As an Emerson gradutate, I have no real love for the University of Massachusetts. I have an even less love for Harvard University. Most of the Harvard folks I met in the early 90’s lived up to the stereotypes you see in the movies. UMass was a close second. The MIT kids were cool and could take an Emersonian’s creative ideas and turn them into a feat of engineering genius.
Seeing how the MIT’s kids on Beacon street, near the old Emerson dorms, had a fondness for being “friend’s indeed,” I am not surprised to see that UMass is holding, Unbroken Chain: The Grateful Dead In Music, Culture & Memory.
It’s is quoted as being, ” …the largest conference on the legacy of the Grateful Dead, and the first to be held by a major university.” The keynote is Dennis McNally, who was the publicist for the Dead for most of their career. McNally is a great guy and a wonderful speaker. Here’s the downside; they are limiting attendance to 500. Perhaps they are trying recapture the Dead’s early club days.
