Deadheads vs. Parrotheads: What’s the Difference?

The biggest bands and musicians in the world would be nothing without their fans. As a matter of fact, without fans and or consumers, the music business would likely not exist. Or, at least in the fashion we are familiar with. Regardless, which band has arguably the most staunch fanbase of all time? The Grateful Dead, of course, as their fans, often referred to as “Deadheads,” are truly one-of-a-kind.

Videos by American Songwriter

During the Dead’s heyday, the most devout fans followed the band everywhere, tapped their shows, and, in essence, dedicated their life to the Grateful Dead. That culture is still around with Dead & Co., Billy Strings, and other jam bands. However, at its height, it was something truly unprecedented and has yet to be replicated to the fullest extent.

One group of fans that arguably comes close to replicating the loyalty and dedication of the “Deadheads” is the fans of Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band, A.K.A. “Parrotheads”. As a matter of fact, the name itself is a riff on the Dead’s fanbase, as former CRB bassist Timothy B. Schmit reportedly coined the name by comparing Buffett’s fans to the fans of The Dead. Needless to say, the name stuck. In all, the Deadheads and the Parrotheads hold a lot of similarities, yet they also hold some differences.

The Differences & Similarities Between Parrotheads and Deadheads

If you throw away the colorful clothing, the quirky atmosphere, and the focus on their respective subcultures, Deadheads and Parrotheads still share the same base and foundation: camaraderie through mutual fandom. If it weren’t for that very thing, then neither of these groups would exist. That being said, both groups now, and in their prime, relied on a strict sense of community.

For Deadheads, this community was shown in full force at the markets often referred to as Shakedown Street, which were set up at Dead shows and utilized a type of barter and trade economy. For the Parrotheads, it was and still is something similar, as they are devout tailgaters and have reportedly turned parking lots into beaches. These gatherings are typically known as “Phlockings.”

So, at their root, both the Dead Heads and the Parrotheads share the same mission. However, the Dead Head community typically exists in a bit more colloquial and unofficial fashion. On the other hand, the Parrotheads are a bit more robust and organized, as they have Parrot Heads Chapters all across the country to this day, which focus on having a good time with a philanthropic lens.

Despite these differences, both the Deadheads and Parrotheads impressively changed the fan culture of music forever. To this day, there are only a few bands and acts that have generated a fanbase as loyal as The Grateful Dead and Jimmy Buffett. In totality, do both groups share some similarities? Certainly, but they also have their own nuanced, peculiar, and unique differences.

Photo by MediaPunch/Shutterstock