Brian A. Anderson

@thebanderson

NYT bestselling author. Pulitzer-winning editor. LOUD AND CLEAR, my book on the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound, out now on St. Martin’s Press. Available in paperback 8/18/26.

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Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· 4d

I love the feel of a paperback. Maybe you do, too. LOUD AND CLEAR: The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection, is coming very soon to softcover via @stmartinspress.bsky.social. August 18.

Brian Anderson standing on a back porch holding a paperback copy of LOUD AND CLEAR

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· 5d

Screenshot of a group chat text that reads: “I’m at the airport and found Brian’s book and signed it myself and put it back”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· 10d

You know these are the Days Between when you go out to dinner in your hometown and clock someone who at first seems like a stranger, but then looks incredibly familiar.

Two Deadheads posing for a photograph in front of the Chicago Diner

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· 18d

If you’ve seen Summer Tour, you’ll recognize Matt as the rider who hasn’t used the internet in 10+ years, navigates cities and the open road with only maps and atlases, and embarked on a “ghost tour” in 2020 that followed Dead & Company’s canceled tour.

Matt Lilly posing with a piece of the Wall of Sound

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· 27d

A few stills from the film, which was shot on 16mm.

Deadheads Jeremiah Pierce and Annabelle Dunn interviewed in their camper van

Jeremiah Pierce dancing at a Dead & Company concert

A heavily bumper-stickered camper van makes its way toward San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge visible in the background

Silhouettes of Jeremiah Pierce and Annabelle Dunn hugging at dusk

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jul 13

A fun moment in the evolution of Seastones went down at set break at this same show (Boston 12/1/71).

Screenshot from Jerrybase: “LIA brings forward something that we had not quite known about: "One of the reviews mentions that during the intermission a tape was played over the PA: 'It featured piercing guitar feedback and cavernous waves of applause. For twenty minutes … grating, annoying – and after a while maddening.' Ned Lagin said recently that this was his tape: 'a stock recording of a crowd clapping that was sped up & slowed down until it sounded like white noise. It was an early iteration of Seastones that was worked on in stages at Mickey's studio.'"

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jul 12

Sneaky Sunday visual peek at a truly wild feature I’m working on. Will appear in print this fall. Yes, it involves the Dead.

A drawing of a heart with two people inside of it and vines around it

A drawing of a bird with words: “Beware the federal man - he is there and aware - Ho Ho Hi

“I play yeh like a child” and “I give yall my all” with a drawing of a flower and a bird

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jul 8

Always a pleasure talking shop with Craig from Searchlight. Catch me beaming into upcoming “Dead Today” episodes. Watch the latest ep: m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjtf... & consider supporting Craig’s Patreon so he can continue this immense & righteous labor of love: www.patreon.com/cw/Searchlig...

Screenshot of a Google Video call screen with Brian Anderson and Craig Peacock in conversation

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jul 7

A little excerpt from LOUD AND CLEAR to supplement today’s Play Dead app drop (7/27/74).

The caravan continued east. On July 27, the Dead took the stage at the 10,500-capacity Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia, a more out-of-the-way stop in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Dead were reportedly unable to load the entirety of the system into the venue that Saturday, perhaps loath to continue defacing buildings when gear outsized loading doors. Yet even if some equip- ment really didn't fit inside the Civic Center, that likely made little difference
to those assembled "The Grateful Dead as corporeal beings fade into their 25 tons of scaffolding and 7-foot high stage," the Roanoke Tribune reported. "It set those who didn't already come spaced out...to feel zonked by a battery of speakers and the magnetic musicians who so unobtrusively played on stage." And given "what is perhaps the most flawless speaker system a rock concert in the civic center has ever had, there was no need for people to stay in one spot." But a more negative review of the gig noted how "a group member tried to divert the
audience's attention with a clumsily orchestrated [M]oog presentation." Lagin "was unsuccessful, and the crowd became bored, vocal, and at times, rowdy."
But what really "zinged" one's mind that night was Garcia's spacey mid- "Playin'" jam. Standing in front of his speaker stack, one would have perceived the guitarist short-circuit a blown amp "and turn into a brain splitting alche- mist," as one head recalled. Roanoke "was a great show, though, with the Wall of Sound," another attendee reported. "When it was over, Ram Rod kept tellin' us to leave as the crew took down the Wall."

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jul 7

Dead cameo in the latest Blood Incantation video tour diary. Love to see this. Psychedelic music and extreme metal have always been two sides of the same coin. Watch: m.youtube.com/watch?v=BiJ3...

A Blood Incantation crew member holds up a Japanese vinyl pressing of Dead Reckoning

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 29

I’m late reading up on the Discogs/Academy Records sale of Tom Verlaine’s sprawling LP collection, but this quote from Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore hits it on the head. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

“For punk rockers of Moore’s generation, Verlaine’s expansive tastes were a revelation—including the then-taboo influence of the Grateful Dead. ‘I always recall going to see Television at CBGB’s,’ Moore says, ‘and there would be a commentary that he was extending this kind of Jerry Garcia thing into this punk ethos. It was a polarizing thing to say, because one of the dictums of punk was to smash the Grateful Dead—smashing disco and smashing the Grateful Dead. But, ironically, what happened was both disco and the Grateful Dead figured very significantly into the development of punk and post-punk. So that was the beauty of it. All these people denouncing these art forms, but they were the two art forms that really came into play—this kind of improvisatory Dead music, and the timeless funk of disco.’”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 27

Once again, it’s kind words from complete and total strangers that make it all worthwhile. Thanks, reader.

Reader review of LOUD AND CLEAR: “OK, Brian i have read, by my count, 11 books about the Dead. This one is the best. You fulfilled you remit & then some. And w/ such pithy descriptions of all the characters involved + an excellent time-line-style of reporting. Pls do a sequel :)”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 26

Screenshot of Simms online store show Grateful Dead branded waders selling for $1,000

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 24

Sitrep from the full run. A sequence of blues. In terms of live Dead setlisting, anyone know of other instances of three (or more) consecutive “blues”?

Screengrab of Relisten app, showing part of the setlist from the Grateful Dead show on 10/27/71 in Syracuse, NY:

“Mexicali Blues
Big Railroad Blues
Cumberland”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 20

Just signed a copy of LOUD AND CLEAR at the great Women & Children First Bookstore, which happens to be my local here on Chicago’s northside!

Author Brian Anderson holds a signed copy of LOUD AND CLEAR over part of his face at Women & Children First Bookstore in Chicago

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 20

Screenshot of footage depicting Bob Weir singing into the Wall of Sound’s dual-cap microphones with lower third: “in concert GRATEFUL DEAD”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 19

Sitrep from the full run. Absolutely diabolical Dark Star sandwich. relisten.net/grateful-dea...

Screenshot from Relisten app, showing songs from Grateful Dead show on 10/21/71 at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre:

“Dark Star ->
Sittin’ On Top Of The World ->
Dark Star ->”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 17

One year of LOUD AND CLEAR. Hard to believe. Feels like yesterday and also already a lifetime ago.

Brian Anderson smiling and holding copies of LOUD AND CLEAR at Amoeba Records In San Francisco, August 2025

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 16

A year ago tonight, on the eve of LOUD AND CLEAR’s pub day, I opened a fortune cookie after dinner. I read it and smiled:

Fortune cookie: “A long-awaited dream will be fulfilled.”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 13

Hard reset.

Two silhouettes and beach fire against sunset on Lake Michigan

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 8

Just signed a copy of LOUD AND CLEAR at Boswell Books in Milwaukee.

Brian Anderson holding a signed copy of LOUD AND CLEAR at Boswell Books in Milwaukee

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Jun 6

Heading up to Milwaukee. To make a stop at the headiest garage, or not to make a stop at the headiest garage?

A garage painted to look like Terrapin Station, replete with real railroad tracks in front

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· May 29

Sitrep from the full run. A throwback to early Dead poolside lawn parties, only this time in France. A local crew filmed the show + Garcia interview—rare color footage from this era. And this soundcheck! A month before Sugaree debuted. (Too bad, no tape of the check.) relisten.net/grateful-dea...

Screenshot of JerryBase entry for 6/21/71:
“Soundcheck
Space, Teddy Bear’s Picnic, Sugaree”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· May 25

Somehow just finding this out about my neighbor

A colorful Grateful Dead tattoo sleeve featuring the Ice Cream Kid in a Stealie, brown-eyed woman, terrapins, and other Dead iconography

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· May 22

Here is Garcia’s “Budman” McIntosh amp, which recently sold at auction for $381K, powering up after a long sleep. Deadhead and guitarist Mike Wald (aka Waldo), seen here, did the honors and sent me this clip. Waldo is working with Budman’s new owner to get the amp playable “for the next 50 years.”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· May 11

For all my softcover heads: LOUD AND CLEAR is coming to paperback this August 18. The New York Times Bestseller, recommended by the Grateful Dead, now spine-bendable! Preorders are live: us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· May 1

Thanks to the Guild Literary Complex and shoutout to the other talented humans on this lot. I am not worthy!

Honor plaque:

“Guild Literary Complex
35 Writers to Watch
Brian Anderson
Honoree
Representing the future of the literary arts in Chicago, reflecting the spirit and values of the Guild Literary Complex”

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Apr 28

Just signed a fresh new batch of LOUD AND CLEAR hardcovers at Rattleback Records in Chicago.

Stacks of signed hardcover copies of LOUD AND CLEAR at Rattleback Records in Chicago, IL

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Apr 24

Des Moines 6/16/74. You already know I had to.

Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson· Apr 24

Thanks @torontojeff.bsky.social for sending this desktop Wall of Sound. “A meticulously crafted miniature concert sound system for your desk. Real metal truss. Handmade speakers. Pure festival energy — scaled down.” First play must be Wall specific. Can anyone guess?