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Exploring the Energy with Anzo & Friends
Welcome to Exploring the Energy with Anzo & Friends, a series of conversations with host and lifelong music lover, Andy "Anzo" Staib, and his friends and family. Together, they explore the common threads that bond them all together - namely their shared love of music, family, friends, life, loss, and love. The show was born from the notion that music helps keep us all connected throughout our collective long strange trip. We all have a story to tell, and here are a few of those stories. So join us, and let’s see where the energy takes us! #IFE #NFA
Exploring the Energy with Anzo & Friends
Life Inside the Grateful Dead’s Inner Circle with Dennis McNally
This one was a big deal for me. My guest, Dennis McNally, isn’t just a reknowned author, music historian, and publicist, he’s someone I’ve long considered somewhat of a “celebrity” in my world. From 1984 to 1995, Dennis was the Grateful Dead’s publicist and part of the band’s inner circle.
He’s written five books, including the classic Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, and his latest, The Last Great Dream - How Bohemians Became Hippies and Created the Sixties. He’s married to the love of his life, photographer and author Susana Millman, whose book Alive With the Dead - A Fly on the Wall with a Camera, is one of my favorites.
What struck me most was Dennis’s insight into how the Dead operated behind the scenes. How the band members interacted, what touring was like, and what it was like to be at the center of all that energy for so many years. He was every bit as gracious, articulate, and engaging as I could have imagined and I’m honored to now call Dennis a friend.
Speaking of friends, this episode was also a first for me. I was joined by my good friend Charlie French as co-host who added thoughtful color and questions that I wouldn’t have thought to ask!
These days, Dennis lives in San Francisco with Susana and is still doing the work he loves - namely as the publicist for Little Feat.
It’s an honor and a privilege to share our conversation.
So join us, and let’s see where the energy takes us!
https://www.dennismcnally.com/
Stir It Up https://youtu.be/XQxceOPnj9Q?si=i8Vu2Wh_UnpJ_6LX
Death Don’t Have No Mercy https://youtu.be/wH8GUfK-MOM?si=frh9iuuf1bCDSuob
Time Loves a Hero https://music.apple.com/us/album/time-loves-a-hero/471749182?i=471749184
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1983015048745357