Letters to the Editor

Some of my favorites from Herrera: "the look you'd wear after finding out that someone in your family is a serial killer"; "smelly, maniacal fans have multiplied, birthing a whole new generation of sheeple to ponder, 'What would Jerry do?'" (instant classic!). In relating an attempt to listen to this genre, Herrera paints a vivid picture of a man who just ate his first mouthful of lima beans: "About forty minutes later, I woke up in a pool of my own drool." Priceless!

His take is right on. The tie-dye crowd has tried to perpetuate the '60s love era in a world that has less and less time for love. And sad as that might be, hippies being apathetic about any other types of music besides what Herrera refers to as a "mutant, hybrid of gospel, funk and bluegrass" is not going to change the world -- at least not like it did in the '60s. This lazy "Jerry will provide" attitude has aged poorly and pisses off people who love songs and music.

Music takes an aggressive investment of time, reading and an open mind to discover the wide choices we are so lucky to have. These Deadweeds might also mix in a band they haven't seen for the last twenty concerts in a row and really"expand" their minds. Groupie behavior goes against everything that is greatabout music today. There is so much to discover, so much diversity -- why would you limit the scope of your musical possibilities? It seems like this lifestyle is more about that tired adoption of all things Birkenstock than it is about music.

Mr. Herrera, you really hit the nail on the "Deadhead"! Congratulations on your first months as Backbeat editor and for all the high energy for keeping it real that, until now, has had less of a pointy tip in Westword. I'm just going to make sure I'm sitting down and not teetering at the counter at my local Brothers BBQ when I read my weekly Beatdown!

Dave Meyer
Denver