Few bands have been as thoroughly subsumed by their own mythology as the Grateful Dead, which, at its height, was simultaneously a working musical group, a subculture in its own right, and the nexus of what was, essentially, a traveling town of hippies and societal drop-outs. That confusion is captured aptly in the trailer for Amir Bar-Lev’s new documentary about the group, Long Strange Trip, which is being executive produced by Martin Scorsese for Amazon Pictures.
Interviewing a number of the band’s members and featuring archival footage of the late Jerry Garcia, the doc looks to take a light touch on the band’s enduring legacy, without glossing over the more bizarre aspects of its journey—spinners, drugs, the fabled Wall Of Sound. You can see the whole story for yourself when Long Strange Trip premieres on Amazon Prime video on June 2.