Politics, Psychedelics, Performance… and Lacrosse?
Defiance of Time and Place: a Collaborative Experience
“All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
Picture This…
Your favorite retail clothing store, or just the one you visit most frequently. You’re browsing for a t-shirt or school clothes or socks or bras or whatever it may be, and there they are: 5 little rainbow bears that you can’t seem to escape, and not too far away, a red and blue skull split by a lightning bolt. These iconic images, and the Dead themselves, have not only become archetypes for rock and roll, but also for fashion iconography along the way. You may not have ever even heard a single lyric by the Grateful dead, but you, amongst so many other people, can still recognize their imagery. But what is it about the Dead that makes them so timeless?
The (un) Dead
Despite various performances and collaborations since, it seemed the Grateful Dead as a musical, physical entity passed with Jerry Garcia in 1995. But knowingly or unknowingly, the group created something that appears almost immortal. As the American countercultural movement faded in the late ‘60s into the early ‘70s, the Grateful Dead became a sort of reserve; a surviving symbol for the countercultural values that permeated the eras decline (Grubb 2016). Their association with camaraderie through peace – and controversially, psychedelics – to this day appeals to individuals (particularly the youth) who desire to have experienced this era first-hand; while also sparking nostalgia in adults who grew up in this time and carry-on the Deadhead subculture. An ethos was born in the Dead – a sort of escapism from the rigid structures of society that your average Joe and Jane will easily relate to for generations to come.
Sports and Music
Here’s where we come in. Sports and music are incredibly synonymous. There’s a timelessness to the sports culture, similar to that of music. Lacrosse in particular has been around since the early Native Americans invented it, and to this day it is still growing in popularity and influence. Athletics as a whole promote a sense of escapism from daily routines and structures. The field is a place where you can focus on the skills you have chosen to build for yourself, and create new methods of competition; similar to how a musical setting allows you to temporarily remove yourself from societal restraints and promote a new ethos. With our Grateful Dead collaboration, LU aims to promote the peaceful values the Deadhead subcultural continues to endorse by bringing you a second line of Grateful Dead X UNLTD merchandise this upcoming holiday season. Keep an eye out for updates on the drop as we get closer to the launch date!
Sources:
https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/
