“What’s up with this hypebeast bullshit?” writes one user, while another simply says, “Posers.” When the band’s account posted a photo of LeBron James sporting the Chinatown Market print hoodie and nylon shorts, followers commented, “We don’t want him” and, “This guy couldn’t name one song.” One Deadhead on Facebook called it “blasphemy,” even going as far as likening James’ outfit to cultural appropriation.
Similarly, the Grateful Dead’s Instagram posts promoting collaborations with Chinatown Market are littered with comments attempting to gatekeep the band’s music. They were smart business people.” “ This guy couldn’t name one song.” “But back in the '60s, they were the money band. “A lot of people have this view of the Grateful Dead that they were communists, all about peace and love,” said Burbank. Some Deadheads feel that simply working with large corporations inherently goes against the band’s ethos. Even if they wanted them, it would be nearly impossible for some of the band’s most hardcore fans to obtain the fuzzy, bear-clad sneakers because of the limited availability and high-price resale culture. Many Deadheads felt betrayed by the Nike SB Dunk Low Grateful Dead shoes, which sold out in seconds and are now listed for over $1,000 on eBay. But with a fan base as vast and dedicated as the Dead’s, it’s hard to please everyone.
Recently, the Dead has collaborated with companies like Crocs, Teton Gravity Research, and Nike, producing everything from sneakers to skis. However, these symbols are more than just designs - they’re part of a deep-rooted, immersive Grateful Dead universe. With symbols as recognizable as the dancing bears and the Steal Your Face lightning skull, there’s no need for the Dead to even put their name on merchandise. One reason the Dead’s branding is so strong is their visuals. These standards remain strict, no matter how big the collaborating brand may be.
However, in order for products to be approved, Pinkus, David Lemieux (the band’s archivist), and Bernie Cahill (the band’s manager) determine whether the designs “ring true.” They reject designs that paint the Dead’s skeleton symbols as “dark” or “demonic” or otherwise don’t represent the celebratory, positive nature of the band. Pinkus says Rhino has a style guide with all of the Dead’s trademarked iconography and gives licensees a fair amount of leeway when coming up with designs. “And I absolutely love it.” One of Rhino’s primary goals is to introduce the jam band to younger generations, but having a Deadhead in charge of licensing means authenticity is the most important factor when approving deals. “To work closely with the Grateful Dead, it really helps to understand the music,” Pinkus told Input. Pinkus, who attended his first of 73 Dead shows when he was 17, earned the band’s trust by offering to sing any of their songs on the spot and impressing them with the first lines of the deep cut, “Victim or the Crime.” Mark Pinkus, Rhino’s president, has run the band’s business for the last 10 years, skyrocketing the brand’s popularity and introducing the band to a wider audience. In 2006, the Grateful Dead signed a licensing deal with Rhino Entertainment, allowing the Warner Music Group subsidiary to handle all the band’s merchandising and music releases. “Even though we were competition, we would help each other out.” “It all has a backstory. “We were all friends,” said Greg Burbank, who has produced official merchandise since 1987 with Liquid Blue and then Sunshine Joy. Eventually, the Grateful Dead began hiring them to create officially licensed merchandise. In the 1980s, there were various vendors who turned their high-quality bootleg tie-dye shirts into small businesses, including Martin Leffer of Not Fade Away Graphics Inc., Jonathan Marks of Grateful Graphics, and Tom Stack of Club Dead. Brooks Kraft/Corbis Entertainment/Getty Images
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