The Old Pharts are still at it and are going back on tour this summer, again with John Mayer in the lead guitar slot. While he couldn't even begin to wear Jerry Garcia's underwear (who could?), his deep blues roots fit in nicely, IMO.
Last year, Dead &Co. made $23.8 million, coming in 6th for tour revenue (they used to own the #1 tour grossing revenue slot for over 20 years running). This is NOT including the 5 Fare Thee Well shows that the "core 4" played (the very last "Grateful Dead" shows). Those 5 shows grossed well over $55 million alone.
Many a Deadhead argues that these guys have gone far too corporate, especially by allowing big company sponsorship, and are in the midst of a money grab. I don't buy that, but who can deny they are making bank.
I actually enjoy the sound... It's obviously way more mellow in comparison to what they were putting out in the 1970's - 1990's, not coming close to the stellar and inner consciousness exploration they used to provide, especially through the explosive mega heartfelt guitar notes of Jerry, but hey, the core three in this band are all around 70 years old now and this latest compilation shows ONCE AGAIN, the timelessness of Grateful Dead music. It's true flowing, poetic, lyrical nature and amalgamated backbone is live and well.
They've got at least 24 shows lined up for this summer, including an opportunity to bring some psychedelia back to the bought out Bonnaroo Festival. Grateful Dead music will once again be introduced to a new crop of neo-neo-neo hippes and wanna-a-be's. A few egg will, yet again, be cracked. I plan to catch a handful on the west coast, photo pass in hand. The only really sad thing for me is a lot of those 20 something hot natural hippy chicks are now chunky, weathered, and 50.
Have no fear though, a new batch of healthy hippy gals are waiting... to be born.
Dead & Company played last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Here is the Youtube playlist from the show (5 songs). There are couple annoying cuts (mostly for commercial break) and Althea (severely cut off) is not produced by the Kimmel show (rather, it's a handheld shot from the audience). For those of you who don't know and have made it this far in my post, the two drummers (Bill Kreutzmann / Mickey Hart) and the guitar player, Bob Weir, are originally members of the Grateful Dead, which started playing in 1965. The bass player is Oteil Burbridge, who had a long stint as the Allman Brother's bass player.
Last year, Dead &Co. made $23.8 million, coming in 6th for tour revenue (they used to own the #1 tour grossing revenue slot for over 20 years running). This is NOT including the 5 Fare Thee Well shows that the "core 4" played (the very last "Grateful Dead" shows). Those 5 shows grossed well over $55 million alone.
Many a Deadhead argues that these guys have gone far too corporate, especially by allowing big company sponsorship, and are in the midst of a money grab. I don't buy that, but who can deny they are making bank.
I actually enjoy the sound... It's obviously way more mellow in comparison to what they were putting out in the 1970's - 1990's, not coming close to the stellar and inner consciousness exploration they used to provide, especially through the explosive mega heartfelt guitar notes of Jerry, but hey, the core three in this band are all around 70 years old now and this latest compilation shows ONCE AGAIN, the timelessness of Grateful Dead music. It's true flowing, poetic, lyrical nature and amalgamated backbone is live and well.
They've got at least 24 shows lined up for this summer, including an opportunity to bring some psychedelia back to the bought out Bonnaroo Festival. Grateful Dead music will once again be introduced to a new crop of neo-neo-neo hippes and wanna-a-be's. A few egg will, yet again, be cracked. I plan to catch a handful on the west coast, photo pass in hand. The only really sad thing for me is a lot of those 20 something hot natural hippy chicks are now chunky, weathered, and 50.
Have no fear though, a new batch of healthy hippy gals are waiting... to be born.Dead & Company played last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Here is the Youtube playlist from the show (5 songs). There are couple annoying cuts (mostly for commercial break) and Althea (severely cut off) is not produced by the Kimmel show (rather, it's a handheld shot from the audience). For those of you who don't know and have made it this far in my post, the two drummers (Bill Kreutzmann / Mickey Hart) and the guitar player, Bob Weir, are originally members of the Grateful Dead, which started playing in 1965. The bass player is Oteil Burbridge, who had a long stint as the Allman Brother's bass player.
