Why Andy Cohen is a Deadhead : NPR

Key Points:

• NPR Music is running a series during Days Between (August 1-9) exploring why the Grateful Dead continue to inspire fans and how their legacy is being preserved through live archives, new bands with surviving members, and tribute acts.
• Reality TV host and producer Andy Cohen is a longtime Deadhead, having first attended shows in the mid-1980s, and credits the music and community as formative influences in his life.
• Cohen reconnected deeply with the band during the 2015 Fare Thee Well concerts and the subsequent decade of Dead & Company tours, describing the experience as a rebirth and a unifying force across generations and political divides.
• Through his personal friendships with band members like Bob Weir and John Mayer, Cohen has enjoyed unique backstage access while remaining focused on the music's power and communal spirit.
• Cohen shared a poignant story about helping a longtime friend overcome a past negative experience at a Dead show, illustrating the enduring emotional connection fans have to the band and its culture.