Grateful Dead Alum To Tour

LOS ANGELES — It looks like the old Dead are gettin' on.

Surviving members of the Grateful Dead say they'll regroup for a 19-city tour, their first since 2004, beginning April 12 in Greensboro, N.C.

The group, which now just calls itself The Dead, announced its plans Thursday.

Original band members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann have toured sporadically since the 1995 death of guitarist Jerry Garcia, but struggled to get along personally and artistically. They told Rolling Stone in November that they've worked out their differences, aided by a successful October benefit concert in Pennsylvania for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Warren Haynes joins the Dead on lead guitar, and Jeff Chimenti will play keyboards.

Comments

[rikki52b]

I hear Jimmy Page is looking for a gig.

[TLCB]

Man, I hope they play the Philly area. I'm so there

[4gloria]

Spectrum gets 2 shows

[TLCB]

I just saw that. Thanks. I guess it will be, for me, a farewell to the Spectrum as well. Ah, the memories.....

[oceanjoe]

It will be a costume party unfortunately. If they played all brand new material with a few oldies thrown in for fun, it would be one thing, but they do not have the inspiration (or Jerry) to re-make their standards, nor do they have the energy to re-invent themselves on a scale that even just gets close to level they achieved "back when." I loved/love these guys for many years, went to many great shows and just had to walk out of the last "DEAD" show because of simple, rudimentary musical failures that would have had the crowd walking out had they been unknown musicians. I wish them the best, everybody has bills to pay but this is/will be a throw back and, if you are honest, a throw up. Go see a Panic show if you want high energy, state of the art craftsmanship. But I feel like I'm too harsh...and I love Warren...but no, it's for what it used to be, not for what it is or could be.

[palealien]

Well spoken. Nice to see the basic truth here amidst all the other extreme comments, the fans are as unrealistic as the haters. I am sure you will agree, when Jerry started using junk was really the beginning of the end and it was a long slide. I would have thought the band would have gotten a clue and maybe tried to broaden their range a bit, but even then so much of it was a walk-through, it was made clear where the spark came from only when it went out.

[oceanjoe]

Yes it was sad to watch at times, actually painful but then he would bounce back and all would seem to be well for awhile...but not for long enough. How 'bout this...with today's technology, they could have several practices, all with different guys, Hidialgo of Los Lobos is my pick but film them and stream the sessions and let us pick two to go on tour. Still, I'm only a few hours from Greensboro, I know I'll go but I'm the kind who still gets choked up on 8/9...oh well, it will be Spring, Easter Sunday no less, time for a resurrection...

[dexxjones]

good on them.

[kallisti7]

As a guy who saw the Dead over 50 times in 22 states, the Dead have kinda sucked since, uh, well, ever since Brent died in 1990. They still play the music but IMO the magic is gone. I'm not into nostalgia acts. However, by all means, do what you wanna. The Music never stopped, indeed. But maybe it should. I think at the end of Fellini's 81/2 there's a quote that reads something like (paraphrasing), "Being an aesthetician, the first job of an artist is to never make any bad art. The world is fully of ugly things already, so an artist should contribute nothing rather than contribute something bad."

[martinchill]

best argument yet for abolishing country music.

[sugarmagnolia]

Good, more tickets available for me!

[DubiousAtBest]

"not into nostalgia acts"? HA!

"nostalgia act" DEFINES the dead!

[normathumb]

It aint politically correct but Brent kinda sucked as far as I was concerned. The truly prime stuff was when Pig was still alive. I would still take most of the Keith and Donna years over Brent.

[desertdweller]

Like I always said to DeadHead critics - are you perfect every time you make love to your partner? The Dead have had their share of highs and lows, depending on your point of view, but an "off" night at a Dead show beats an average night of just about any one else.

[StillMadMatt]

Milk that cow!!! Warren Haynes is talented but no the right pick I think.- Like Steve Morse in Deep Purple also does not fit.

[SoFlaJet]

Milk the cow????...hey Matt, painters paint, truck drivers drive trucks, carpenters build and musicians play music-it's what we do. It's what makes us happy and when we're NOT playing music something is missing in our lives.

[ihavehope]

Listen to Warren Hanes play with Phil Lesh's band.
He's done a fine job playing lead on the Dead's songs.

[KCFreedom]

Have you seen Deep Purple with Steve Morse? They actually kick arse with him when I've seen them.

[preemptivelove]

i've always thought david hildalgo from los lobos would be the man that could fill the gaping hole left by jerry. i don't like warren haynes playing. too sardonic and dark. jerry was light and crystalline and beautiful!

[oceanjoe]

That IS a good suggestion...he would bleed into the music a little something different, plus they are underrated and unjustly pegged in my opinion...

[gifu]

Good Night Irene....still can't get that last 83' New Years finale outta my head.........

[4gloria]

Oh right on, they're opening here in Greensboro!

[Letterman]

what a long strange trip..