1,000 Down the Road

Sometimes a hobby has bigger plans than you do.

Hey Fellow Travelers,

Well, we just hit 1,000 downloads. In the short time we’ve been on the air, I’ll definitely take it. According to that fancy AI, it does put us in the top 25% of podcasts, so that’s pretty cool. It’s fun to think about how every download represents someone listening and joining us on this little adventure through the music, stories, and people that make the Grateful Dead world so endlessly fascinating.

When I first pressed record this summer, there wasn’t a master plan. I just wanted to explore, learn a little more, and have some fun along the way. I didn’t expect clips to go viral, or to end up backstage chatting with Les Claypool, or to meet Deadheads across the ocean. Honestly, a lot of it still feels a little surreal.

What’s struck me most is how big this community still is after 60 years. From small shows in Berkeley to the streets of London, people keep finding their own path to this music — and somehow, it all feels connected. Even random encounters with strangers who share a love for the same songs have reminded me why I started recording in the first place.

Peter Williams and “Danger” at Bobby and The Wolf Bros set break outside The Royal Albert Hall

A lot has happened in four short months. Right out of the gate, out of nowhere, a clip of us mentioning Primus went crazy online — over a million views. For a few weeks, it stopped feeling like a side project in my living room and started feeling like a tiny signal being blasted out into the universe. And the response? Wildly encouraging, sometimes confusing, but always humbling.

Les Claypool and I backstage in Bridgeport, CT

That’s the magic of this project: connection. Whether it’s stories from legendary musicians, people I meet along the way, or listeners sharing their own experiences, every interaction reinforces why I did this in the first place.

Casey introduced me to the “Do Dad” in Golden Gate Park at Dead 60. He lived in The Haight in the late 60’s and spent a night in the recording studio with the Grateful Dead.

The latest episode is a little reflection on that first stretch of the journey — the surprises, the lessons, and a peek at what’s coming next. If you’ve been following along, consider it my thank-you note to you. If you’re new here, it’s a good place to jump in.

Listen to the Episode

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Buzzsprout, LinkTree

Going forward, I’ll be sharing more from the road — reflections, photos, and stories that don’t always fit into the episodes themselves. The Dead never stood still, and neither should we.

Thanks for listening, reading, and being part of this journey. Here’s to the next thousand downloads — and all the stories waiting along the road.

— Pete