The Grateful Useless had been by no means actually a part of mainstream tradition for many of their 30-year profession that led to 1995 with the dying of Jerry Garcia. Certain, that they had a success music within the ’80s and now they’re ubiquitous, however for years they flew underneath the radar regardless of an enormous fanbase of devoted followers. With so many diehards loving the Useless, it is truly not shocking that they’re referenced very often in popular culture. Typically considered one of their songs might pop onto a soundtrack and different occasions it is so simple as a lyric or a bumper sticker sneaking right into a film or TV present. This record of occasions the Grateful Useless have been referenced in a film or on TV is hardly exhaustive, but it surely’s a great begin – and we’re not speaking about live performance movies right here, both.
Freaks And Geeks
Freaks And Geeks would not seem to be the type of present that will have the Grateful Useless play an vital position, however ultimately – actually the tip – it seems they utterly change Lindsey’s life. After being gifted a replica of the band’s American Magnificence album, Lindsey (Linda Cardellini) decides to skip her journey to Ann Arbor and “hops on the bus” as Deadheads would say and travels along with her pals to Colorado to catch the Useless in live performance.
Romancing The Stone
One of many funniest scenes in Romancing The Stone comes when Jack (Michael Douglas) and Joan (Kathleen Turner) come throughout a downed aircraft stuffed with grass. The pilot, lengthy lifeless and nothing however a skeleton, is proven sporting a jacket with “Grateful Useless” written on the again. Gotta love these flyboys.
Flirting With Catastrophe
Till we meet Mel’s dad and mom, performed by Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin, Flirting With Catastrophe is not the type of film that screams “Grateful Useless,” however after, it makes whole sense that Mel (Ben Stiller) would resolve his unborn youngster after the bands guitarist Jerry Garcia and he does, on the very finish of the film as “Truckin'” performs.
Seinfeld
This can be a robust one to identify, however imagine it or not, there’s a fast Grateful Useless reference in a Season 4 episode of Seinfeld known as “The Airport.” Within the episode, George catches a journey with Kramer to the airport to choose up Elaine and Jerry, and whereas they’re driving, you’ll be able to see what’s clearly the highest of the well-known “Steal Your Face” Grateful Useless brand.
Mates
There are a couple of hints sometimes that Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is a Deadhead in Mates. One of many extra apparent occasions is after she “learns” how one can play basketball with a brand new boyfriend, she arrives on the Central Perk sporting a Useless tie-dye the band made to honor the Lithuanian nationwide basketball crew for the Olympics.
Sport Of Thrones
Creator George R.R. Martin, whose books had been tailored for HBO’s huge hit Sport Of Thrones, is a self-professed Deadhead and he has sprinkled in quite a few refined Grateful Useless references into his books and the present. Dire wolves (named after a Useless tune), Weirwood timber (named after member Bob Weir) and others are all all through the collection. Martin has even stated when he’s writing that “I all the time have Grateful Useless lyrics rattling round in my head.”
LA Regulation
One of many extra ridiculous references to the Useless got here in an episode of LA Regulation from Season 8 known as “Useless Challenge.” One of many plotlines entails a pair getting divorced partially due to the husband’s love of the Useless. One thing all Deadheads can most likely relate to on some stage.
Tommy Boy
One other fairly refined reference comes within the Chris Farley basic Tommy Boy when Farley is seen on his sailboat on the finish of the film. He’s sporting a reasonably candy trying jacket that clearly reveals a Smiling Skeleton Solar patch, one other brand utilized by the Useless.
The Simpsons
Over time, The Simpsons have made a number of references to the Useless, together with the not-so-subtle dig at Deadheads within the episode the place Homer meets individuals who journey the nation following the Krusty Burger Ribwich. A extra direct reference comes within the Season 10 episode “D’oh-in’ within the Wind” when Flanders by accident takes peyote and hallucinates seeing the band’s well-known Dancing Bears as he drives.
The Info Of Life
Famously, the Grateful Useless allowed their followers to report their live shows and commerce the tapes. It is a huge motive the band discovered such a loyal fanbase. This apply was even referenced on a 1982 episode of The Info Of Life known as “Youngsters Can Be Merciless.” Carl ‘Rocky’ Value (Dan Frischman) is seen carrying a tape recorder and tells Mrs. Garrett that he tapes Useless reveals.
Roseanne
A Season 8 episode of Roseanne introduced us one of the crucial weird Grateful Useless references. Within the episode, Roseanne is within the hospital giving start to her son, and Jerry Garcia seems as a ghost telling her that every little thing goes to be alright and in gentle of the “encounter,” she decides to call her child after the singer. It is…very odd.
One Extra Saturday Night time
Al Franken and fellow SNL author Tom Davis had been each large Deadheads. They typically appeared with the band and went to a whole lot of Useless reveals through the years. In 1986 they made a film collectively that you simply won’t have even heard of. They play musicians within the film, however the band sounds nothing just like the Useless. Nonetheless, they did title the film after a Grateful Useless music, One Extra Saturday Night time.
The Workplace
In a Season 3 episode of The Workplace known as “Department Closing” there’s a temporary Useless reference when Pam indicators a goodbye message to Kelly with the lyrics to “Truckin'”, “What an extended, unusual journey it has been.”
South Park
The fellows behind South Park do not seem to be the largest followers of the Grateful Useless. In a single episode, Jerry Garcia is proven as a resident of Hell, and in one other Mr. Mackey will get upset when he tells Jimbo that he cannot go to a Grateful Useless live performance as a result of “Jerr-bear is lifeless.” In addition they take a couple of pictures at bands just like the Useless within the episode the place Cartman exterminates hippies.
Splash
In a “blink otherwise you’ll miss it” second in Splash, Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah are strolling previous Radio Metropolis Music Corridor and you may simply make a part of the Useless’s title on the marquee. The band famously performed the venue in 1980, although the film was shot later.
Masks
In a tear-jerking second on the finish of Masks, after Rocky (Eric Stoltz) has died, the Useless’s stunning music “Ripple” is performed simply because the film ends. It is the proper option to finish the film and there isn’t any method you will not cry once you watch. The film is crammed with nice music from the ’60s and ’70s.
Ted Lasso
It is actually not shocking to seek out that Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) on Ted Lasso is a Deadhead. He admits that he as soon as noticed a live performance that includes the Useless, The Black Crowes, and Phish jamming collectively. Sadly, in actual life such a jam by no means truly occurred, although the Crowes did open for Useless as soon as in 1995, however they did not share the stage.
My So-Known as Life
The Grateful Useless are talked about a couple of occasions in My So-Known as Life, together with when Rayanne (A.J. Langer) wears a tie-dye and talks about going to see them in live performance whereas she is in an argument with Angela (Claire Danes) on the present. Graham additionally listens to the album American Magnificence on the present.
Runaway Bride
There are quite a few references to the Useless within the Julia Roberts and Richard Gere rom com basic The Runaway Bride. It won’t be considered one of Roberts’ finest motion pictures, however the band comes up repeatedly as a result of considered one of her ex-fiances was a Deadhead. It is one thing Richard Gere throws in her face a couple of occasions, prefer it’s a nasty factor.
Round The Fireplace
Across the Fireplace shouldn’t be a terrific film, although it’s notable for starring Tara Reid and, in his huge display debut, Colman Domingo as touring followers of an unnamed rock band that’s clearly meant to be the Grateful Useless. It’s fairly unintentionally humorous and though no Useless music is used within the film, there’s a soundtrack crammed with the likes of Phish and String Cheese Incident.
Worry And Loathing In Las Vegas
Throughout considered one of Raoul Duke’s many benders in Worry And Loathing In Las Vegas (among the best motion pictures set in Vegas), there’s a very temporary snippet of the Grateful Useless taking part in in live performance amongst the opposite photos of bombs falling on Vietnam and different horrors.
Spider-Man 2
A few of the finest references to the Useless include no rationalization. Take, for instance, Peter’s physician in Spider-Man 2. Within the scene the place Peter (Tobey Maguire) meets with the physician, the physician is inexplicably sporting a Grateful Useless T-shirt. It is one thing solely Deadheads would choose up on, and that’s what makes it so nice.
The Ben Stiller Present
Within the ’90s, it was by no means shocking to see hip comedians like Bob Odenkirk and Ben Stiller taking pictures on the Useless and their followers. In a single skit on The Ben Stiller Present, Odenkirk performs an insurance coverage salesman who specialised in promoting his insurance policies to Deadheads. In fact it is crammed with cliche jokes in regards to the band and their followers and medicines, but it surely’s arduous to confess a few of it is not fairly humorous.
Household Man
In considered one of Household Man’s patented flashbacks, Stewie is seen at a Grateful Useless live performance sporting no shirt and clearly, um, tousled, based mostly on the state of his pupils. He makes a joke about buying and selling his shirt (a tie-dye, in fact) for a grilled cheese. Truthfully, it isn’t that far off from actuality, if we’re trustworthy, even when it’s the simple joke to make.
Indian Summer time
Within the underrated film Indian Summer time, Invoice Paxton’s character is a Deadhead and is seen sporting a tank high with a basic Steal Your Face brand on it. He additionally mentions that work is what he does between Useless reveals.
WKRP In Cincinnati
One of many extra predictable references comes from WKRP In Cincinnati. In a single episode Johnny Fever (Howard Hessman) performs “Shakedown Avenue” by the Useless. The one factor shocking about it’s that there weren’t extra references to the band on a present all about nice ’70s rock.
30 Rock
Probably the most well-known quotes in 30 Rock historical past must be Jack advising Liz to “by no means go together with a hippie to a second location.” In one other hippie reference, Jack (Alec Baldwin) tells Liz (Tina Fey) that he is not interested by quashing his argument with the Submit Grasp Common over a Jerry Garcia stamp.
Half Baked
Half Baked is a horrible film crammed with lazy stoner jokes. It is simply not a humorous option to ever painting smoking. In a single scene, Jim Breuer (the worst actor within the film) “preys” to Jerry Garcia to guard them. It is silly, however hey, it is a reference, so we’ll rely it.
The Marvel Years
In a TV present crammed with nice music from the ’60s and ’70s, in fact there must be a bit of Grateful Useless. In a single scene, the entire class hundreds up in a bus for a subject journey and because the bus heads down the freeway, the all-too-appropriate “Truckin.'”
Black Hawk Down
One of many weirdest references to the Useless must be the taxi driver in Black Hawk Down. How a cab driver in Mogadishu would find yourself sporting a Useless shirt is a thriller, however there it’s, as he pulls as much as the goal he’s sighting for the US army.
Apocalypse Now Redux
This one solely form of counts for this record, but it surely’s an vital one. When Francis Ford Coppola began making Apocalypse Now, he initially had the drummers within the Useless, Mickey Hart and Invoice Kreutzman create the soundtrack. Ultimately, Coppola went a distinct path with the music, however when he recut the film for the Redux model, a few of their unique work was used.
The Music By no means Stopped
Deadheads love the music “The Music By no means Stopped” so it isn’t shocking that it was used a film title for a film a couple of father and son reconnecting with the Useless music in widespread.