Valerie Stevenson
Sociology 200g
University of Southern California
October 1983
Paper Number 1

The number of shows a Dead Head attends on any one tour is dependant on the number of songs the band breaks out. Old songs, that they have abandoned for years, once broken out, will cause a Dead Head to try to make the rest of the shows on that tour, at  least.

The dependant variable is the number of shows a Dead Head attends. The independent variable is the number of songs the band breaks out. My research question is: what is the relationship between the number of shows a Dead Head attends and the number of songs the band breaks out. The alternate hypothesis is: there is a relationship between the number of shows a Dead Head attends and the number of songs the band breaks out.  The null hypothesis is: there is no relationship between the number of shows a Dead Head attends and the number of songs the band breaks out. 

The Grateful Dead and the Dead Heads are a counter-culture in today’s society The  Grateful Dead are a rock and roll band who emerged in the sixties. The Dead Heads are their ‘deadicated’ fans who follow them all over the country as well as the world, all year long, year after year. They have one of the most dedicated followings, if not the most dedicated following any band has ever had. They do anywhere from six to ten tours per year, with an average of ten to twenty shows per tour.

As the Dead are touring the East Coast right now, my research was conducted by phone.  I have been in constant contact with many of my East Coast friends. I knew which shows they had been planning to attend on this tour, before the tour began. As the tour progressed and the Dead began breaking out songs, my phone began ringing off the hook after each show. The number of shows they had planned to attend quickly changed. I decided to poll a few more friends on the East Coast, as well as some on the West Coast who had not planned on going on this East Coast tour at all. My results startled even me!

We are now in the middle of the East Coast tour and it has gone as follows:

TABLE I

TABLE II

* Numbers have been rounded.
** These people are going from the West Coast.

Of all of those polled in Table II, all are planning to attend the rest of the shows on the East Coast tour, whereas only one was originally. Fifty percent are planning to attend the rest of the shows this year (approximately twenty shows).

TABLE III
Average Number of Songs Broken Out Each Tour For the Last Year

The average number of songs broken out per tour is 2.4.  The number of songs broken out per tour is a variable factor.  The more songs the Dead break out, the greater the desire to see every show because the fear of missing something is greater.

I made twenty-five of the twenty eight shows on the Summer tour.  The Dead only broke out one song: Wang, Dang, Doodle (an old Pointers Sisters song).  Of all those polled in Table II, only Sue flew out for half of the Northwest part of the summer tour.  Ninety percent of those polled attended only the shows they had originally planned to.  Three of those polled made every show.

I have no data from the Spring ’83 East Coast tour as I was not interested at the time because I was not there.  However, on the Winter ’83 West Coast tour, many people flew out for the last three shows because the Dead broke out Help on the Way at the first show.

Because of all the songs broken out on this East Coast tour, not only have ninety percent of those polled decided to attend the rest of the shows on the tour, where they were not planning ot originally, but we are planning to try and make the last three shows of the tour (next weekend, if at all possible).  [Teacher’s Comment: Have a good time, while I’m sitting at home grading 80 blankety – blank papers!]  I, therefore reject the null hypothesis and have proven the alternative hypothesis

More Teacher Comments:

You need to have included supplementations to your findings (reasons why for a 5^th section).

I got a B on this one…..not bad for a Dead Head at USC – when the Dead were not even close to cool there yet…..I was very much a lone soldier there…..and took a hell of a lot of shit from the Izod shirt/Topsider shoe wearing….you are the car you drive…..other students there.

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