Congress finally recognized this art form in 2013 when the Betty Board recording of Cornell Barton Hall’s iconic show on 5/8/77 was added to its National Recording Registry.
The business model that eventually changed the Grateful Dead from a living-in-the-same-house musical collective to a multimillion-dollar enterprise was not carefully calculated and planned over the years. Important business decisions often were based more on the spirit of hippie collectiveism than profit motivation.
The Vault is a unique archive that was created by Rhino Entertainment. This division of Warner Music Group provides the infrastructure to make it possible. Rhino initially worked with the group to produce two “two-and-done” box sets – The Golden Road, released in 2001 and Beyond Description, released in 2004, as part of a deal. These were such a success that the band decided to sign a contract with Rhino for Rhino be the sole curator and caretaker of their archive.
Mark Pinkus is the President of Rhino, a Deadhead and longtime Grateful Dead fan. The Vault is one of its most distinctive features. There are many fans who would like to listen to all of the 2,300 concerts they played. It’s also unique to be able to present different shows, and have the tapes.
This thoughtful presentation can be seen in the elaborate box sets that have been produced over the past 20 years. These are often based on specific venues, tours or eras and reflect an obsession of a particular collector.
The vision from the start was to not release a handful of live performances over time as some bands might do with a large archive. Pinkus and Lemieux met shortly after Pinkus had first spoken with the group. Pinkus said he only wanted to ask one question of the newly appointed “legacy manager”. Is there something you’ve wanted to accomplish that you still haven’t? Pinkus recalls Pinkus asking. Pinkus remembers asking.
You must know the details of that trip to understand Lemieux’s vision. Grateful dead lore is full of legends about the 22-date tour across Europe from April 7 to May 26, 1972. The band traveled with an extended team and family members to perform a number of concerts during what is considered by many Deadheads as one of their creative high points. On that tour, the musical identity of the band was cemented, using fragments from American musical traditions such as blues, folk, jazz and bluegrass, along with cultural icons Merle Haggard, Chuck Berry, etc. The band continued to build upon this musical identity for two more decades.
Europe ’72, a three-LP, 17-track collection released at the end of 1972, was a hit with fans. Lemieux’s 2011 release included all of the shows from that tour. The band was known for long-lasting performances, sometimes lasting up to three and a half hours. This suggestion seemed daunting on a technical level. It also cost a lot of money. Rhino’s higher-ups were not happy.
He said, “Are people going to buy it?” “Are they going to buy it?” He asks. Pinkus says. Pinkus: “We sold out the entire stock in just four days.”
Rhino releases a limited edition, elaborate concert set every year.
Bob Weir often spoke of the 300-year history that his band’s songs would have. Bob Weir spoke of a “hippie-metaphysical” framework which could span centuries and allow people to continue to play and enjoy the band’s music. The Vault collection and UC Santa Cruz’s recordings make this vision possible for those stuck in the present, whether they are fans, scholars or casually curious.

Entertainment

Scott Foley Returning To ‘Scrubs’ As Sean Kelly In Revival

Exclusive: Scott Foley will be returning to Scrubs. The second season will see him reprise the role of Sean Kelly, a fan favorite.
Foley announced his return today during D23’s Scrubs Scrubbing Back panel, moderated by Foley. The panel also featured Zach Braff as John “J.D.” Dorian and Donald Faison as Christopher Turk and Sarah Chalke as Elliott Reid. Sasha will be back in the blue scooter next season.
According to Deadline, Foley is set to return and in a complete circle, Sean returns back where his show began, with Elliot. You can see a Season 2 teaser below that shows Sean and Elliot reuniting in the cafeteria of the hospital.
They will rekindle their relationship just as Elliot’s ex-husband J.D. She is in a new relationship with Charlie, played by Rachel Bilson.
Braff said that the dynamics of all three actors together are hilarious and they’re enjoying themselves.
Chalke added, “The writer’s were thinking, if we can bring back Elliot’s neurosis through Scott, that would be great.”
Braff announces Foley’s comeback after she mentions it at D23.
Foley’s Scrubs debut was at the end Season 1 when Sean, a SeaWorld marine biologist, and Elliot, his doctor, were admitted at Sacred Heart. They had a short fling, before she ditched him.
Sean and Elliot were reunited in Season 3. They dated briefly, but took their relationship to the distance when Sean moved to New Zealand. Elliot ended things shortly after Sean’s return, as she began a romance with J.D. Sean was not happy with the news. He moved on to J.D.’s baby mother Kim Briggs, (Elizabeth Banks).
Bill Lawrence, the creator of Scrubs, had wanted to bring back Foley for a while.
Lawrence, speaking at PaleyFest, said: “I want Scott Foley to be back. I just want him to come back to the show so Zach can tell Sean that nobody cares.” This was a reference to J.D. Sean is often heard talking to J.D. in the original series. Foley’s catchphrase has become a part of his life. Fans still use it as a response to anything he posts on social media.
Foley brought the famous line up when he appeared on stage at D23.
This is a personal matter for me. If you don’t already know, my character was named Sean Kelly. He said: “Nobody cares. I heard that.” He added that he had been part of one of the most complex love triangles ever seen on this show.
Foley said in a January 2007 interview that Braff asked him to come back for Season 1 of Scrubs. He had also been booked for an episode, but it was not possible to work out the scheduling.
Foley told the press at that time, while promoting the Prime Video show It’s Not Like That: “I am sure we will find the time.” Foley was able to leave the streamer after cancelling the highly acclaimed family drama. His two-season run on Will Trent ended in May.
Scrubs Season 2 shows J.D. Turk, and Elliot as icons of Sacred Heart. The respected doctors are now inspiring the next generation, while they balance the ups-and-downs of hospital work. With the help of new and familiar characters, they navigate this next chapter, with heart, laughter and even some surprises. Foley’s surprise return is certainly one of them.
This is a teaser.
Ava Bunn, as Sam Tosh, is also a regular in Season 2 of the series.
Bill Lawrence, creator of the original show, is executive producer for the revival through Doozer Productions. Jeff Ingold, Liza Katzer and Aseem Bhatra are also involved in the production. Scrubs, produced by 20th Television a division of Disney Television Studios is aired on ABC Sept. 30. Scrubs will be returning to ABC on Sept. 30, with a premiere of two episodes, which airs Wednesday. The next day the series is streamed via Hulu.
Foley also starred in three Bill Lawrence shows: Cougar Town (also a Bill Lawrence show), Undateable, and Whiskey Cavalier. Keep Coming Back, and August are among his upcoming films. Gersh, Atlas Artists and Atlas Artists represent him.

Entertainment

VisionQuest trailer kicks off Disney’s D23 fan event

Marvel Studios released the first VisionQuest trailer on day one of D23, The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim. The first trailer for Ahsoka S2 was also released. The Avengers: Doomsday footage that had been shown only to San Diego Comic-Con attendees last month has now gone public.
Some spoilers are below. We’ll let you know when we reach it.
VisionQuest
Marvel’s streamed TV lineup has been mixed: there have been some hits and misses as well as a lot of middling shows. WandaVision was one of Marvel’s biggest hits, and it had a great sequel. VisionQuest completes the trilogy. WandaVision brought back a white version of Vision, whose memory was restored at the end. Finally, we get to know what happened next.
Officially,
Vision has been hiding since he was rebooted. He had escaped those that wanted to weaponize him and hid from them. In search of new meanings, he consults his AI personas, such as F.R.I.D.A.Y. E.D.I.T.H. J.A.R.V.I.S. and Ultron. A bounty on his head forces him to flee with Thomas Shepard – a boy that may or not be Vision’s reincarnated son. Vision must evade capture while overcoming his own nature and resisting Ultron’s influence. He also has to unravel his mysterious young companion in order to survive.
Naturally, Bettany will return as Vision along with James Spader in the role of Ultron. Agatha All Along introduced us to a new Billy Maximoff whose spirit took over another dying teen’s body as Wanda’s spell was unraveled. Agatha may be remembered by fans as helping Bill find the twin soul, Tommy, (aka Speed), to place it into the body Thomas Shepherd, a drowning teen. Ruaridh Molica, who plays Thomas Shepherd/Tommy Shepherd in VisionQuest is a clear indication that this storyline will be continued. Bettany stated last year that this series will explore the “intergenerational” trauma of fathers and their sons.
Orla Brady plays F.R.I.D.A.Y. – Stark’s AI replacement for J.A.R.V.I.S. Orla Brady plays F.R.I.D.A.Y., Stark’s replacement AI system for J.A.R.V.I.S. D’Arcy portrayed a human Jarvis who served Stark’s dad in Agent Carter. Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer are D.U.M.E. Stark’s two robot assistants, U and U respectively.
Lauren Morais will play Lisa Molinari, Diane Morgan an associate of Paladin and Cristian Lavin a mercenary. Mary McDonnell is set to appear in a role that has not yet been revealed. Faran Tahir is returning as Raza the leader of Ten Rings who abducted Tony Stark from 2008’s Iron Man. Raza was supposed to have died at the end of Iron Man, but he’s likely to appear in flashbacks or in Vision’s head.
VisionQuest will debut on Disney+ on October 14, 2026.
Ahsoka S2
Ahsoka, the Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker was introduced in 2008 as a character supporting role within Star Wars: The Clone Wars. She then appeared on subsequent animated shows. In the Star Wars Rebels series (2014-2018), the character made a cameo in numerous episodes of the Star Wars extended universe. She was a Rebel Alliance member operating under codename Fulcrum. Rosario Dawson made her live-action debut as The Mandalorian in the second season. She appeared briefly in The Book of Boba Fett.
The Mandalorian was her first series. Then she had Ahsoka. Ahsoka and Sabine Wren, her former assistant, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, teamed up in the first season to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn, Lars Mikkelson, from returning to the galaxy where he had been stranded. They feared that he would unite the Galactic Empire, which was still intact, or bring down the New Republic. In the season’s finale, Ahsoka Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Sabine were stranded together in the galaxy where Grand Admiral Thrawn was stranded. A returned Thrawn took up arms to fight the New Republic.
According to the official S2 website, “Season 2, continues Ahsoka’s story and her journey beyond the known Galaxy.” Ahsoka Tano and her Jedi Apprentice Sabine Wren are traveling across a perilous and mysterious world in order to return home. Their friends Hera Ezra Zeb and Chopper must also face Grand Admiral Thrawn, as well as his evil allies who want to bring the New Republic to war.
Dawson, Bordizzo and Mikkelson will be back in S2, along with Hayden Christensen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eman, Esfandi and Ivanna Sakhno, as well as David Tennant, as Huyang and Dave Filoni, as Chopper, as well as Elden Bennett, as Admiral Akbar. Rory McCann, from Game of Thrones replaces Ray Stevenson (the actor passed away in 2023). The logline also confirms that “Zeb’ Orrelios” will appear in S2.
Disney+ will debut the second season of Ahsoka on 20 January 2027.
Avengers: Doomsday
Marvel released the first Doomsday trailer a few weeks before San Diego Comic-Con, and gave SDCC attendees an “exclusive look” into additional footage. We are now able to watch that footage.
This film is set 14 months after Thunderbolts*. The official logline states: “Beloved Heroes from Three Distinct Universes Will Be Set on a Deadly Collision Course and Face an Existential Threat Like Nothing They’ve Ever Seen.” These universes include Earth-616, Earth-828, (Fantastic Four), as well as the “original” X-Men.
Sue Reed’s (Vanessa Kirby) voiceover in the video gives us more information about Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom. Sue Reed assures that Victor, who was the most intelligent person in the room at the time, was an old buddy. She also says, “he was different before everything he valued was stolen from him.” I knew that he had lost his way. However, I didn’t realize that he had been broken. Dr. Doom accuses the ensemble of “stolen” lives and demands “now they must be given back.”
Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters December 18, 2026.
Star Wars: Starfighter
There’s no official trailer for Star Wars: Starfighter directed by Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Gosling (Deadpool, Wolverine), nor any concrete information. D23 attendees, including several media outlets, were treated to exclusive first footage. Both Levy and Gosling took the stage to present said footage.
Levy said the movie was “full with humor, spectacle and danger but most importantly, the joyful spirit which has been at the heart of the Skywalker Saga for so many years.” The story is brand-new, unrelated to either of the Skywalker Saga trilogies. Gosling described it as a story about a character from the “wrong side of the universe” whose destiny is tied to the fastest starfighter built. The film takes places five or six year after The Rise of Skywalker, on a planet with water. This is a time period not yet depicted by the Star Wars franchise. Levy’s production team was challenged to create new designs and sets that still matched the Star Wars feel.
Star Wars: Starfighter will be released in theaters May 28, 2027, 50 years after Star Wars: A New Hope was first shown.
Warning: Major spoiler below for Spider-Man Brand New Day. If you haven’t watched the movie, stop reading.
The X-Men as part of the MCU
The MCU will finally welcome mutants with the release of X-Men in 2028. This rebooted franchise, directed by Jake Schreier* (Thunderbolts*), is a planned reboot. Marvel has already set the scene, starting with Sadie Sink’s mysterious figure wearing a cloak in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Spoiler Alert: She plays young Jean Grey who is as much a victim as a villain.
Christopher Abbott, who played Professor X in Wolf Man, will join Sink as he is joined by Kit Connor, Samara Weaving, Maya Boyd, Inde Nvarrette, Rogue, and Adam Driver, from Rise of Skywalker, as Nathan Milbury aka Mister Sinister. Charles Melton was rumored to have been cast in the role of Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast, but later dropped from the project. In the next few months, we can expect to hear more about casting.

Entertainment

The Brink Of War caps Angel Studios’ far-right summer

When the film becomes nauseating, then it isn’t just uninteresting. Gunn’s performance is a sideshow of necrophilic ventriloquism, in which he shoves his hands up Reagan’s arse and brings him to life using zombified talking points from the conservative movement. Daniels’ Reagan screams, “We are immigrants,” without any irony. According to his logic, since all Americans are immigrants but retain their “national-spiritual” ties with the cultures they came from, they should have an interest in (a military one, actually) the safety of these countries. America is therefore the world’s benevolent police. Reagan’s statement that America is “deeply concerned about immigrants and their family” was the only thing to make the audience laugh in the movie. It may end with the Bible saying, “blessed is the peacemaker,” but when peace advocates are behind space missiles the Christian connection gets lost.
This is not surprising. It’s a flawed logic, based on a circuitous reasoning, that sounds hollow. Overwrought political dialog and unearned gravitas, while not specific to conservative film or this film, are becoming more prevalent in American film culture. This or any Angel Studios production can be dismissed as boring and redundant. It is not wrong to do so. In the five short years that it has been a values-based studio, Angel Studios’ production company went from producing mundane genre movies to nonbiodegradable nationalism. Animal Farm, Young Washington and Brink of War follow a textbook path of fascist history.
Animal Farm is a reformulation of a classic fable that fits into dominant political and economic ideologies. (Capitalism is good, Communism is bad, Farts Are Freedom). Young Washington then uses the genre of frontier action to tell the story of the founding. Brink Of War follows, where a deceased “glorious father” is transformed into a superhuman figure, and resurrected in order to reflect the present moment. This film doesn’t deal with the Cold War, or even the subtle chess-like game of global politics. Gunn could have provided more context in the form of visuals to show the magnitude of the problem instead of just a few bullet points. Instead, his film assumes that you are a Reagan nut who gives weight to all of the president’s actions.
State-funded fascist films have in the past been aimed at moving masses – often by portraying politicians as godlike, larger-than life figures – and inspiring participation from the public. In the frames, people were addressed directly and they were praised for their nationalism. The films have been crowdfunded and the audience has moved to the back of the camera. Angel Studios pays for a large part of production through subscriptions. People are asked to donate to an escalating system that will give them insight into Angel Studios’ boardroom decisions. (Though unless you pay $20 per month, you may also be required to purchase a film you helped fund).
Angel Studios offers a ‘Pay it Forward’ option to convert consumer spending into evangelism. This allows viewers, or investors (especially when the two are the same), to bypass the box office and pay someone else for the movie. Daniels reads from the teleprompter, “If you think more people need to see the results of leaders choosing dialogue over destruction then join me. Scan the QR code. Pay it forward. Help the story reach another person.”

Entertainment

First VisionQuest trailer brings back Ultron

WandaVision, which premiered in the year 2021 marked an exciting new chapter for Marvel TV. Marvel and Disney hope to recapture that magic five years later with VisionQuest. This will be the final installment of the Wanda/Agatha/Vision trilogy. First trailer premiered on D23 Friday. It gives an idea of the quest Vision will be on and how Ultron, played by James Spader, fits in.
Terry Matalas, the showrunner of White Vision has likened his plight with that of Spock in Star Trek IV The Voyage Home. This first trailer certainly gives a hint at White Vision’s inner turmoil. Paul Bettany is back as White Vision. He appeared at the end WandaVision, just in time for him to receive all Vision’s memories. In the new series, premiering on October 14, he struggles with them. White Vision is without the Maximoffs, but there’s plenty to keep him company. (James D’Arcy), E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire), F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady). The return of Ultron in his human form, with an impressive beard in the trailer is likely to shake up this new ensemble. He sounds reasonable in the trailer, but he is not too far away from turning against his new friends.

Entertainment

Travis Kelce shows off wedding band ahead of Chiefs game

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Travis Kelce, a proud new wife, showed off her wedding band at Arrowhead Stadium before the Kansas City Chiefs first preseason match on Saturday.
The tight end is seen in photos entering the sports venue wearing a tie-dye black shorts, sunglasses and sneakers. But his wedding band, made of yellow gold, can be seen on the left of his hand.
While preparing to face the Los Angeles Rams at his own home, this 36-year old NFL superstar, full of confidence, was seen drinking from a can with his left.
The Chiefs’ Twitter account posted a video clip with the caption “TK on Site” and wrote “Year 14”.
One commenter in the thread said, “oh, he’s left-handed now like his wife.”
One person wrote “Showing off that ringgggggg” while another said “Love the hardware he is wearing.”
Another fan said, “If I was married to Taylor I would walk with the exact same style.”
On Wednesday, Kelce’s wife was seen stepping out of the house in London.
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As she left the private club Annabel’s in stiletto heels and a floral lavender minidress, “Cruel summer” singer, 36, displayed her new hairstyle. She also showed off an earring.
Swift was referred to as “his wife” by the athlete during his press conference held on Wednesday.
Last month, the couple celebrated their marriage at Madison Square Garden in New York City with a star-studded celebration.
Just days after they were married, the couple was spotted for the very first time as husband and spouse at JuJu and Laura Kruk’s wedding, in Orange County.
A source said to People earlier in the week that both couples were “just so thrilled” about becoming husband and wife. Their relationship is even more special.
Insider: “They are both constantly working, creating, or thinking of what’s next.” They love it. Both of them are grateful for all they have. “They’re both very happy.”