OK, fall is definitely comin' on in most places; there's a chill in the air and the leaves are doing their Technicolor chameleon act. But in the world of the Grateful Dead, things are definitely heating up: Phil Lesh & Friends are about a quarter of the way through their cross-country ramble, mostly playing small and/or ultra-cool venues. You can catch up with the first ten days of the tour and actually listen to a few shows in their entirety.
Meanwhile, the indefatigable Mickey Hart is on a touring jaunt, as well, with the wonderful percussion ensemble Global Drum Project (formerly known as Planet Drum). Mickey, Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalgo and Sikiru Adepoju have been enrapturing audiences with an incredible selection of tunes, grooves and jams, most of them extrapolations on themes from their fantastic new self-titled album on the Shout!Factory label. Check out our extensive interview with Mickey and Zakir, where they talk about the making of the albums, the magic of percussion and tell a few tales about the legendary Diga Rhythm Band.
In just a couple of weeks, Bob Weir and RatDog will be going back out on tour and we'll be sure to provide you with all you need to know about that. In the meantime, you can catch up with some of the high points of their well-received last tour, including coverage of their historic concert celebrating the legacy of Jack Kerouac.
Dead World Roundup
On Sound Safari with Mickey Hart and the Global Drum Project Blair Jackson interviews Mickey and Zakir. |
Phil & Friends: Rockin' the Road A brief look at the first ten days, plus listen to a few shows in entirety! |
Meet Jackie Greene - The Lowdown on Phil's Latest "Friend" If you missed our interview with newest "Friend" Jackie Greene last month, you can find that here. |
RatDog: Out We Jumped In The Warm Mad Night The 50th anniversary of the publication of a book that shook the foundations of American literature. |
Steve Kimock to the Rescue! A Few Minutes with the Master Guitarist Blair interviews Steve in his new gig. |
Donna Jean: Still Grateful Gary Lambert interviews Donna Jean. |
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In The Dead.Net Community
- Fan Photos We've been seeing some great pix in the Fan Photos section lately. Case in point: AndieIsAlthea's shot of the awesome art (by Chris Cruz of Deland, Florida) adorning her motorcycle. As one poster mentioned, the temptation to keep one's eyes on the art instead of on the road must be overwhelming... More great art: GratefulArtist's impressive pencil sketch of Jerry. And don't miss JurassicBlueberries' photo of an old fire truck in the woods east of Eugene, Oregon.
Post-Jerry Not long ago Scubabrew wondered why we weren't talking much about The Other Ones, The Dead, and the various configurations of the band after Jerry passed. It was a good question, so now there's a topic and people are talking.
Phil & Friends Of course, Phil and Friends are currently touring, so there's a lot of buzz about that too. If you've caught any of these shows - or can't wait to catch these shows - speak up! Currently there are two fairly lively Phil topics here and here.
RatDog Meanwhile, RatDog's about to hit the road too: details and discussion here.
On The Tube It's a new TV season, so head on over to the Fifty-Seven Channels... topic to weigh in on the hits and misses among the new and returning shows.
Across The Pond The European Heads are having a pretty lively time lately, what with TigerLilly moving from Germany to Spain, DeadInBucharest checking in from Romania, and Frenchdead hoping to find folks to chat with en français. Also, Sunshine-Daydream in Spain, inspired by the success of The Vine, has launched a Eurovine.
Positive Vibes And, as a great lyricist once wrote, "trouble ahead, trouble behind." No one escapes for long, which is probably why the Positive Vibes for Folks in Need topic gets frequent visits. Whether you're going through hard times - bad job situation, loved one battling an illness, etc. - or just want to lend some good vibes, head on over.
Fall Store Update
Check out all the new items in the Dead.net Store. Click Here.
For a limited time! 10/31/84 Halloween Concert Tee.HERE
500-piece puzzle features an 18" x 24" image of Jerry, composed of hundreds of black-and-white photos of the band. HERE
Made from quality materials with an antique silver finish. HERE
Thanks for all your input! There's tons more good stuff to come!