News

Mickey Hart Wins Grammy for Global Drum Project

frogstorm — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:20:55 -0600

Mickey Hart and his compatriots in the Global Drum Project have won the Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album category for their mesmerizing self-titled CD. Mickey's percussion partners on that fine disc are Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalgo and Sikiru Adepoju. Mickey and Zakir produced the album at Mickey's Studio X in Sonoma County; engineers included Jonah Sharp, Graham Shrimpton, Richard Fisher, John Paul McLean and Robert Gateley. Mickey, Zakir and Tom Flye mixed it. Mastering was by John Cuniberti at The Plant in Sausalito. If you haven't already checked out this extraordinary work, now's the time!

Mickey previously took home a Grammy in 1991 for his Planet Drum album, which featured the master musicians mentioned above, and many others.

Thinkin’ About Merl Saunders

frogstorm — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:49:06 -0500

The Dead Family lost another one of its finest when keyboardist extraordinaire Merl Saunders died on Friday, October 24, at the age of 74. Although a stroke more than six years ago effectively ended his musical career (and left him unable to speak), his radiant smile still lit up every room he entered, and every gig by one of his many musical friends he attended. I’ll never forget the big “Comes A Time” concert at the Greek Theater a few years ago where he shared a piano bench with Melvin Seals (from the latter day Garcia Band) and, beaming every second under his trademark leather cap, managed to play a few notes with his working arm… No doubt about it, this cat had the music in him!

Of course Merl will forever be associated with Jerry Garcia—it was a great partnership that produced an incredible variety of music in many different groups and situations through the years, but began at a little nightclub in the Fillmore district of San Francisco called the Matrix. You’ll forgive me if I lift/adapt a discussion of that early group and of Merl’s background from the un-cut version of my biography of Jerry, called Garcia, published in 1999, and based in part on hours of interviews with Merl:

[Jerry and Merl hooking up together musically] was an outgrowth of the Monday night jams with [keyboardist] Howard Wales — somewhere along the line, Wales dropped out, and his spot was filled by Saunders. Garcia still played gigs with Wales from time to time, and he helped Wales make a record called Hooteroll?, which came out in late 1971, but once the quartet of Garcia, Saunders, John Kahn and [drummer] Bill Vitt got together, that group became Garcia's main musical focus outside of the Dead.

Saunders was several years older than the other guys in the quartet and was already a journeyman musician by the time he hooked up with Garcia. Like so many African American keyboardists of his time, Merl grew up playing music in the church; in his case a Methodist church at Geary and Webster in San Francisco, “though I also used to sneak over to another church where the holy rollers were,” he added conspiratorially. As a teen, he and his family lived in a large house in Haight-Ashbury — in fact, Merl says that during the Summer of Love era, long after he'd moved out, his mother would sometimes call the police to complain about the noise being made by local hippie bands; and his father, who worked as a doorman at 2090 Pacific, actually knew Garcia before Merl did!

As a teenager, Merl soaked up all the music he could — jazz, blues, R&B — and spent nearly every waking hour practicing the piano. “The thing about growing up in music during my generation is you had to learn how to play everything,” he said. “I listened to Stan Kenton, B.B. King, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, down to Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Ivory Joe Hunter and Louis Jordan, who doesn't get the credit, but he was the first rapper. Slim Gaillard — he came to my high school and played piano with his hands backwards; I thought he was amazing. I used to love Saunders King — my name is actually Sanders, but I changed it because I liked the sound of Saunders King. My mom and dad used to take me to this supper club and I'd hear Saunders King at 10 or 11 o’ clock in the morning, back when Fillmore Street was like 125th Street in New York. I used to see Dinah Washington there in the afternoons. People like Duke Ellington and Harry James would play at the Warfield or the Golden Gate Theater, and then later I started going to the jazz clubs — Basin Street West, the El Matador, the Jazz Workshop, the Blackhawk. I saw some of the greatest musicians in the world in those places, and it made quite an impression on me.”

Then, “when I was in Paris in the service, I heard Jimmy Smith, which really got me interested in the organ. Later on, he and I became friends and he showed me the fundamentals of playing organ.” Saunders was also influenced by Hammond B-3 masters like Jimmy McGriff and “Brother” Jack McDuff. Merl spent several years on the road playing in an organ trio, eventually settling in New York City, where he did session work and played on commercials. He also had a stint conducting a band at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas before he moved back to the Bay Area. There, he hooked up with Michael Bloomfield, and through him met Kahn, Vitt and Garcia. Their first work together was at Wally Heider's on an album by a singer named Danny Cox.

“The chemistry between us was instant,” Merl noted. “I'd hear Jerry playing and the music was going one way and I'd hear him sort of drifting off in this other much cooler direction, so I'd be right there with him, and we'd sort of smile at each other, like, 'Hey, this is happenin'. If there's two people going one way, even if it's not the regular way, then there's no mistake. And John Kahn was following along with us, too.”

In Saunders' memory, his first couple of Matrix gigs with Garcia and Vitt were without John Kahn and very loose. But once the quartet started playing together regularly at the Keystone Korner and the New Monk in Berkeley (later renamed the Keystone Berkeley), the music began to go in all sorts of interesting directions. Whereas the gig with Howard Wales was almost completely free-form and all instrumental, the quartet with Merl jammed out on some of his own funk-oriented original songs, Motown and R&B tunes (usually sung by Garcia), and jazz standards, which were something new for Garcia.

“That required a whole lot of quick education for me, and Merl was responsible for that,” Garcia said. “He really helped me improve myself on a level of harmonic understanding. Playing with him required a whole different style from three-chord rock 'n' roll or even 10-chord rock 'n' roll; it was a whole different thing. But what I was able to bring to that situation was the ability to use odd-length runs in conventional formats. I was able to use ideas that were rhythmically uneven because of working in odd time signatures so much with the Dead.”

Garcia said that working with Merl also taught him a great deal about musical structure: “He filled me in on all those years of things I didn't do. I'd never played any standards; I'd never played in dance bands. I never had any approach to the world of regular, straight music. He knows all the standards, and he taught me how bebop works. He taught me music. Between the combination of Howard and Merl, that's where I really learned music. Before it was sort of, ‘OK, where do I plug in?’ I picked up the adult version of a music attitude from those guys."

Merl says that Garcia was an eager and gifted pupil with an insatiable desire to learn new things, whether it was working off a relatively easy tune like “My Funny Valentine” or some incredibly complex number by the supremely gifted pianist Art Tatum, who became one of Garcia's favorite musicians. “I saw Art Tatum play when I was about 15 years old and I got so disgusted I stopped playing piano,” Saunders said with a laugh. “I thought, 'What's the point?' He was so amazing you could never hope to be that good in your wildest dreams. I was hurt; I was crushed. But he was a genius, and of course I came to appreciate him more, and I actually studied him a bit. I managed to learn a few of his runs and I'd be there warming up on this stuff and Garcia would be saying, ‘Hey man, what's that run?’ ‘That's Art Tatum.’ And we'd go over them together. Then we'd be out at the Keystone in the middle of a song and all of a sudden I'd hear him doing an Art Tatum run, and I'd look over and he'd have this big smile on his face! Man, when Jerry would get on something, he'd keep going with it until he got it. He'd stumble through it at first, but he understood music so well and he had such a good memory that he could eventually get almost anything he tried down. And getting down Art Tatum is not easy — on piano or guitar.”

Merl added a couple of organ overdubs to the Dead’s live “Skull & Roses” album and Garcia played on two of Merl’s early ’70s solo albums on the Fantasy label , Heavy Turbulence and Fire Up (since condensed to a fine single-CD). The mid-1973 version of what was usually called the Saunders-Garcia Band (but actually had no formal name; we all just called it “Jerry and Merl”) was documented beautifully on the live double-album Live At Keystone (released later, with bonus tracks, as three separate CDs). In early 1974, saxophonist Martin Fierro (who also passed away within the last year) joined the group and brought in an even greater emphasis on jazz and Latin flavors. With the addition of drummer Ron Tutt, the band became known for a period as the Legion of Mary. Those groups—without and with Tutt—are captured on the Pure Jerry series release Keystone Berkeley September 1, 1974 and Rhino’s The Jerry Garcia Collection Vol. 1: Legion of Mary. Listening to all those CDs you can hear the full range of Merl’s keyboard genius, from beefy B-3 lines, to funky clavinet, soaring synth and shimmering electric piano. Merl also wrote many fine tunes for the group, including “Soul Roach,” “Keepers,” “Wondering Why,” “Manchild” “Save Mother Earth,” and others.

Jerry and Merl (and John Kahn) next played together in Reconstruction (January through September 1979), the jazzy, horn-fueled band that also featured saxophonist Ron Stallings, trombonist Ed Neumeister and drummer Gaylord Birch; a totally different-sounding aggregation with a repertoire that had very little carryover from Jerry’s (or Merl’s) previous groups. “The approach was to play jazz and rock together but still be danceable,” Merl told me. “It was a great band for a while. Jerry liked that it gave him a totally new structure to work with, with these great horn players and a different set of tunes. These were really excellent musicians. And because they came from outside the Grateful Dead world, they related to Jerry as just another player, not a ‘star.’ I remember after one of our first gigs, Gaylord Birch, who had this long history playing with the Pointer Sisters and Edwin Hawkins and all these other groups, but didn't know about the Dead or Dead Heads, came up to me and said, ‘What was happening up there? What was that roar I heard coming up to the stage?’ And I said, ‘Oh, that was when Jerry moved his leg!’” he laughed.

It would be a number of years before they would once again collaborate on a musical project together, but when they did it was an interesting one: Merl became the musical director of the 1985 TV series The Twilight Zone, and he brought in the Grateful Dead to re-work the famous theme, and both Garcia and Mickey Hart also contributed quite a bit of incidental music and effects to different episodes, under Merl’s direction.

A year later, though, something happened that really brought the depth of their friendship into focus: When Jerry nearly died in the summer of 1986 after slipping into a diabetic coma, it was Merl more than anyone else, who literally sat by Jerry’s side and helped him regain his musical gifts—which had become scrambled and elusive following the coma—by patiently re-teaching him the fundamentals, rebuilding his skills a little at a time. And even before he was ready to attempt to play, Merl helped him get some of his strength back: “I'd take him for a walk. We'd take 10 steps, then take 10 steps back. His attitude was great. He wanted to get better, but he was scared, too. He got tired very easily, but he never really got discouraged. The most he'd say would be, ‘Oh man, this is harder than it looks!’”

Once Garcia picked up a guitar, “It came back very slowly,” Merl said. “He had to learn chords all over again and he had a lot of trouble remembering how to do even the simplest stuff. And I didn't want to push him. ‘Man, I'm tired.’ He'd been playing for five minutes. ‘OK, that's fine. Put it down. Let's go for a walk.’ And we'd do that for a few minutes until he'd get tired. We'd talk about music. I'd tell him about songs I was working on and that would get his mind going. We'd talk in musical terms. And slowly he started to get his strength back. But it sometimes took an hour or two for him to get even a simple chord down. Then, as we got farther into it, some things started to come back to him a little, but it took a lot of work. The first song he wanted to learn again was ‘My Funny Valentine.’”

The last major project Merl and Jerry worked on was Merl’s wonderful instrumental album, Blues from the Rainforest in 1990, which Merl dubbed “an enivonmental new age musical suite.” What started out as a duo concept to feature just Merl and percussionist Muruga Booker, was soon expanded to include Garcia and others. “When I wrote [the title song] I also heard a part for Jerry in my head,” Merl told me in a 1990 interview for The Golden Road. “So after I had about half the album done, I sent him a rough sketch of what we were doing and, man, he couldn’t wait to come down and work on it…It’d been 15 years since we worked on album together." Besides being on the title track, Jerry is also prominent on the beautiful “Blue Hill Ocean Dance” which Merl said “became a sort of odyssey under water. Jerry did his MIDI guitar with a flute sound, and it sounds like both of us are just scooting along the bottom of the ocean!”

Aside from his work with Jerry through the years, Merl always kept busy playing music—touring with various bands (such as The Rainforest Band, which he formed after the success of Blues from the Rainforest) and playing sessions with a wide variety of folks through the years, including Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Tom Fogerty (who was a member of the Saunders-Garcia Band for a while), Robert Hunter, The Dinosaurs, Jerry Miller, Norton Buffalo and others. He led the big jam at the Haight Street Fair for a quarter century, and he was also known to play beautiful solo piano in small clubs and hotels; he could truly do it all!

There’s SO much we’ll miss about Merl, but mostly it’s the joy and spirit he brought to everything he did. He was truly one-of-a-kind!

Rare Tracks on Anniversary of Return from Egypt

frogstorm — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:13:07 -0500

In September, 1978, musical worlds collided when renowned Egyptian oud player Hamza El Din, along with the Nubian Youth Choir, joined the Grateful Dead onstage during all three concerts they performed at the foot of the Pyramids of Egypt. The collaboration resulted in the hypnotic, polyrhythmic tune “Ollin Arageed,” written by Hamza himself. It was a true meeting of two completely divergent, yet totally complementary, musical styles. After the Egypt concerts, the Dead returned to America as triumphant, world-travelling heroes, and at the final two of their five night return engagement at Winterland, Hamza joined the band onstage to introduce the song to the American masses. Over the next seven years, Hamza would perform “Ollin Arageed” with the Grateful Dead live four more times, with the final collaboration in March, 1985.

Fast forward to 2004. We were searching through the vault for bonus material to feature on the reissue of “Shakedown Street” to be included in the Beyond Description boxed set, when we came across a studio session reel with a remarkable item at the end of it. It was a rehearsal recorded on August 11, 1978 at the Grateful Dead's Front Street studio, featuring Hamza on oud, Mickey Hart on the tar, and Jerry Garcia on acoustic guitar. They were working out the arrangement for Ollin Arageed. In addition to a good, short version of the tune, they also proceeded to play an interesting, Middle Eastern-inspired song. And now, for the first time, those recordings are available to Dead Heads. It is truly our pleasure to be able to share these two studio rehearsal tracks with you in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the “From Egypt With Love” concerts.

Listen to all the tracks

Track 1

Track 2

RatDog, Phil Lesh & Friends to Welcome 2009 in San Francisco

frogstorm — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:15:15 -0500

Bob Weir & RatDog & Phil Lesh & Friends to Co-Headline each night.
Jackie Greene to support each night.

Dates: December 30 & 31, 2008
Venue: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
City/St: San Francisco, CA
Doors: 5:00 PM
Showtime: 6:00 PM

Pre-sales through GDTS Too and Musictoday shall start accepting postmarks for GDTS Too and be initialized for internet sales via Musictoday, starting on Thursday, October 16. Musictoday to start at Noon EST. Pre-sales for GDTS and Musictoday shall conclude on Friday, October 31 at 6:00 PM EST.

Here are the links:

http://www.bobweirandratdog.tickets.musictoday.com

http://www.philtickets.musictoday.com

http://www.gdtstoo.com/GDTSTOONewYearsEve0809.html

Public OnSale is Sunday, November 2 at 10:00 AM PST.

Obama Event "Change Rocks" - Final Ticket Release

frogstorm — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:05:30 -0500

With regards to the Change Rocks event at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA this Monday, October 13, please note the campaign has released a limited amount of tickets this morning which have been placed back into the system for sale to the General Public. Please go to www.ticketmaster.com for further details.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHO: Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Marc Quinones, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti

WHAT: Concert Fundraiser

WHERE: Bryce Jordan Center, Pennsylvania State University State College, PA

WHEN: Monday, October 13, 2008 - Doors Open 5:30 PM EDT

Latest Tour News & Reviews

Jonathan Lane — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:51:12 -0500

Dead.net brings you the latest press from each stop on the tour. Click the links below to read the reviews. (newest items appear at the top)

Get Back To The Gorge

Kitsap Sun Interview With Mickey

Shakin' It At Shoreline

San Francisco Chronicle Review
JamBase Review
San Jose Mercury News Review
Press Democrat Feature

LA Fadeaway

LiveDaily.com Review
OC Register Review

Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead

Denver Post Feature
Daily Camera Interview With Mickey Hart
Denver Post Review
Denver Backbeat Online
Marquee Magazine Review

Chicago, IL - The Dead's Kind Of Town

Chicago Tribune Feature
Chicago Tribune Review
Daily Herald Review
Lumino Magazine
Kansascity.com Feature
Feelin' The Dead In Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Inquirer Review
Philadelphia Inquirer Feature
Courier Post Online
JamBase Philly Review
Dead Crazy In Hartford, CT
Hartford Advocate Interview With Mickey Hart
Hartford Courant Feature
Hartford Courant Review
Back In The Big Apple - New York, NY
Jambase Jay Blakesburg Madison Square Garden Photos
Jambase Jay Blakesburg Letterman Photos
The Star Ledger Interview With Mickey Hart
New York Post Review
Nassau '09 - Uniondale, NY
Newsday Feature

You've Got The Dead In Wilkes-Barre, PA
Times Leader Feature
Where The Dead Roam - Buffalo, NY
Buffalo News - "Bring Out Your Dead"
Buffalo News Review
'Wicked' in Worcester, MA
Boston Globe Interview With Phil Lesh
Worcester Telegram Interview With Bob Weir

Upstate In Albany, NY
Schenectady Daily Gazette Interview with Bill Kruetzmann
Schenectady Daily Gazette Review
Times Union Review
Shawangunk Journal

Charlottesville, Virginia Is For Dead Lovers
Richmond Times Dispatch Review
Daily Progress Pre-Show
Daily Progress Review
Freelance Star Review

The Dead Go To Washington
"How Barak Obama Resurrected The Dead"
The Dead Visit The White House
The Washington Post Review
Fredicksburg Review

Kick Off In Greensboro, NC
USA Today
RollingStone
News Record Review
Jambase Review
Raleigh Telegram

3 For Free In NYC
LiveDaily Review

Trip Or Freak

ccasal — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:04:51 -0500
DEAD.NET EXCLUSIVE
A little something for Grateful Goblins everywhere—20 Full Minutes of Vault Magic—to get you in to the Halloween Spirit.
10/31/84 Berkeley Community Theatre

The show-closing sequence from the fourth night of a six night run at BCT, that includes Bobby’s altered lyrics for One More Saturday Night to suit the occasion:
Morning Dew>Around and Around>One More Saturday Night, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Click here to listen to the stream.

Everyone, please get out and vote on Tuesday. No matter who you're supporting - the important thing is to cast your vote. Wondering where your polling place is? Click here for a very cool map. So now, no excuses, get out and vote November 4th. Thank you.

List of Past Halloween Shows

Jonathan Lane — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:03:52 -0500

click here to download a free jack-o-lantern template

1966 California Hall in San Francisco
1967 Winterland in San Francisco
1968 The Matrix in San Francisco
1969 San Jose State University
1970 SUNY, Stony Brook, NY
1971 Ohio Theater, Columbus, OH
1979 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
1980 Dead Ahead at Radio City Music Hall
1983 Veterans Memorial Theatre, San Rafael, CA
1984 Berkeley Community Theater
1985 Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
1990 Wembley Arena, London, UK
1991 Oakland Coliseum

CHANGE ROCKS - The Setlist

almanac — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:12:16 -0500

Change Rocks Brings Together Dead, Allmans One Mo' Time

The Dead reunited last night (Monday, October 13) for the first time in four years, thrilling a sold-out crowd of devoted fans when they performed in State College, PA. The “Change Rocks” concert, which also featured the Allman Brothers Band, was held at the 15,000-capacity Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University to raise awareness for Senator Barack Obama and the upcoming November 4 election.

Original Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart were joined throughout the whole show by RatDog's Jeff Chimenti on keyboards and Allman Brothers Band/Gov’t Mule/ex-Phil & Friends and The Dead guitarist Warren Haynes. They tore through a 15-song, two-hour set that included such Dead classics as “U.S. Blues,” “Franklin's Tower,” “Playin' In The Band,” “Dark Star,” “St. Stephen” and “Touch of Grey.” The crowd--a mix of college students, longtime Deadheads and Barack Obama supporters--were on their feet from the first notes of show opener “Truckin,’” through the psychedelic explorations of “Dark Star,” to the end of “Not Fade Away,” the night’s closer.

In a video-taped message shown between sets, Senator Obama told the audience:

“For twenty months, I’ve been traveling this country from town to town-even developing a ‘Touch of Grey’ of my own. And on that journey, I’ve seen Americans who are hurting under the politics and policies of Washington. They need change, and I am running for President to bring about that change.

“On November 4^th, you’ll get to make a choice between two different candidates with two dramatically different visions for our future. You’ll get to choose which direction you want to take our country. I believe that now is the time to put Americans back to work and rebuild our middle class; to live up to the promise of affordable health care for everyone; to guarantee a quality education for all our children; to end our dependence on Middle East oil; and to bring this war in Iraq to a responsible end. We can do all that. And on November 5^th, I hope to announce that we ‘Ain’t Wasting Time No More.’”

The Dead last performed in 2004 on their “Wave That Flag” tour. In February of this year, Hart, Lesh and Weir played a “Deadheads For Obama” show at the Warfield in San Francisco, and last year Weir, Kreutzmann and Hart performed at a post-inauguration for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

CHANGE ROCKS SETLIST
Bryce Jordan Center
Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA
October 13, 2008

Filmed greeting by Senator Barack Obama

Truckin'>
U.S. Blues
Help On The Way>
Slipknot!>
Franklin's Tower
Playing In The Band>
Dark Star
St. Stephen>
Unbroken Chain>
The Other One>
Throwin' Stones>
Playing Reprise

Encore:
Touch of Grey>
Not Fade Away

Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, gtr; Phil Lesh, bs; Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, dms; Jeff Chimenti, kbds.

Phil & Friends Fine Tuning at Sweetwater

frogstorm — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:51:28 -0500

On Sunday (September 26th), Phil Lesh & Friends finished 5 nights of public dress rehearsals at the Sweetwater Station in Larkspur, California. Phil wanted to play in front of a live crowd before kicking off an east coast swing. All 5 shows were sold by word of mouth - and tickets for the venue (capacity 150) were gone in a flash. Lesh was backed by bandmates Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Steve Molitz and John Molo. Barry Sless and Teresa Williams were also in the mix.

The setlists featured Grateful Dead nuggets like "Terrapin Station," "Alabama Getaway," and "West L.A. Fadeaway," along with Lesh's cover of Ryan Adams' "Let it Ride."

Last night (September 30th), Phil & Friends opened a series of east coast shows with the Allman Brothers Band at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

Click here for more tour info.

Global Drum Project: October Tour 2008

frogstorm — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:13:07 -0500

Mickey Hart's three decades as the innovative percussion engine of the Grateful Dead, earned him Rock & Roll Hall of Fame status and worldwide notoriety. Years of constant touring also afforded him a platform for introducing his lifelong interest in multicultural sounds (rooted in childhood exposure to his mother's collection of early Folkways ethnographic recordings) to the American public; he presented on the Dead's performance stage such diverse artists as the great Yoruban drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Brazil's multi-talented Airto Moreira, Sudanese oud master Hamza El Din, and Nigerian talking drum ace Sikiru Adepoju.

Hart’s all-star percussion ensemble Global Drum Project—including Hart, tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, conguero Giovanni Hidalgo, and Sikiru Adepoju on talking drum—will perform in fourteen cities throughout the Northwest, Northern and Southern California, Colorado, the Midwest (including Chicago and Minneapolis), and Houston, Texas. Tour dates include the free “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival” in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and an appearance at UCLA Live at Royce Hall in Los Angeles.

Hart's longtime friend and collaborator Zakir Hussain is one of the world's giants of Indian classical music, a virtuoso percussionist globally acknowledged as the master of his art. Son of the fabled Ustad Allah Rakha, he made his debut with Ravi Shankar in 1970, and has recorded with George Harrison, Tito Puente, Van Morrison, Pharoah Saunders and many more - and co-founded fusion supergroup Shakti with guitarist John McLaughlin. His prolific career is studded with awards and honors, including being the youngest musician ever to be awarded the title of Padma Shri by the government of India.

The groundbreaking 1991 Planet Drum united Hart, Hussain, Olatunji, Adepoju, Moreira, Puerto Rican master conguero Giovanni Hidalgo and others in a sparkling fusion of global percussion, winning the first-ever Grammy for World Music - and soaring to #1 on Billboard's world music chart, where it stayed for an unprecedented 26 weeks.

Last year Global Drum Project once again found the all-stars collaborating in a collection of tranced-out, mesmerizing grooves and elegant electronic programming on a self-titled album. Recording performers include Planet Drum alumni Giovanni Hidalgo on Latin percussion and Sikiru Adepoju on talking drum, as well as Taufiq Qureshi on percussion and vocals, Niladari Kumar on sitar, Dilshad Khan on sarangi. The late Babatunde Olatunji is heard as well, in sampled "guest" vocals.

Coinciding with this release, previously unavailable reissues of essential Mickey Hart back-catalog -- Diga Rhythm Band, At The Edge, Planet Drum, Mystery Box, and Supralingua -- are available via the iTunes Music Store and in physical retail outlets worldwide.

Click for the tour schedule.

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir to Make Rare In-Store Appearance

frogstorm — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:25:19 -0500

GRATEFUL DEAD FOUNDING MEMBERS PHIL LESH AND BOB WEIR
TO MAKE RARE IN-STORE APPEARANCE AND SIGNING

Lesh And Weir To Sign Copies Of Historic New Grateful Dead Release
Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978
At Midtown Manhattan Best Buy On October 14

LOS ANGELES – Grateful Dead founding members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will make a rare in-store appearance and signing to celebrate the historic release of Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978. The 2-CD/1-DVD Egypt collection features previously unreleased audio and video highlights from the band’s legendary performances at the foot of The Great Pyramid in Gizah. The set will be released on September 30 from Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino. Lesh and Weir will be signing copies of the release at the Best Buy in midtown Manhattan at 5th Avenue and East 44th Street on October 14 starting at 7:00 PM. The first 400 people to purchase Rocking The Cradle at this Best Buy location on Tuesday, September 30th will receive a wristband entitling them access to meet Lesh and Weir on October 14. Please contact the store for more details at (212) 808-0309.

Rock Legends to Play Obama Fundraiser

frogstorm — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:15:35 -0500

The Pennsylvania Campaign for Change has just announced a Monday, October 13 concert fundraiser to benefit Obama for America featuring many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and other American music icons. Additionally, the show will be a very large voter outreach opportunity for the Pennsylvania Obama campaign, which has already built the largest volunteer-based campaign in Pennsylvania’s history. The campaign has more than 70 field offices and thousands of volunteers preparing for an unprecedented Get Out the Vote operation. There are now more than 1 million more Democrats in the state than Republicans, an increase of 500,000 since 2004.

Tickets will be available at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 19, and are $50 for the general public and $30 for University Park students with a Pennsylvania State University ID. More ticket information is available online at:

http://www.barackobama.com/psu

EVENT DETAILS:

WHO: Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Marc Quinones, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti

WHAT: Concert Fundraiser

WHERE: Bryce Jordan Center, Pennsylvania State University State College, PA

WHEN: Monday, October 13, 2008 - Doors Open 5:30 PM EDT

Mickey Hart Provides Back Beat For Las Vegas Spectacular

frogstorm — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:53:59 -0500

PRESS RELEASE:

LAS VEGAS – The Mirage has announced details of a dynamic redesign to its signature Volcano. Known the world over for its iconic Strip-front feature, The Mirage has joined forces with legendary Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, Indian tabla sensation Zakir Hussain and Fountains of Bellagio design firm WET, to create an all-new audio/visual spectacle. The top-to-bottom overhaul is the final step in the property’s ongoing transformation and is scheduled for completion late 2008.

The Mirage set a new standard for innovative Strip-front attractions when The Volcano first erupted in 1989. Raising the bar once again, The Mirage has enlisted the Grammy Award-winning talents of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Mickey Hart and Indian musical virtuoso Zakir Hussain to create and perform a one-of-a-kind soundtrack arranged exclusively for the iconic blast.

“To put percussive sound to the image of fire and have it dance around a lagoon is something I’ve never done; I’ve never birthed a volcano,” said Hart. “Zakir and I immersed ourselves in the legends and myths and studied what really makes a volcano work. The result, a true union of the senses, will rattle your bones, just like a real volcano.”

Tasked with bringing the latest innovations to the project, WET will forge a primal volcanic environment of sound, light, music and heat. WET’s choreographed FireShooters™ - which send massive fireballs more than 12 feet into the air - were designed specifically for The Mirage using the latest developments in flame-expression technology. The FireShooters™ will punctuate the performances with eruptions of fiery “lava” that will flow down the mountain’s fissures in a series of lively flames. As the eruption ignites the surrounding lagoon, the FireShooters™ will bring Las Vegas’ signature blast within feet of spectators.

Further enhancing the overall experience, The Volcano will feature a new Meyer Sound state-of-the-art sound system. An award-winning industry innovator, Meyer Sound is widely recognized for providing the gold standard in audio systems, as heard in theaters throughout the world, including The Mirage’s own LOVE Theater. With more than 60 Meyer Sound cabinets strategically placed throughout the lagoon, Hart and Hussain’s invigorating composition will immerse guests in the volcanic rhythm.

The new Volcano is the crowning jewel of a transformation project that began at the property in 2006. During the past three years, The Mirage has introduced new amenities including The Beatles’ LOVE™ by Cirque du Soleil, nightlife outposts JET Nightclub and The Beatles Revolution Lounge; the luxury adult pool BARE, and restaurants created by the world’s most acclaimed restaurateurs and designers.

A recent $110 million room and suite redesign has further enhanced The Mirage’s leading-edge position. Striking new decor and dynamic designs offer guests a comfortable home away from home. From luxury amenities to modern furnishings, the resort’s 2,765 Deluxe and Tower Deluxe accommodations reflect an ambiance of contemporary upscale living, perfectly complementing the energy and excitement of the new Mirage.

“The Mirage and our fiery Volcano have long been symbols of the energy and excitement Las Vegas offers,” said Scott Sibella, President and COO of The Mirage. “We recognize that to remain at the forefront of this dynamic destination, The Mirage must deliver trendsetting attractions that excite and entertain, giving our guests a reason to visit again and again.”

To discover more about the Volcano, see images and learn about the work in progress, and view interviews with the creators behind the magic, go to mirage.com. There, visitors also may enter The Mirage Volcano Memories Contest and win a trip to The Mirage to see the new Volcano erupt later this year.

Americana Music Association Honors Jerry Garcia

frogstorm — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:37:08 -0500

The Americana Music Association will celebrate the legacy of the Grateful Dead at this week’s ninth annual conference and music festival in Nashville. At Thursday night’s Honors & Awards at the Ryman Auditorium, Jerry Garcia will be named the recipient of the 2008 AMA President’s Award, a posthumous lifetime achievement recognition for innovation in American roots music. Following the awards, the AMA and Relix magazine co-host a huge tribute show with San Francisco’s The Waybacks and The American Beauty Project, featuring Ollabelle, Jim Lauderdale, Larry Campbell, Buddy Miller and several surprise guests.

AMA President Jessie Scott of Sirius XM Satellite Radio selected Garcia for this year’s award based on his many contributions to Americana music, as part of the Grateful Dead and as a collaborator in acoustic music. “Jerry Garcia championed the roots,” Scott says. “From the Americana infused Dead albums to his collaborations with David Grisman, his love for the archetypes of American music shines through.”

Relix magazine will sponsor the musical tribute to the Dead beginning at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 at the Cannery Ballroom, immediately following the Americana Honors & Awards. The Waybacks will kick off the evening. This Bay Area quartet has enjoyed fruitful on-stage collaborations with Dead founder Bob Weir over the last couple of years, and they’ll bring that spirit, and a very special guest, to their acoustic/electric music rooted in country and blues.

Next up, the American Beauty Project is a collective of remarkable artists who have gathered on several occasions to cover the historic albums the Grateful Dead released in 1970: American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. They’ve earned praise in the New York Times, Variety and Relix magazine as a true re-imagining of groundbreaking songs that were meant to be interpreted and shared. The musicians include the passionate folk group Ollabelle, legendary multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, star Nashville songwriter Jim Lauderdale and delicious singers Catherine Russell and Teresa Williams. Awards show band leader and Americana superstar Buddy Miller will be there, plus special guests you won’t want to miss.

Slated for September 17-20, 2008, the 9th Annual Americana Festival and Conference will offer seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center by day, while each evening brings stacked Americana showcases. Legend Levon Helm will officially jumpstart the festivities Wednesday, September 17 with his Ramble at the Ryman, and the capstone of the festival will take the form of the annual Americana Music Association Honors and Awards, scheduled for September 18 at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Conference registrations cost $450 (Members) and $550 (non Members) and can be purchased at the Americana Registration Desk in the Nashville Convention Center starting on Wednesday September 17 at 3PM.

Tickets are now available for the Levon Helm Ramble at the Ryman and the Americana Honors & Awards show at Ticketmaster and the Ryman box office for $65 or $45 and $45, respectively.

For the latest additions to showcase lineups, ticket purchasing and more information about the Americana Music Festival and Conference, please visit http://www.americanamusic.org/.

About the Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a professional trade organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music and to promote public awareness of the genre to support the creative and economic viability of professionals in this field. Dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in that industry, the Americana Music Association works closely with artists, labels, radio stations, retailers, print media, festivals, agents, publishers and more to help organize and build the infrastructure necessary for the Americana genre to achieve success both creatively and financially.

Mark Karan Interview Videos at MoBoogie.net

almanac — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:02:30 -0500

As RatDog finished its summer tour at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, MoBoogie.net caught up with Mark Karan for an interview on a variety of topics, from Mark's life-changing battle with cancer to the evolution of RatDog.

To view the two-part interview, click on the links below.

PART ONE

PART TWO

The Dead Rock the Cradle of Civilization

Analise Dubner — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:31:04 -0500

2-CD/1-DVD Collection Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 Celebrates The 30th Anniversary of the Band’s Historic Concerts at Giza With Previously Unreleased Audio and Video

Fans Who Pre-Order on Dead.net Will Receive an Exclusive Bonus Disc Containing Additional Egypt Performances.

Available September 30 from Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino

In the fall of 1978, author and counterculture icon Ken Kesey reported to a close friend that he had recently witnessed “the latest Rocking of the Cradle of Civilization.” The course of events that he went on to recall was the Grateful Dead’s assorted family, friends and fellow Pranksters—“Pyramidiots” of various origins—descent upon Egypt’s Nile Valley that culminated in three legendary concerts performed at the foot of the Great Pyramid in Giza. Although perhaps unintentionally, the entire adventure might have been easily seen, as Kesey did, as one very special contribution to the then-critical Middle Eastern peace effort. To commemorate the 30-year anniversary of this cosmic convergence of sound and sphinx, Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino will release ROCKING THE CRADLE: EGYPT 1978, a collection of highlights from this historic three-night stand. The 2-CD/1-DVD set will be available September 30 at regular retail outlets and www.dead.net for a suggested list price of $34.98. Fans who pre-order the set from Dead.net will receive an exclusive eight-song bonus disc that includes additional unreleased performances from the Egypt run. A digital version that includes all the CD content will also be also available.

Recorded September 15-16, 1978 at the Gizah Sound and Light Theater, the original 24-track recordings have been mixed and mastered for this set in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman for optimal sound quality. The two CDs contain 18 tracks featuring more than two and a half hours of music. Except for three performances that appeared on 2004’s Beyond Description boxed set, the tracks on ROCKING THE CRADLE have never been released. The accompanying DVD features more than 100 minutes of footage, including 13 songs from the third and final Egypt show, which took place during a rare lunar eclipse.It is misxed in 5.1 surround sound and presented in DTS surround and PCM stereo sound. Legendary promoter Bill Graham called this show “one of the great experiences of my life.” The DVD also includes a featurette titled “The Vacation Tapes” which catches never-before-seen candid band footage from the trip. The set comes in pyramid-inspired packaging and features rare photos from the trip and liner notes by longtime Dead associate Alan Trist, who was pivotal in making the trek to Egypt happen.

Trist recalls that “the Dead long dreamed of playing at the foot of the Great Pyramid.” However, pulling off this dream proved to be a monumental task as no other American band had ever performed there. The band spent months planning and making arrangements with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The band agreed to pay all of its own expenses for the trip and donated all of the proceeds from ticket sales to several Egyptian charities, as well as the Department of Antiquities, which preserves the country’s ancient treasures. Another major challenge was the minimal amount of power available at Gizah, which required the band to bring in an enormous generator to power its state-of-the-art sound and recording equipment. In the end, the massive effort paid off. The shows were spectacular successes, attracting a mix of world cultures including American Dead Heads and European fans as well as curious Egyptians and Bedouins on camels drawn by the unusual spectacle.

Unbeknownst to the band at the time, these shows would soon have a remarkable historical context. On September 17, the day after the last show, the Camp David Peace Accords were signed after nearly two weeks of secret negotiations. The Accords lead to the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, which made Egypt the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel and ended a near 30-year state of war between the two countries. One has to wonder if the Dead’s message of peace and love might have had some sort of impact on the negotiations.

ROCKING THE CRADLE features Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Donna Jean Godchaux (vocals), Keith Godchaux (keyboards), Mickey Hart (drums), Bill Kreutzmann (drums), Phil Lesh (electric bass, vocals), and Bob Weir (rhythm guitar, vocals). These performances took place just a few months before the band released Shakedown Street, its tenth studio album. The shows featured performances of several songs from the upcoming album, including the title track, “I Need A Miracle,” “Fire On The Mountain,” and an updated take on the blues standard, “Stagger Lee.” The band also peppered its Egyptian setlists with classics like “Deal,” “Truckin’” and “Stella Blue.”

ROCKING THE CRADLE: EGYPT 1978

Track Listing

Disc 1

1.     “Jack Straw”

2.     “Row Jimmy”

3.     “New, New Minglewood Blues”

4.     “Candyman”

5.     “Looks Like Rain”

6.     “Stagger Lee”

7.     “I Need A Miracle”

8.     “It’s All Over Now”

9.     “Deal”

Disc 2

1.     “Ollin Arageed”

2.     “Fire On The Mountain”

3.     “Iko Iko”

4.     “Shakedown Street”

5.     “Drums”

6.     “Space”

7.     “Truckin’”

8.     “Stella Blue”

9.     “Around And Around”

DVD

Track Listing

1.“Bertha”

2.     “Good Lovin’”

3.     “Row Jimmy”

4.     “New, Minglewood Blues”

5.     “Candyman”

6.     “Looks Like Rain”

7.     “Deal”

8.     “Ollin Arageed”

9.     “Fire On The Mountain”

10. “Iko Iko”

11. “I Need A Miracle”

12. “It’s All Over Now”

13. “Truckin’”

Featurette: “The Vacation Tapes”

Dead.net Exclusive Bonus CD

1.     “Bertha”

2.     “Good Lovin’”

3.     “El Paso”

4.     “Ramble On Rose”

5.     “Estimated Prophet”

6.     “Eyes Of The World”

7.     “Terrapin Station”

8.     “Sugar Magnolia”

Celebrity Guest DJ Series to Launch on Sirius Satellite Radio's Exclusive Grateful Dead Channel

ccasal — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:56:30 -0500

Jimmy Buffett to host first show for the new series

NEW YORK–June 30, 2008– SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that SIRIUS’ Grateful Dead channel will launch a new weekly series of celebrity-hosted shows. The full-hour show will be hosted by various music icons, including Jimmy Buffett, Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule and others.

Jimmy Buffett, who has his own SIRIUS channel, Radio Margaritaville channel 31, will host the first show in the series on Monday, June 30. Buffett will tell stories of his experiences with The Grateful Dead and introduce his favorite songs by the band.

The special celebrity-hosted shows will air on Mondays at 9:00 pm ET. The shows will be rebroadcast on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm ET, Wednesdays at 9:00 am ET, Fridays at 1:00 am ET, Saturdays at 8:00 pm ET and Sundays at 10:00 am ET.

The Grateful Dead Channel which launched exclusively on SIRIUS Satellite Radio last year, features music spanning the band’s career with unreleased concert recordings and original shows hosted by band members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann. The channel also features rare archival interviews with Jerry Garcia and contributions from Grateful Dead experts David Gans and Dead archivist David Lemieux.

For more information, visit www.sirius.com/gratefuldead.

On the next "Tales From The Golden Road" - Celebrating "American Beauty"

almanac — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:36:58 -0500

On Sunday, June 29, "Tales From The Golden Road" on Sirius Satellite Radio's Grateful Dead Channel will focus on one of the Grateful Dead's best-loved records, 1970's "American Beauty."

We'll talk to special guests who were involved in the making of this landmark album, feature archival excerpts from interviews with band members and play some tracks from the record itself, choice live performances and beautiful interpretations of some of the songs by other artists.

As always, listeners are invited to join the conversation by calling 1-888-89-SIRIUS

"Tales From The Golden Road" airs every Sunday from 4 to 6 pm ET on the Grateful Dead Channel, Sirius 32. The program is rebroadcast Monday at 9am ET and Tuesday at 5pm ET.

Additionally, there will be encore broadcasts of the "American Beauty" episode beginning Sunday, July 6, as part of the Grateful Dead Channel's 4th of July Weekend celebration.

Baltimore Symphony to Perform World Premiere of Lee Johnson’s “Dead Symphony” August 1st

Analise Dubner — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:53:04 -0500

Last year composer Lee Johnson released the premiere recording of his acclaimed “Dead Symphony,” an orchestral tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead performed by the Russian National Orchestra and conducted by the composer. dead.net’s Blair Jackson described the Symphony as “a work of great passion, depth, subtlety and imagination” (for Blair’s full aricle on the Dead Symphony and its composer, go here).

Now, more than a year after its recorded debut, Lee Johnson’s bold transfiguration of some of the best known and loved Grateful Dead melodies in an orchestral setting is about to receive its world premiere in concert (and we all know that the Dead’s music is best heard live), when it is performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on August 1^st (Jerry Garcia’s 66^th birthday). For this one-night-only event, the lobby of Baltimore’s Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall will be transformed into a gallery of Grateful Dead and other countercultural art and artifacts, including rare images by Fillmore East photographer (and Baltimore native) Amalie R. Rothschild, which will be auctioned at the performance and online to benefit the Baltimore Symphony.

For tickets and detailed information, visit the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra website.

Legendary Artist Alton Kelley Passed Away

ccasal — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:12:52 -0500

ALTON KELLEY
1940 - 2008

Legendary artist Alton Kelley created a graphic style that rocked the world beginning in the psychedelic Sixties. His concert posters, logo designs, LP album covers, and fine art have forevermore defined that time. Kelley, born June 17, 1940, passed away peacefully at home June 1st of complications from a long illness.

He is survived by the true love of his life, Marguerite Trousdale Kelley. He also leaves his mother Annie, sister Kathy, and beloved children Patty, Yossarian, and China, and beautiful grandchildren Life and Lacoda.

Through his mind-expanding creativity and over several decades, Kelley gave rock music new colors, shapes, and themes expressing the optimism and enthusiasm of young people around the globe. His graphics defined youth culture as much as the music itself-in effect his art was a break-through collaboration with musicians and bands such as the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. As Joel Selvin, rock critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, put it, “Kelley and Mouse drew the first face on rock music.”

Kelley and his life-long collaborator Stanley Mouse are best known for their posters for “San Francisco style” dance-concerts at the Fillmore Auditorium, Winterland Arena, the Fillmore West, the Avalon Ballroom, and a host of other Bay Area theaters and amphitheaters. They also created world-renowned posters and album covers for the Grateful Dead, Journey, Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and others.

The two artists historically worked as a team, in their words “riffing off each other's giggle.” They joyfully appropriated from historic sources, in one instance re-working an obscure nineteenth-century etching to create their iconic Grateful Dead “skeleton and roses” design. They combined vibrant Sixties color with French poster-making joi de vivre enthusiasm, and their own adapted technique, to generate compelling pieces often issued on a weekly basis, ultimately dazzling millions worldwide. Thus, they changed advertising art forever, as their posters were key examples of what became one of the most important art movements of the latter part of the twentieth century.

When Kelley (a native of Maine) met Mouse (a native of Detroit, MI) in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in late 1965 (the “Haight” was the epicenter of the hippie movement, culminating in the “Summer of Love” in 1967), they instantly recognized they were kindred spirits in what Mouse describes as “one of the juciest scenes of all time.” Their concert posters, commissioned by Fillmore promoter Bill Graham and the Avalon's Family Dog collective, were eagerly snapped up by bands and fans alike.

In the decades since, Mouse and Kelley's classics have established even greater popularity, rivaling the interest long shown by collectors of French turn-of-the-century Belle Epoque art made famous by Toulouse-Lautrec and others.

In his later years, Kelley joyfully turned to illustrating hot rods and custom cars, fine art paintings, and designs for t-shirts and other merchandise.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at the Washington Mutual Western Street branch in Petaluma, CA for a memorial bench in a Sonoma County Park. A memorial event will be announced shortly.

For members of the press: photographs, selected artwork, and video bites are available by contacting Jennifer Gross at 323-658-8700.

On the next "Tales From The Golden Road" - Whatever!

almanac — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:42:56 -0500

On Sunday, May 18, we'll be doing an "anything goes" edition of "Tales From The Golden Road" on Sirius Satellite Radio's Grateful Dead Channel. Unlike on our themed shows up until now, we'll be winging it, talking about whatever comes to mind, with you the listener invited to help direct the conversation.

Tell us about some great shows you've seen lately (or not-so-lately), what you're planning to do this summer, or whatever comes to mind.

Join the free-form fun by calling 1-888-89-SIRIUS

"Tales From The Golden Road" airs every Sunday from 4 to 6 pm ET on the Grateful Dead Channel, Sirius 32. The program is rebroadcast Monday at 9am ET and Tuesday at 5pm ET.

NOTE: We'd be especially happy to hear from you if you've been to any of the shows in what looks a pretty amazing Phil Lesh & Friends run at the Warfield this past week.

"Tales From The Golden Road" Presents A Mother's Day Special

almanac — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:52:36 -0500

"That's right, the women are smarter!"

As the May 11th edition of "Tales From The Golden Road" on Sirius Satellite Radio's Grateful Dead Channel coincides with the observance of Mother's Day, we can't think of a better way to celebrate than with a salute to women in the Grateful Dead world.

We'll be talking to women who have played a central part in the extended Grateful Dead family over the years, including Carolyn (Mountain Girl) Garcia and Donna Jean Godchaux, who had the unique distinction of serving as the only female member of the band.

If you have stories of your life as a woman in the Dead Head world; if you're a mother of Dead Head kids or a kid with a Dead Head mom; or even just a Dead Head whose mom showed extreme patience in putting up with your nomadic pursuit of the band - you're invited to join the discussion by calling 1-888-89-SIRIUS

"Tales From The Golden Road" airs every Sunday from 4 to 6 pm ET on the Grateful Dead Channel, Sirius 32. The program is rebroadcast Monday at 9am ET and Tuesday at 5pm ET.

On the next "Tales From The Golden Road" - The Trips Festival (encore presentation)

almanac — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:48:27 -0500

On Sunday, May 4th, "Tales From The Golden Road" reprises its debut program from this past January. The subject is the Trips Festival, the watershed cultural event held at San Francisco's Longshoremen's Hall over three days in January 1966, which helped put the Bay Area psychedelic rock scene, and especially the Grateful Dead, on the national map.

Hosts David Gans and Gary Lambert speak to filmmaker Eric Christensen, who attended the Trips Festival as a teenager and recently made a fascinating documentary on the subject. Other expert witnesses include Bob Weir and Carolyn (Mountain Girl) Garcia, both of whom where there, and Grateful Dead historian/biographer Dennis McNally.

As this is a rerun, we won't be taking phone calls. But listeners are invited to join the discussion every other Sunday from 4 to 6 pm ET, when "Tales From The Golden Road" is broadcast live on Sirius 32, the Grateful Dead Channel.

Grateful Dead Press Conference

Jonathan Lane — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:54:47 -0500

Grateful Dead Press Conference To Announce Partnership With UC Santa Cruz

The conference is over. We will be putting it up permanently on this page as soon as we get it.

(NOTE: Contrary to rumor, this has nothing to do with any sort of Dead reunion or tour)

Next on "Tales From The Golden Road" -- Amazing Taper Tales!

almanac — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:33:48 -0500

The April 27 edition of "Tales from the Golden Road" is all about TAPING.

You're invited to join the discussion with your own tales by calling 888-89-SIRIUS

"Tales From The Golden Road" airs every Sunday at 4 pm ET on Sirius 32, the Grateful Dead Channel, with repeat broadcasts every Monday at 9 am ET and Tuesday at 5 pm ET.

Bob Weir to Appear On History Channel Special

almanac — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:49:11 -0500

Beginning on Saturday, April 19th, The History Channel wiil be airing the award-winning 2-hour documentary "Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey an exploration of the evolution and social impact of hallucinogenic plants and chemicals from ancient times to the present. Noted anthropologist, ethnobotanist and author Wade Davis recounts the adventures of his legendary mentor, Richard Evans Schultes, whose plant explorations in the Amazon basin in the 1940s led to scientific breakthroughs that helped change the world.

Appearing on the special, along with such expert witnesses as Dr. Andrew Weil and LSD discoverer Dr. Albert Hoffman, will be Bob Weir, who comments on the impact of psychedelics on the culture of the 60s, and their influence on the music of the Grateful Dead. The show's soundtrack features GD music as well, with excerpts of "Dark Star" and "The Eleven" included.

There will be multiple showings of "Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey," commencing Saturday, April 19th at 10 pm, with encore presentations on Sunday, April 20 at 2 am and Saturday, April 26 at 5 pm. (All times Eastern)

A trailer for the documentary can be viewed at www.gryphonproductions.com and at YouTube.

"Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey" is also available on DVD. For ordering information, go here.

Next on "Tales from the Golden Road": Tales of Winterland!

almanac — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:02:20 -0500

On the April 13 edition of Tales from the Golden Road, we'll celebrate the release of Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings by inviting our listeners to tell their stories of going to shows at the legendary ice rink.

Join the conversation by calling 1-888-89-SIRIUS

"Tales From The Golden Road" airs every Sunday from 4 to 6 pm ET on the Grateful Dead Channel, Sirius 32. The program is rebroadcast Mnday at 9am ET and Tuesday at 5pm ET.

"Tales From The Golden Road" Goes Weekly On Sirius

almanac — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:53:09 -0600

When “Tales From The Golden Road,” the new roundtable discussion/audience participation program, debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio’s wildly popular Grateful Dead Channel in January, listener response was immediate and positive — so much so that Sirius quickly decided to turn the monthly show into a weekly one, beginning March 2nd. Every Sunday, hosts David Gans and Gary Lambert will interview guests in the studio and by phone, and take questions and comments from listeners on a wide variety of subjects of interest to the Dead Head community.

Sunday, March 16th will bring a welcome visit from a great musician and an old pal, Mark Karan, who will bring along some of his favorite music, talk about his experiences as a longtime Dead Head who got to play Grateful Dead music with some the guys who created it, his recent triumph over a serious health scare, and his impending return to life on the road with Bob Weir and RatDog.

Listeners are encouraged to join the discussion by calling 888-89-SIRIUS.

Suggestions for future show topics and other comments are also welcome, at:

gratefuldead@sirius-radio.com

Donna Jean & The Tricksters Up to New Tricks: Debut CD, Rex Benefit, Tour

almanac — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:16:20 -0600

When Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay first hooked up with the Zen Tricksters at the Gathering of The Vibes in upstate New York back in 2005, it was clear to all involved that a very special connection had been made. That bond grew stronger still when Donna and the Tricksters collaborated again the following year, at a Rex Foundation benefit in New York. Within a very short time, the kindred spirits made it official by forming a band together, with vocalist Wendy Lanter and keyboardist Mookie Siegel joining Donna Jean and Zen Tricksters members Jeff Mattson, Tom Circosta, Klyph Black and Dave Diamond. They've been pretty much inseparable ever since, becoming an ever-more-popular attraction on the club and festival circuit.

Photo: Susana Millman

And now Donna Jean & The Tricksters take another big step forward, with the release of their self-produced debut album, an impressive showcase for the vitality and versatility of the band. One of the most striking things about the album is how naturally its music defies easy description. Among the 12 tracks can be found plenty of stuff to make a jam-happy rock fan even happier, but there are also songs (such as "All I Gotta Say") that are evocative of the Southern Soul music that Donna Jean loved and lived as a teenage session singer in her hometown of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Elsewhere you may detect a hint of Gospel ("No Better Way,") Afro-Beat ("Weight of the World,") or lush pop harmonies ("Shelter"), to name just a few of the flavors that make up the band's rich musical gumbo.

To celebrate the new CD, Donna Jean & The Tricksters will be doing a whole lotta live performing in the coming months, including a gala release party and benefit for the Rex Foundation at New York's Knitting Factory on February 23rd. To see if and when they'll be coming to your town, go here.

To order a copy of Donna Jean & The Tricksters or get other info about the band, check out the official website.

Holiday Shipping Dates

Analise Dubner — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:19:01 -0600

The holidays are busy for everyone, including our warehouse. Still, we want to do our best to meet your needs. In order to ensure that your items arrive by December 24th, we suggest you place your orders by the following dates. We cannot guarantee your items will arrive before the holiday, but this schedule should provide sufficient time for your shipment to make it to your door.

For This Shipping Method... Place Your Order By...

US Mail Friday, December 14

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico: Tuesday December 11

UPS Ground (5 Day Delivery) Monday, December 10

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico: Thursday December 6

UPS 2 Day Delivery Monday, December 17

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico: Tuesday December 13 (Delivery may take longer than 2 days)

Note: The cut-off time for all shipping methods is 9 pm Pacific Standard Time. Orders placed after 9 pm will be processed the next business day.

Unfortunately, we are unable to guarantee Christmas delivery for International Orders at this time.

::Dead.Net Store

Grateful Dead Channel Launches Exclusively on Sirius

Analise Dubner — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:19:59 -0500

Highly anticipated channel will feature original radio shows hosted by members of the band, rare concert performances and insider interviews.

NEW YORK – August 29, 2007 – SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced the launch of the highly anticipated Grateful Dead Channel. Heard exclusively on SIRIUS, the channel will feature music spanning the Grateful Dead’s long and celebrated history. The channel will include rare and unreleased performances, original shows hosted by Grateful Dead founders Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, as well as rare archival interviews with Jerry Garcia.

The Grateful Dead Channel will make its debut on September 7 at 12 pm ET on SIRIUS channel 32 with an extremely rare concert broadcast of the band’s 1974 performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. This performance will be followed by a special show hosted by Bob Weir, the first by a member of the Grateful Dead on the new channel. The channel will also feature contributions from Grateful Dead expert David Gans, as well as Dead archivist David Lemieux, who will provide a unique look into the Dead’s lush past with daily insights.

"Since we announced the launch of the Grateful Dead Channel, it has become one of the most anticipated music channel launches in our history.” said Scott Greenstein, President, Entertainment and Sports, SIRIUS. “The loyalty and passion of Grateful Dead fans are the truest testament to the band’s legacy. Sirius is thrilled to bring exclusive content to this community and welcomes their continued participation as Sirius becomes part of the Grateful Dead family.”

“This is gonna be one fun channel,” said the Dead’s Bob Weir. “We, the guys in the band, get to be involved as much as we can and we'll make sure it's fun. We want the fans to be involved as well.”

The Grateful Dead formed in mid 1960’s San Francisco’s psychedelia and quickly became a staple in the local music scene. The historic summer of 1967, known as ‘The Summer of Love,’ is when the band first found world wide recognition as thousands of young people from around-the-world made their way to San Francisco’s Haight and Ashbury district to find a new social experience. The Dead, well-known for constantly touring, kept the experience alive for another three decades with a devoted community of fans, many of whom traveled the country with them.

The Grateful Dead Channel joins an exclusive line up of 24-hour, commercial-free music channels dedicated entirely to some of the world's greatest recording artists including Elvis Radio, the world's only official, all-Elvis Presley radio channel broadcasting live from Graceland; and Siriusly Sinatra, devoted to the music and legacy of Frank Sinatra. SIRIUS has previously dedicated channels exclusively to the music of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Rolling Stones, David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, George Strait, and most recently, The Who. SIRIUS is also the exclusive radio home of Shade 45, the uncut hip-hop channel co-created with Eminem, "Little Steven" Van Zandt's Underground Garage, channel 25, and Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, channel 31.

To learn more about SIRIUS, please visit www.sirius.com or www.sirius.com/gratefuldead.

Bob Weir: Norway '07!

blairj — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:38:39 -0500

Completists will want to start looking for a copy of Bob Weir's latest musical appearance, as reported to us by our exclusive Norwegian correspondent, Peter Aas:

Last Saturday (8/25), Petter Olsen, billionaire philanthropist, organic farmer and Dead Head, arranged a private "Summer of Love Revisited, 40 Years After" festival at his estate just south of Oslo, Norway. Petter had invited Bob Weir over for the party as his private guest and Bob flew over right after his tour finished in NJ last Wednesday. We convinced Bobby to join the local tribute band, The Deadaheads, on stage and he finished their set with "He's Gone" > "Truckin'" > "The Other One" > "Not Fade Away" > "One More Saturday Night." The crowd had no idea that he was there and went bananas when he came on stage.

Thanks for that report, Petter! Sounds like a good time was had by all. Who knew that Oslo had a Dead tribute band? We ARE everywhere!

Air Dates For 'Dead Ahead' on PBS

ccasal — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:39:20 -0500

Station Date Time City

WXEL 8/10/07 Fri/11:00 PM West Palm Beac, FL

KOZK 8/13/07 Mon/10:30 PM Springfield, MO

KOZJ 8/13/07 Mon/10:30 PM Joplin, MO Pittsburg, KS

KTNW 8/30/07 Thu/9:30 PM Yakim, Pasco, Richland, Kennewick, WA

Mickey Hart & Zakir Hussain Reunite

Analise Dubner — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:41:26 -0500

MICKEY HART & ZAKIR HUSSAIN GLOBAL DRUM PROJECT

In stores October 2

Over three decades as the innovative percussion engine of the Grateful Dead, Mickey Hart's ear for global sounds brought numerous unpredictable guests to the Dead's stage performances.

Hart's 1991 release Planet Drum was the natural outgrowth of this adventure, showcasing his gift as a supreme catalyst in convening the world's finest percussion talent for a dazzling collaboration - including Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, who is an international phenomenon in his own right. Zakir began his career as a child prodigy has gone on to win many awards, founded his own record label Moment! Records, and starred in two documentaries, 2003's "The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum" and 1998's "Zakir and His Friends". Planet Drum was recorded in Hart's Sonoma County home and studio, with the Dead's legendary crew turning virtually every room in the house into a work zone for each musician. The album won the first-ever Grammy® for Best World Music Album, spent an unprecedented 26 weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart, and sells as a perennial favorite to this day.

Fifteen years have passed, and the friendship and musical partnership of Hart and Hussain, which began in the early 70s with their world fusion experiment Diga Rhythm Band, has continued to flourish. Their 2006 Planet Drum reunion tour was immensely well-received and germinated the idea to revisit "Planet Drum"

Hence this fresh collaboration of tranced-out grooves, elegant electronic programming and hypnotic tuned percussion that is the Global Drum Project. Masterfully produced by Hart and Hussain, the Global Drum Project once again enlists the great partnership of Sikuru Adepoju (Nigerian talking drum) and Giovanni Hidalgo (congas), as well as Taufiq Qureshi (brother to Zakir Hussain) on percussion & vocals, Niladari Kumar on sitar, Dilshad Khan on sarangi, and sampled vocals by the late, great Olatunji. Global Drum Project will be in stores October 2nd, 2007. The ensemble will again tour the U.S. this fall in support of the release.

In addition to the Global Drum Project, Shout! Factory will be reissuing a series of catalog titles that will be made available digitally in October, and physically released in 2008. The titles include Diga Rhythm Band (One of the first "world music" recordings, a crystalline, remixed celebration of drumming and percussion featuring Hart, Hussain, nine other rhythmatists, and Jerry Garcia on two tracks), At The Edge ( Companion to his acclaimed book debut, Drumming at the Edge of Magic (Harper San Francisco 1990), this exploration of the music of primeval man unfolds a serene soundscape of tuned percussion, ambient natural sounds, and guitar treatments by Jerry Garcia), Mystery Box ( An effervescent, pop-inflected album, full of breezy songs with layered vocals by England's Mint Juleps - and a vocal debut by Mickey Hart), Supralingua: Hart continued to push the "tribal space" boundaries of percussion and sound, beyond his Grammy-winning Planet Drum, with some of the same stellar guest personnel.

Global Drum Project:
Selection Number: 10706
Price: $18.98
Release Date: October 2, 2007

::See Global Drum Project Tour Dates

Here's Your Chance to Help Mark Karan!

blairj — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:54:15 -0500

We promise not to make a habit of soliciting donations from Dead Heads, but this opportunity was too good to pass up, as it benefits someone we dearly love: Mark Karan. To explain, we're passing the baton here to our good friend David Gans, of Grateful Dead Hour fame:

I just had a nice long conversation with Mark Karan and his wife, Maile Hatfield. Mark has made it clear in his postings that he is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances, and I was very happy to hear personally how positive and upbeat his tone is.

When my wife was undergoing chemo a few years back, she spent a week in Commonweal's Cancer Help program, a week-long retreat in Bolinas specifically for people with cancer. It was tremendously helpful to her spirit and practice. We suggested to Mark and Maile that they take a look at it, and when they expressed an interest in attending, I decided to make it my mission to raise the money to send them both.

Another thing that our community did for Rita and me during her chemo was to get us a gift certificate from Jessie et Laurent, a Marin County-based company that delivers high-quality meals to the home, ready to be heated up as needed.

So what I'd like to do is raise $5000 from the people who love and admire Mark and want to assist him in his journey. This will cover the cost of sending both of them to Commonweal (spouses are encouraged to attend) and a good-sized Jessie et Laurent gift certificate.

If you would like to make a contribution of any amount, please contact me directly. I'll be receiving the funds and handling matters with both Commonweal and Jessie et Laurent.

No contribution is too small, and of course none could be too large. Insurance covers most of the medical stuff, but there are always plenty of related expenses, and additional comforts to make things easier for Mark and his family will be most welcome.

Email david@trufun.com for more information.

                                                                     --David Gans

The good news, too, is that since word started to spread about this fine effort, donations have been pouring in at a good clip. Don't tell me this scene ain't got no heart!

                                                                      --BJ

Even better news: the goal amount of $5000 has been met, so no further donations are needed. Yet another reminder of how wonderfully big-hearted and generous the Dead Head community is. Thanks!

If you still want to participate in Mark’s healing process, we suggest that you visit www.carepages.com, a website dedicated to providing support and nurturing community for anyone coping with illness. A page has been established where friends and fans can get updates on Mark’s treatment and recovery, and send messages of support to Mark and his family. Just register at the site and sign in to the “getwellmark” page.

                                                                     --GL

Help On The Way for RatDog: Kimock Steps In For Karan

Analise Dubner — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:36:10 -0500

Central Park, NYC, 7/9/07
(Photo: Gary Lambert)

When life looks like easy street… well, you know how the rest of that song goes. And danger could not have announced itself much more dramatically at RatDog’s door than it did last month, with the news that the band’s great guitarist (and more important, our dear brother), Mark Karan, had been diagnosed with throat cancer, and would have to take a break from touring so that he can get the best and most thorough treatment available. Just days before the start of a long summer trek, the members of RatDog were faced with multiple challenges: dealing both personally and professionally with the absence of such a close pal and vital musical collaborator; and finding someone who could, on dauntingly short notice, step into Mark’s shoes. The latter task was made immeasurably easier by the availability of a longtime member of the extended family: Steve Kimock.

“Steve is an old friend and a good friend,” Bob Weir explained when we caught up with him a half-dozen stops into the tour. “He already knew a lot of our repertoire, having played it in various contexts over the years, and Steve and I know each other’s sensibilities. So we couldn’t have been luckier, given the situation.”

Kimock, Barefoot in the Park
(Photo: Gary Lambert)

It takes more than luck, though, to incorporate a new musical element into a close-knit unit like RatDog. There’s also a lot of time and effort involved, and this band clearly has the resolve and work ethic to make it happen. As of this writing, the concept of “down time” had not yet been introduced to the touring party. On the tour bus, in the backstage rehearsal room and in every available moment, the musicians work and re-work the material, figuring out how to incorporate Kimock’s distinctive, gorgeously melodic playing into the ensemble sound, and how to tailor their own playing to complement his. As Weir notes about RatDog: “There’s a collective sense of orchestration that only occurs when you’re together for a long time.” Asked how he thinks Kimock is doing at finding his way comfortably into that collective, Bob adds, with great admiration, “Steve astonishes me several times a night.”

The audible evidence of the tour thus far emphatically suggests that the astonishments will keep right on coming.

Another source of delightful discovery on the July leg of the tour has been the immensely entertaining presence of Keller Williams, who has been opening the shows with his uncanny solo act, using high-tech looping devices to transform himself into a kind of one-man jamband. Williams has also been sitting in with RatDog at various spots in the shows, with Mr. Weir returning the compliment by guesting on a few tunes in Keller’s set each night. “Keller is a whole lot of fun to play with,” Bobby notes, “and we’ve been figuring out tunes we can do together on the fly, just running through ‘em once or twice and then seeing what happens to ‘em on stage.”

The August leg of the tour will commence at one of the best events of any summer, The Gathering of the Vibes, which returns this time around to Bridgeport, CT, after several years in upstate New York.

Bobby and Keller
(Photo: Gary Lambert)

From there it’s on to Lowell, MA, hometown of Jack Kerouac, for a very special event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kerouac’s great and hugely influential novel, On The Road. Before the performance, Bob Weir and Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally (who also wrote Desolate Angel, an acclaimed Kerouac biography) will take to the stage to discuss Kerouac and Neal Cassady, who was immortalized in the novel as Dean Moriarity and would later be a pivotal force in the formative years of the Grateful Dead, as primary driver (“Cowboy Neal at the wheel”) of the legendary Merry Pranksters bus known as “Furthur.”

The summer wraps up with a bunch of dates pairing RatDog with another bunch that has a lot of distinguished history behind it and a lot of great music still in it, the Allman Brothers Band.

Healing vibes to Mark!

A Message From Ratdog

Analise Dubner — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:06:25 -0500

As many of you know, RatDog’s sterling lead guitarist, Mark Karan, is experiencing a health problem. Said Chief Dog Bob Weir, “The docs want to have a close look at our brother Mark over the next few weeks, and we're gonna have to go with that. Our old friend Steve Kimock has graciously offered to cover for him for this tour, and so we're thinking we should go with this. We'll be in touch with Mark daily, and if his docs cut him loose, we'll bring him out. The show must go on, I think, in everyone's best interest. Here’s to Healing…”

Steve chipped in. “First, I'd like to wish Mark a speedy recovery, and secondly, I'd like to thank Bob Weir & RatDog for this opportunity to serve our music, family, friends and community during Mark's absence. Love is a service done. Gratefully, SK."

Finally, we checked in with Mark. “I really appreciate all the love and good vibes I’ve received since announcing my need to take a ‘healing break.’ I’ll be very sorry to miss all these great summer shows this July, but I’ll be back ASAP and I’m sure my ol’ TOO-mate Senor Kimock will do his best to add something special to this run. Keep me in your prayers, and meantime…”Hey, hey…come right away…come and join the party everyday.”

Hmm, good thinking. See you down the road, Milwaukee first.

Sirius Satellite Radio And Grateful Dead To Create Grateful Dead Radio Channel

Analise Dubner — Thu, 24 May 2007 13:47:23 -0500

NEW YORK-May 22, 2007

SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) and the legendary Grateful Dead announced today a new radio channel dedicated to the music of Grateful Dead and its band members.

Grateful Dead Radio will be heard exclusively on SIRIUS and feature music spanning the band's long and storied career, live performances from the band's own archives, bootleg performances from fans, previously unreleased recordings, and even special shows hosted by members of the band. Grateful Dead Radio is expected to launch on SIRIUS this summer.

"We have fans who've driven hundreds of miles to see us," said Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. "Now you can save on greenhouse gas emissions with SIRIUS without driving a mile."

"Grateful Dead's importance in the history of rock n' roll is undeniable. In the 60s they helped to define a generation with their music and their creativity, in the 70s they virtually pioneered the concept of 'jam bands,' and in the 80s and 90s they were among the preeminent live touring bands. They have continued to amass a significant and extremely loyal fan base to this very day," said Scott Greenstein, President, Entertainment and Sports, SIRIUS. "This unique musical relationship makes SIRIUS the premier home for Dead Heads across North America and Grateful Dead Radio will bring the band's music into the future of audio entertainment."

"Listen up, and listen good," said Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir.

Grateful Dead started a musical revolution in the psychedelic landscape of the 60s. The band, well known for constantly touring, kept the hippy spirit alive during the following decades, creating a devoted community of fans. Grateful Dead's numerous studio recordings were often collected from material that they originally played in concert.

Grateful Dead Radio joins a line up 24-hour, commercial-free music channels dedicated entirely to some of the world's greatest recording artists such as Elvis Radio, channel 13, the world's only official, all-Elvis Presley radio channel broadcasting live from Graceland in Memphis. SIRIUS has previously dedicated channels exclusively to the music of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Rolling Stones, David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, George Strait, and most recently The Who. SIRIUS is also the exclusive radio home of Shade 45, channel 45, the uncut hip-hop channel co-created with Eminem, "Little Steven" Van Zandt's Underground Garage, channel 25, Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, channel 31, and Siriusly Sinatra, channel 75, the only channel dedicated to the music, time and spirit of Frank Sinatra.

Vibes for Peace

PatRhino — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:03:58 -0500

On Saturday, November 18th in New York City the New Riders of the Purple Sage performed at the intimate and elegant Concert Hall of the New York Society of Ethical Culture at 2 West 64th Street. Rex Foundation pre-concert guests enjoyed a sound check party, drinks, dinner and reception with the artists, along with premium orchestra seating for the concert.

On Friday, December 1st, at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, Rex presented VIBES FOR PEACE - A Celebration of Music and Benefit for the Rex Foundation. This evening was the West Coast premiere of the Rhythm Devils featuring Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Mike Gordon and Steve Kimock, with special guests including Bob Weir.

Grateful Dead Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

PatRhino — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:03:13 -0500

The Grateful Dead, among others, were honored at the 2007 Grammys with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. "This year's group of accomplished honorees are as diverse as they are influential as creators of the most renowned and prominent recordings in the world," said Recording Academy President Neil Portnow in a press release. "Their contributions exemplify the highest artistic and technical standards that have positively affected the music industry and music fans." Past honorees include Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Marley.

For This Shipping Method...	Place Your Order By...
US Mail	Friday, December 14
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico:	Tuesday December 11
UPS Ground (5 Day Delivery)	Monday, December 10
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico:	Thursday December 6
UPS 2 Day Delivery	Monday, December 17
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico:	Tuesday December 13 (Delivery may take longer than 2 days)

Station	Date	Time	City
WXEL	8/10/07	Fri/11:00 PM	West Palm Beac, FL
KOZK	8/13/07	Mon/10:30 PM	Springfield, MO
KOZJ	8/13/07	Mon/10:30 PM	Joplin, MO Pittsburg, KS
KTNW	8/30/07	Thu/9:30 PM	Yakim, Pasco, Richland, Kennewick, WA

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ALTON KELLEY 1940 - 2008

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Bob Weir: Norway '07!

Air Dates For 'Dead Ahead' on PBS

Mickey Hart & Zakir Hussain Reunite

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Help On The Way for RatDog: Kimock Steps In For Karan

A Message From Ratdog

Sirius Satellite Radio And Grateful Dead To Create Grateful Dead Radio Channel

Vibes for Peace

Grateful Dead Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

ALTON KELLEY
1940 - 2008