New Yorker staff writer Nick Paumgarten is very good at guessing the year of Grateful Dead live tracks. So I asked him to take on all of NYC at The Bitter End on Sunday, February 16th.

1. Live clip plays

2. Everyone in The Bitter End listens, collaborates on a year to guess.

3. We compare our collective guess to Nick Paumgarten's (who submitted his guess beforehand).

4. Whoever is fewer years off in aggregate over 5 live tracks wins.

We'll also be joined by Trouble Junction for two sets of Grateful Dead music. 

Please come on out and let any Deadheads you know that we need their help as well. Nick is good.

It should be a fun Sunday hang.

Tickets ($10)

Nick's piece 'Deadhead'

Promo video

Guess the Year is holding a live event in San Rafael, CA at the historic Belrose theater.

Four attendees (who choose to put their name in the hat) will be randomly selected to come on stage and guess the year of Grateful Dead live tracks chosen by Sirius XM's Rob Bleetstein. Whoever is furthest off is eliminated. Last Deadhead standing wins a prize!

Wednesday, December 11th

Limited tickets. Any leftovers will be sold at the door.

This week, author, historian, and Grateful Dead publicist Dennis McNally curates the setlist as former champs Steve, Pete, and Gavin face off in the Season 2 Tournament of Champions final.

Dennis wrote the introduction for The Silver Snarling Trumpet: The Birth of the Grateful Dead―The Lost Manuscript of Robert Hunter, which is available now.

Thanks to Ellisa for providing a beautiful painting of Jerry Garcia as the winner's prize, and Shelburne Farms for hooking up the second and third place finishers with prize packs as well. As always, thank you to 30k ft. for creating the show poster.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

More Links

• The Silver Snarling Trumpet

Bestselling author Chuck Klosterman joins the show to give his (non-Deadhead) take on the Grateful Dead. Chuck dishes on why the Dead are tied for 4th on his list of greatest American bands, the Dead's politics, John Mayer's guitar playing, separating the art from the artist, and lots more.

Chuck's newest release, The Nineties: A Book, is available in paperback now. This episode is brought to you by Scarlet Fire Hot Sauce. The show poster was created by 30k ft. 

We'll be back next week with the Tournament of Champions final.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

More Links

• The Nineties: A Book

This week, Sam Coturri from Winery Sixteen 600 and The Wine Makers podcast curates the setlist as former champs Aron, Pete, and CJ face off. Thanks to Winery Sixteen 600 for providing this week's prize pack. As always, thank you to 30k ft. for creating the show poster.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

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• Winery Sixteen 600

This week, German Deadheads Uwe, Wolfgang, Frank, and Hubertus join for a special Europe '24 episode. This week's prize pack was generously provided by the official Grateful Dead Tarot Cards.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

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• Grateful Dead Tarot Cards

This week, John Henrikson, host of The Deadpod, curates the setlist as former champs Gunnar, Gavin, Edward, and Brett face off. As always, thank you to 30k ft. for creating the show poster.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

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• The Deadpod

This week, Jim Newton, UCLA professor, author, and former LA Times bureau chief, curates the setlist as former champs Steve, Patrick, Sean, and Ben face off. Thanks to Sancho and Althea for providing this week's prize pack. As always, thank you to 30k ft. for creating the show poster.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

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• Jim Newton's Author Page

This week, Davis Schneiderman, professor of English at Lake Forrest College, Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities, and Principal Investigator of a $1.2m Mellon Foundation grant called HUMAN, curates the setlist as returning champ CJ is joined by Ross, Skelly, and Pete. Thanks to Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Festival for providing this week's prize pack. And, as always, thank you to 30k ft. for creating the show poster.

To be a contestant, sponsor the show, provide a prize pack, or ask questions/make comments, please email:

[email protected]

More Links

• Davis's Website