As if the playlist heavy on Dead/JGB last night at a friend’s wedding celebration wasn’t sweet and perfect enough, a total stranger (who informed me they work at the venue) then told me how much they enjoyed Loud and Clear. Made me so happy.
Brian A. Anderson
@thebanderson.bsky.social
NYT bestselling author. Pulitzer-winning editor. LOUD AND CLEAR, my book on the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound (St. Martin’s Press, 2025), out now in hardcover and paperback.
I knew Connell as a peripheral character from any one of the many books I’ve read about the Grateful Dead, but nearly all of this story was new to me and well-worth the read.
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
Well done
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
In case anyone missed it our pal @thebanderson.bsky.social wrote a Dead-adjacent piece for Playboy. If you read the Wall of Sound book (and why wouldn’t you?) you know he’s a first class writer above all else. Enjoy, and be a little skeeved out too
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
The Rise and Fall of Goldfinger, the One-Handed Acid Outlaw
Kenneth Connell moved through the Grateful Dead’s world like a character out of one of their songs. His relative are just now piecing together the life he kept hidden.
playboy.com
. @thebanderson.bsky.social finally got it! Easy ordering and shipping in the EU from Kenny's in Ireland
Love to see LOUD AND CLEAR shouted out in the latest newsletter from Phil Elverum (Microphones, Mount Eerie). Thanks, Phil. I’ve said this all along, but I didn’t want to write a book that just pandered to Deadheads. That someone like him, decidedly not a head, is spending time with it means a lot.
Goldfinger doesn't expect you to talk, he expects you to die Been bugging me since last night. I didn't do this for you as much as I did it for me
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
Incredible story and storytelling
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
I need more of this story. What a ride!
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
incredible story
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
impressive work by @thebanderson.bsky.social, putting together the story of the elusive & notorious goldfinger, the one-armed drug-smuggling sketchball who was part of the dead's scene through the early '70s, finally answering the question of what happened to him (spoiler: it's grim af)
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last wk.For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
For my weekenders: I profiled Ken “Goldfinger” Connell, an acid courier, hash smuggler, escape artist, folk hero in the Dead’s orbit—and a catastrophe to his own family. Decades later, his son and niece went looking for who he truly was. Read on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
The Rise and Fall of Goldfinger, the One-Handed Acid Outlaw
Kenneth Connell moved through the Grateful Dead’s world like a character out of one of their songs. His relative are just now piecing together the life he kept hidden.
playboy.com
Researching LOUD AND CLEAR, I encountered Ken “Goldfinger” Connell—and filed him away. What I found on returning is a story about the death of an old America and how descendants of an infamous drug smuggler are reconciling with the past. Read now on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
The Rise and Fall of Goldfinger, the One-Handed Acid Outlaw
Kenneth Connell moved through the Grateful Dead’s world like a character out of one of their songs. His relative are just now piecing together the life he kept hidden.
playboy.com
I’m just now realizing the closing line of this 4200-word profile—a quote—contains a Dead lyric. Of course, it couldn’t be any other way.
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · 2w agoResearching LOUD AND CLEAR, I encountered Ken “Goldfinger” Connell—and filed him away. What I found on returning is a story about the death of an old America and how descendants of an infamous drug smuggler are reconciling with the past. Read now on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
Incredible story telling by Brian here. Captivating. So quick story. Very smol. In the spring Brian, myself and our better halves were having coffee. Brian and I were chatting about 60’s counterculture and I mentioned how much I loved the characters surrounding the dead; the pirates and whatnot.
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · 2w agoResearching LOUD AND CLEAR, I encountered Ken “Goldfinger” Connell—and filed him away. What I found on returning is a story about the death of an old America and how descendants of an infamous drug smuggler are reconciling with the past. Read now on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
Researching LOUD AND CLEAR, I encountered Ken “Goldfinger” Connell—and filed him away. What I found on returning is a story about the death of an old America and how descendants of an infamous drug smuggler are reconciling with the past. Read now on @playboy.com: www.playboy.com/read/celebri...
The Rise and Fall of Goldfinger, the One-Handed Acid Outlaw
Kenneth Connell moved through the Grateful Dead’s world like a character out of one of their songs. His relative are just now piecing together the life he kept hidden.
playboy.com
As Dan Healy once told me about the Uptown, “some of the most kickass Grateful Dead gigs ever were in that place.” Hallowed Dead ground (many other amazing bands played there, too.) Looking forward to to finally getting a peek inside. www.openhousechicago.org/sites/recVzr...
Uptown Theatre
The Uptown Theatre is the crown jewel of theater developers Balaban and Katz and renowned movie house architects Rapp and Rapp. Built in 1925, the Uptown is the largest freestanding theater in North A...
openhousechicago.org
One last clue before the story drops later this week on @playboy.com and in print. m.youtube.com/watch?v=obGR...
Grateful Dead - Black Peter (2020 Remaster) [Official Audio]
YouTube video by Grateful Dead
m.youtube.com
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · last mo.Here’s another clue.
I’ve got a big ol’ magazine story dropping next week in the fall issue of @playboy.com. (Charli XCX on the cover.) Yes, it involves the Dead. Do stay tuned.
The push-pull of the Dead on full display here. Garcia *really* wants the Dew coming out of this DS (@20:45ish) but ultimately El Paso wins out, just as it would, famously, days later at Veneta. Classic Weir moves.
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · 3w agoSitrep from the full run. Hitting on a rainy Sunday morning. relisten.net/grateful-dea...
Grateful Dead music—because we all need a force field around our lives when it feels like AI is closing in on all sides.
This reminds me, I wrote up some thoughts on the Dead and Halloween that’ll run next month in a zine. Trip or freak.
Brian A. Anderson@thebanderson.bsky.social · 4w agoI always welcome Fall Dead, even if Summer Dead runs into October these days.
I always welcome Fall Dead, even if Summer Dead runs into October these days.
Hardcover library copy read, paperback purchased. Loud and Clear is not only a great, in-depth look at the Grateful Dead sound systems 1967-1974, but also of sound technology of the time at large. Great little anecdotes about fashioning splitters because they didn't exist yet, things like that
Kate Elliott@kateelliottsff.bsky.social · last mo.I am not first and will be far from the last to say this: I have purchased so many books because I saw them recommended or publicized here on bsky. I cannot urge you all enough to KEEP TALKING ABOUT BOOKS. I know it's easier to talk up someone else's book, but this also means you, the shy author.
Grateful Dead music—because grief isn’t linear and some days you just really miss an old friend.