Grateful Dead

You know, I don't dance ever - there was a piano player at our wedding - no dancing! I just don't dance. My Dad never danced, and I joked about how we wouldn't dance together at my wedding. But we evolve. I went to some recent weddings with DJs and asked if they played any Dead. They told me no way, cause you can't dance to the Dead. Turns out, that's the only thing I can dance to, is the music at a Dead show (or Furthur, or Ratdog). Silly DJs! Too bad I didn't realize this in time for my wedding (25 years ago) but better late than never! But at a Dead show I can't not do some crazy little kinda of dance - I mean, you really can't just sit still, can you? It turns out that I certainly can't!

i guess if you have no legs and are deaf....and even THEN i don't think anyone with any true musical sense could sit still

Hey Critter What a treat! Sounds like Wanee was a great way to check out the bands. I'd love to dance to those 7 Walkers and the Rhythm Devils, but not so ready for the 9h car ride to get to the Vibes. Last year we made that length of trip to Rothbury but I don't think it's in our cards this year, especially if Furthur are playing in Buffalo! We'll have to be our own rhythm devils for now, which is definitely doable. Hey Rosa, I'm one of those dancing instigators who can really stir the pot. I bet we'd cut a rug! Thanks for your story. Peace, K

HolyGosh... Furthur just announced a new show... July 7th in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada!!!! Holy crap, that's only 3.5 hours away and on my side of the border! Whoa, kids. Bluesfest is gonna be transformed. Got some coordinating to do. Thanks Furthur!

Man that festival looks awesome. That has to be one of the most diverse line ups I have ever seen. Rush and Iron Maiden? I'm jealous. Wish we could get something like that in my neck of the woods. "Here's my half a dollar if you dare .. double twist when you hit the air. Look at Julie down below .. the levee doing the dopaso"

a "Blues" fest... but Ottawa ClassicRockFest just doesn't have the same ring, does it?

I'm a big fan of Iron Maiden...for a long time. Sounds like fun, maybe they should call it the Blues Metal Fusion Fest lol_____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

I just think it would be so cool to see Furthur and then mosey on down and see Iron Maiden. I love diversity in one place like that! We are actually catching Maiden and Rush this summer but still I'd love to hit that festival. "Here's my half a dollar if you dare .. double twist when you hit the air. Look at Julie down below .. the levee doing the dopaso"

I'm really exctied to here this, that they are playing 6 albums in 6 sets at the Furthur Fest. I can't wait to hear Blues for Allah!!!! I'm kind of torn between knowing the sets though, but this is something different, I mean really different. How cool is this gonna be? I don't know, but I do know I'll be there. One thing that this does tell me.....there are gonna need two drummer for Terrapin, who's gonna guest star???? MOLO!!!! If you haven't heard about this, watch the video and look at the site Check out the new furthur site too, they changed it up. _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

Check it out Furthur Festival Site you'll find a complete description and other goodies of the Furthur Fest @ Mountain Aire._____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

Just rub it in why don't you? :-) I'm freaking out over this!! This is the complete opposite of what they would do. And for this one time I think it is awesome!! I always thought if they were to play a complete album live it would be either Aoxomoxoa or Terrapin Station. But both?? I can't even imagine!! "Here's my half a dollar if you dare .. double twist when you hit the air. Look at Julie down below .. the levee doing the dopaso"

Let me try putting up the link again....wierd. Furthur Festival Site _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

Pixies did it. Sonic Youth did it. Dinosaur Jr. did it. God knows how many other has been rock groups got a boost from corporate thinking with "play a whole album." Boomers getting senile - Grateful Dead music has never been about album rock. At least that loser John K. will be in his safe zone with lots of practiced music to play.

Take it easy Masknu...... obviously the Dead are not about same old generic album rock and I bet a lot of heads would like this ONE OFF concert to hear a full album. We should be grateful that they are still playin' music.

Look,,,dudes...dudes...dudes...I've been around awhile. I'm Bob's age. People die...Jerry is gone...there will never be another Jerry...Bla Bla Bla...No fuckin' shit !!!...So...there will never be another Pigpen either, nor a Kesey...nor Hendrix, not Joplin, nor Cobain nor a Bob Weir or Phil Lesh or Mickey or Bill...and my hair will never grow back and there will never be a lot of things. There will never be another 25 dollar ounce of pot. How long is this Jerry comparison bullshit going to go on ? People who abandoned the scene because "there will never be another Jerry" to my way of thinking are not hip to what The Dead were about in the first place. This isn't just an oldie goldie group The Dead are unique because of the X factor that makes them more than just another jam band. They are carrying a torch that was lit a long time ago and very few groups have that kind of committment or influence. I know it's all about the music (which by the way is still Jerry's) but like it or not, deny it or not it's also more than just about the music...Kesey said these guys are Alchemists and he was right. They carry on the vibe...they carry on a way of thinking. The music and the lyrics carry on a message that should not be forgotton. And when and if it is forgotton for whatever reason the world will be a shittier place. I see the Furthur experiment as a jumping off point...a passing of the torch to the younger heads and neo hipsters and pranksters and beatheads and whoever. Someday Phil and Bob will also be no more and neither will you or I... and maybe, hopefully, some cool musicians, like JK and others, who see the value in keeping the ideas alive will carry on and drive that fuckin' bus even further...I was at the Furthur show in SF for New Years Eve and Phil's 70th birthday and the shows rocked and were unique to all the other concerts I've been to. There is still nothing like a Dead show no matter what the name or configuration. When Dead music plays, it's still a Dead show, let's face it even if a tribute band plays it and even if it's not up to some would be musical critics standards. Understand it's not about criticism, it's about keeping the culture alive. Chris Robinson sang Dead songs and it was cool. Dudes...dig this... I was in Chicago last October and ran into some street musicians who dug my Dead shirt. They gave me a tamborine and we sang Dead songs. A group of elementary school kids on a field trip with their teacher stopped to listen and we sang Friend of the Devil to them. Friend of the Devil to these little kids and they dug it and the teacher dug it and they smiled and clapped and it was good man. Far Fuckin' out...Get It ? It doesn't fuckin' matter who sings the fuckin' songs...iIt just matters that they keep getting sung. It's about a fuckin bus that drove it Further way back when with Kesey and Babbs and Mountain Girl aboard and the Dead and Cassidy at the wheel mother fucker!!!!...and I'm going to Mountainaire to help keep the message alive... and man, if somebody wants to be a fuckin bummer, good luck and dig your bummer head...but remember "You're either on the Bus, or Off the Bus." I say..Onward...Through the Fog !!!!!

I read that article in RS and I laughed MAO. I Love John K, Phil and Bobby! I love Billy and Mickey too and I think Bob was just kidding. The comment seemed "tongue in cheek" to me... just like my opinion man. Didn't you guys see the smiles on their faces in the picture with the article? Looked "Old School Prankster" to me. Oh and I'm totally down with them doing the albums as planned. I really wish I could be there.

A big reason why I like Furthur - they are doing things the Grateful Dead would have never considered doing. For one "special" concert I say go for it!! Something different, what's wrong with that? I can't wait to hear Rush's Moving Pictures later this summer. A year or so ago I heard Widespread Panic almost play all of Space Wrangler and it was cool, very cool. "Here's my half a dollar if you dare .. double twist when you hit the air. Look at Julie down below .. the levee doing the dopaso"

Grateful Dead albums are not normal rock and roll albums, they are Grateful Dead albums, and with stuff like Terrapin and Aoxomoxoa you can play them hundreds of times and hear nuances that you didn't hear before. Now i know we are not talking about the original cuts, but it's still going to be a treat, dammit!!

Did Phish start this trend before it was a marketing ploy? I think they would pick an album, by someone else mind you, and surprise their audience by playing the whole goddamn thing. Exile on Main Street and Dark Side are two I seem to remember... Heard Steely Dan's The Royal Scam last year. I had mixed feelings because I knew I was certain to hear some killer songs, but the element of surprise was gone. I like surprises. I heard a bunch of that early stuff at MSG '09 - it was truly awesome. I'd love to hear the whole Anthem live. Can't wait to hear how they get that prepared piano and amplified top sound... =) You Westcoasters are lucky - Furthur Fest is really turning out to be a whole GD experience and I am envious! You must bring back anecdotes, please.

Can I get an AMEN for Incognito!!!!!!!! I don't normally say, man I agree, totally....but you hit the red thing in the middle of the circles. Ding, Ding, Ding....tell him what he's won Jack. Well said. Honestly the whole album concept was not started by Phish....I mean come on does no one remember The Wall??? How many Live "Albums" were created that were classics, a whole mess of em. Anyway, heck I'm willing to toss my $10 gold dollars in that someone knows of full albums in the 50's or 60's played live. Right on, keep on keeping on. _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

Did "New York" beginning-to-end to start the shows on the "New York" tour. Talk about plugging the new album (sounded excellent to me). Lucinda Williams did east and west coast residencies, an album a night. And Bruce Springsteen last year with (mostly) "Born to Run", "Born the USA", "The River," "The Wild, the Innocent"...and you know, Phil's done it too. So not exactly a groundbreaking concept, just a FUN one. Wish I could be there for Furthur...

When all you do is look behind. Could these be written by corporate shills? Just a little too energetic.

Naw, this is the real thing. I know, it's hard to believe that Furthur has such rabid enthusiasts. I remember being excited at the original Furthur Fest tour in '96 because of the guys all taking bold different directions with their respective projects, only to reconvene as the Other Ones in '98. I was disappointed cuz it just sounded like pandering and singing the old refrains without the key player. But you know what? After awhile I got curious to hear the music again, and in different configurations. It's not as electrifying or as good as the original, but it's still interesting. And, yes, there are those of us willing to travel to be with Bob and Phil, the new lineup and the current scene, just because it makes us happy and fulfilled. Dead tour '09 was one of the most memorable and happy times I've had in recent years. So, believe it or not, we are still everywhere, and, surprise, there are actually enthusiasts posting their excitement on dead.net!!!! As for whole albums, Critter, aside from the rock opera concept albums like the Wall, Tommy, Quadrophenia, Lamb Lies Down, etc... Isn't it a newer trend to play whole albums which weren't necessarily designed that way?

AMEN! Hahahaha

and hallelulah, too. Can't wait for this Mountain Aire Fest. The Friday night jam should be fabulous. Jorma's website says he'll be playing that night, too. I'm really looking forward to ELECTRIC Hot Tuna! Talk about relentless heavy metal sound, these boys can really belt it out. GE Smith is in the line-up, as well as Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin, and it will be super interesting to see this latest configuration of Electric Hot Tuna. As for 6 for 6, I think it's a great idea, and super exciting. I am always stoked, no matter what they play. Dance my a** off is the name of the game. As for masknu, I think you must be lost, baby. Maybe you'd better find your way home.

one of my favorite concerts was Jethro Tull in 1979 at MSG wherein they performed their entire new album, Storm Watch, complete with Ian Anderson swinging from the big masted sailing ship rigging they had set up on the stage, while he was singing; and playing the flute hanging from the rigging. Awesome concept, fabulous delivery. Second set was a medley of many of their numerous hits. As far as I can remember, Tull did that with every new album released, and so did Pink Floyd for Animals, and the Wall, at least. This way, rarely heard songs are given an airing. Besides, since the band is in charge of what they gets played, they still get to pick the songs, right? Frankly, I don't get these nay-sayers! Are we supposed to pack it all up and go home because they say so? Hahahahahahah.....

when the Who's Live at Leeds was released on vinyl in the early 70's, it appeared to be a live show of random, mixed songs. The only anomaly was the bit of Tommy that they segued into during My Generation, which I always wondered about, since mixing songs was not really done then. Now with the release of the entire monster weekend show on 3 CD's, we can hear what they actually played, which was all of Tommy, with My Generation sandwiched in near the end of it. I can appreciate the artistry of that subtle addition so much more now, having enjoyed years of the Dead mixing songs in order to tell a story or create a word picture. I particularly enjoy Playing in the Band as a sandwich song. In a few cases the song began during one show, and wasn't finished til the next one. Now that's fun!

right on & hope we meet up @ Angels Camp......:))) Maybe us "old schoolers" need to stick together or at least meet......

I attended this show and loved it. The Golden Road was amazing, Time blew me away, and Morning Dew was magic. Any other attendees around?

I was there and I agree with you! I really enjoyed 3/5/10 also. It's hard for me to pick which night was the best! "Here's my half a dollar if you dare .. double twist when you hit the air. Look at Julie down below .. the levee doing the dopaso"

Well, if you went to any of the Dead's shows last year - whether or not it was the drummers who sucked the life out of the performances was debatable. What seemed clear to me though was that the famous "core of four" was lifeless. Phil and Bobby play well together though, as do Billy and Mickey. Perhaps it's high time that they called it quits and played as two, three, or even four separate bands again. They all seem happiest that way and the product is consistently better, at least IMHO. I went to Albany (4/17/09) and Hartford (4/26/09). I also picked up soundboards of New York (4/25/09) and Worcester (4/19/09). Of the four, Worcester was by far the strongest. But I just felt that the boys were mailing it in. Billy said as much in an interview back in January: "I’ll be real honest with you. Toward the end of the Dead tour, I was getting kind of bored with the music because it was kind of formulized. That why I work with these other bands now. I can be totally free and I’m encouraged to be that way. The musicians like that." The source for this quote can be found here: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15209-The-Dead-Examiner%7Ey2010m1d2-… It could be that Bobby's finally burning his bridges to Mickey and Bill. He's been accused of being candid in the past and that's caused trouble before. He got the rap for the whole incident with LAMA, he dissed DSO for not playing their own music, and so it's not a reach that he might take a swing at the drummers after the last Dead tour. It was a miserable run of shows (at least I felt that way) and that must have been disappointing, assuming he felt the same. I do agree however that the drumming segment of the last Dead tour was consistently the best segment of each night. Mickey and Bill worked out well-crafted routines that were exciting and challenging. However, the interplay among the "core of four" and the two sidemen was tentative at best. The band never jelled. So now there are two factions and I suspect that there will be a mild battle of words as they separate. I don't take it too seriously. If they can get their collective acts together, they'll patch things up. Whether they all play together again is not something I'd be willing to bet on. I wouldn't bet against it either though. "When it comes to humility, I'm the greatest!" - Bullwinkle Moose

Love your examples of live show concepts, BPeach. I would've loved to climb that rigging. Good analysis, streamline. Sad about the potential fracture as evidenced in those interviews. =( Cour fore I thought had some hot moments with Warren, especially MSG'09. I'm glad I was there to hear them!

Awesome show right!? I was unable to go to the 1st night but I downloaded it and it is killer. estimated>terrapin was exactly what I was looking for! I wish it was played the second night... "my time comin anyday don't worry bout me no"

May have been bored during Spring 09 but you sure could not tell. The drums segment at the shoreline shows was the best I have EVER heard. I'm nearly through listening to the entire 09 tour, and like I have said before, there are some aspects of the Dead line up I think are best and there are aspects of the Furthur line up I think are best but in the end I enjoy what each line up has to offer. I know that is a wish-washy stance but it is true and I am going to leave it at that without getting into specifics. "Here's my half a dollar if you dare .. double twist when you hit the air. Look at Julie down below .. the levee doing the dopaso"

I've never understood the pick shit apart until your fuckin' head explodes trip. ...and the "corporate shills" bullshit? Yeah...right...doing an album set is playing right into the hands of the corporate dictatorship and the military industrial complex...I've been discovered. I'm just using this site to get Deadheads to invest in the corporate media...curses...foiled again.. As far as the looking back to the past criticism... that smacks of neo conservative double speak, anti hippie, squarehead shit talk. Our past was the future...the present just hasn't caught up yet. I got your future for ya ...right here!!!!!!!!

maybe it's all just part of "You say it's a living, we all gotta eat"............

anti-anybody talk?........we're all stuck on this rock anyway, just turn up the volume and smile!!

Another lady friend from AK and her 25 year old son happened to be in SF and stumbled into tickets for Phil's B-Day. Her son said it was the most significant event in his life, (hahaha, so far). I don't think analyzing the music itself means much. I see one grate continuum of community, ebbing, peaking, reinforcing, nipping away at the edges of those anti-evolving forces of exclusion and sleep-living. And when the live shows are done, if they truly ever are, it will be the resonance that continues.

I think they call if Furthur for a reason....because the youngins like Jackie and John (the list is endless) are gonna carry the torch for another 40 years, then it goes even Furthur....I mean think of the influence that our community/band....US, have have on these young musicians, and even the ones to come. They can look back @ the Grateful Dead (as a whole, not just the band) and say WOW....these people were real, did love, and lived the way I want to live. I'm sure everyone has a story here...like even just going to a local convenience store, jib-jabbering about something, and the random person you met says, "There's something different about this person. Really Different." How many times have I had someone come back to me years later and say, "Why is it that you are still stuck in my mind." The Grateful Dead I tell them, every time....it's all about the feeling, the love, the community. Nice story AKHead! _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

Well, that's really what it's about, but I hope you all understand, that was implied lol!_____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

Yes... to all the positive previous raps...and it's always good when somebody agrees with you, although I don't expect us all to agree all the time. However, we are basically all passengers on the same trip, or should be, leaving room for individual beliefs and opinions of course. I dont get negative unless I feel someone's rap is mean spirited, dead wrong or in my face and particularly deserving of a defensive response. I like a good goof too. I just think everybody here should be playing in the Heart of Gold Band. Honesty is good, but it can be cruel or it can be kind and thoughtful with others feelings in mind. Kind is always perferable whenever possible. It's the Grateful Dead site, not the Limbaugh, Michael Savage or Glenn Beck website. When people get off track we owe it to all of us to try and get them back on track. This trains got to run today. I dig the idea just put forth that the new band is called Furthur for a reason.

Real close, and you don't want to miss it....specially cuz BK is gonna be there weeeeeeeeeeeeee. _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!

You lucky bastards! First Furthurfest, now this! No seriously, this is a brilliant idea. Does it sound like a bit of one-upmanship to you? I love how Billy and Merl and others are getting in on the action... Furthurmore... priceless. Just to let everyone know that they're part of the family too. Well, a little healthy competition doesn't hurt, especially if everyone can just go the day after =) If it was like the good ol days and we could pick up and travel to every show, then fine, but most of us are sedentary with mortgages, families, jobs, bills, health issues... all we can do is WHINE! And your hockey team isn't doing too shabby either, Critter. Some people have all the luck...

just remember, we're not old, til we're 90......hope you're well...

but, then again......gettin' old ain't fer sissies!!....heeheeheee

bill playing after futher not with them? i need to start drink ing either more or less

yes, mona, after.....

I think Further (at least as it is currently) is so good that it left me thinking....why not revive the Grateful Dead name and pass it from generation to generation. I have a vision of the legacy of the GD living for generations, with Bob, Phil and friends passing on the music to the new and talented who want to carry it further.