Friends of the Devil

“A wildly original, audaciously funny tour of the Grateful Dead and the mythical world they built … Alexander Pappademas and Joan LeMay brilliantly explore the Dead’s genius.”—Rob Sheffield, author of Love Is a Mix Tape

“A vital and bold new take on the ultimate American Band and their unbroken chain of connection to the cosmic collective unconscious.”—William Tyler

“Forget reading this book. Ingest it!”—Wright Thompson, author of The Cost of These Dreams

“If you ain’t already on the bus, this’ll catapult you right onto it.”—Rob Harvilla, 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s

“Wall-to-wall with deep insight delivered in colorful prose, bristling with learned references and compelling digressions that rightly place the Dead in a heady American firmament.”—Michael Azerrad, author of The Amplified Come as You Are

“It is hard to imagine a more thrilling or visionary paean to the Grateful Dead than Friends of the Devil.”—Amanda Petrusich

“A freewheeling take on the Grateful Dead’s songbook and history. With its short chapters keyed to individual songs, this addition to the Grateful Dead bookshelf blazes its own trail. Divided into two sets, much like a Dead concert, it combines fresh interpretations of Dead lyrics with historical detail, freewheeling commentary, loose associations, fine phrasemaking, and watercolor portraits by LeMay… . It’s a reminder, if any were needed, that the band’s long, strange trip defies the stereotypes that surround it.”—Kirkus Reviews

Alex Pappademas

Alex Pappademas is the author of Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant-The Movies and Meaning of an Irrepressible Icon and the co-author, with Joan LeMay, of Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Soul Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan. He is a writer and editor at GQ, and his work has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Los Angeles Times, and Grantland. He lives in Los Angeles.

Joan LeMay

Joan LeMay’s fine art has been shown internationally in galleries, alternative and institutional venues, and public spaces since the late 1990s. Her paintings have appeared in dozens of publications, books, and music videos and on album covers, band fliers, and posters for independent film. She is the co-author, with Alex Pappademas, of Quantum Criminals. LeMay plays bass in the bands Bull Thieves and Viennetta. She is based in New York City.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.