# The Dead are touring!!!!!!!!!!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603 "2009-01-02T16:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/1 "2009-01-02T16:47:27Z")
[Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah…](http://dead.net/dead09/?rhino=1#tour_schedule) > [@](#): > > Happy New Year, everybody!! Hope and change are in the air! So what better way to kick off 2009 than to confirm what’s been buzzing in the rumor mill for some time: The Dead will be touring for the first time in more than four years, with nearly twenty shows spread across a month from mid-April through mid-May! Details will be announced here soon, so keep your eyes on [dead.net](http://dead.net)! > > The lineup for this edition of The Dead will be the same one that rocked the house at Penn State last fall at the Obama benefit: The Core Four of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by guitar monster Warren Haynes and RatDog keyboard ace Jeff Chimenti (both veterans of the 2004 Dead “Wave That Flag” tour). The mood of the band for this Spring Fling is way up, so it’s sure to be a great tour! Time to get on the bus~ :D:D:D:D:eek:[sup]\*[/sup]:D:D:D:D [sup]\*this smiley in no way condones bong hits[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/2 "2009-01-02T16:51:03Z")
Ugh. No Gerry, No Dead. – sorry, don’t mean to pee on your parade – ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/3 "2009-01-02T21:58:55Z")
Ouch. Oh, I guess you’re right. When my grandmother passed away a few years ago, I stopped visiting grandpa, never went to another Thanksgiving, pretty much figured that without her, the rest of the family wasn’t worth … no, wait. Phil is still Phil. Bobby is still Bobby. The Rhythmdevils are still the Rhythmdevils (hey, that sounds like a good username!) Granted, Haynes didn’t join the Allmans until the late eighties, but I heard he’s taken a few lessons since. And Chimenti? I figure he may be able to mesh with Bob if he listens to a few CDs (hey, it’s a spring tour, so there’s time). Sure, it’s not the _Grateful_ Dead, but it sure beats Britteny. Bitch. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/4 "2009-01-02T22:08:08Z")
Well the first days are the hardest days, Dontcha worry any more, Cause when life looks like easy street, Well there’s danger at your door. Ain’t no time to waste, Barely time to wait, Oh, oh what I want to know, is, how does this song go? Come, hear, Uncle John’s Band, Playing to the tide, Come on along, don’t go alone He’s come to bring his children home… I wanna go. Even without Jerry. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/5 "2009-01-03T01:13:48Z")
“The bus came by and I got on, that’s when it all began.” ``` -Bob Weir 1968 ``` ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/6 "2009-01-03T01:26:46Z")
I’m just back from the New Years shows. Two shows, 30th and 31st. I was third row from the stage with my girlfriend on the NYE show (a little further back on the 30th). It was awesome…and now my GF is back home from shopping so y’all will have to wait for my review until later. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/7 "2009-01-03T01:42:10Z")
Bill Graham Civic in SF. Jackie Green’s band opened followed by a long set from Phil and Friends with Jackie on lead. Next was a mini acoustic set with Phil, Bobby and a drummer. Ratdog played the next set. At midnight an allstar mix from Phil’s band and Bobby’s band played a long set with an encore. The music started at around 6pm and went until 2:20 am. So many memorable moments. They played the first part of Dark Star during the acoustic set and the end during the electric set. There was an insane Sugaree. The encore included Ripple. My first ever Ripple live…my life is now complete. This is just a small tour that’ll only be for a month. Only two West Coast shows. The LA Forum and then Shoreline the next night. We’ll probably just go to the Shoreline show. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/8 "2009-01-03T08:40:59Z")
Never paid enough attention to them to know what they’ve had going on recently, it’s been 16 years since I’ve seen them play. I was under the impression that, although they’ve all been very active musically- even working on projects with each other, that they stopped touring as The Grateful Dead after Garcia kicked. Apparently, that was a mistaken impression. Still, I’ve no doubt they put on a great show and they can more than justify using the band name. It’s not like Mike Love’s constant touring, thinking he can legitimately call the latest bar band he signed on to back him up “The Beach Boys”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/9 "2009-01-03T08:43:42Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I was under the impression that, although they’ve all been very active musically- even working on projects with each other, that they stopped touring as The Grateful Dead after Garcia kicked. Apparently, that was a mistaken impression. For the last four years or so, they’ve toured as “The Dead.” I think they were The Other Ones before that. The “Grateful” part remains retired. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/10 "2009-01-03T08:56:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > For the last four years or so, they’ve toured as “The Dead.” I think they were The Other Ones before that. The “Grateful” part remains retired. Gotcha. So, I _kinda_ knew what I was talking about. Now that you say “The Other Ones” the memory comes back to me that I had heard about that. Maybe Mike Love can use that model and start touring as “The One Who Was Never Particularly Talented”. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/11 "2009-01-03T09:04:06Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Ugh. > > No Gerry, No Dead. > > – sorry, don’t mean to pee on your parade – Don’t mean to pee on yours, but it’s “Jerry.” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/12 "2009-01-03T12:03:47Z")
Yes. Of course you’re right. My bad. But he’s still dead. Sorry – I didn’t really mean to ruffle feathers. It’s just my knee-jerk reaction at bands who lose their most prominent/important/founding member(s), but still go out on tour with replacements as if nothing is amiss. I call it The Who syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/13 "2009-01-03T15:09:01Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > For the last four years or so, they’ve toured as “The Dead.” Incorrect. Other than a couple of Obama benefits, they haven’t toured together at all. Bobby and Phil have toured separately with their own bands. Bobby with Ratdog, Phil with Phil and Friends. Micky has done some limited touring and Billy has been pretty much retired. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-are-touring/479603/14 "2009-01-04T17:47:38Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Yes. Of course you’re right. My bad. > > But he’s still dead. > > Sorry – I didn’t really mean to ruffle feathers. It’s just my knee-jerk reaction at bands who lose their most prominent/important/founding member(s), but still go out on tour with replacements as if nothing is amiss. > > I call it The Who syndrome. Oh, no problem. Just calling you out for fun. I don’t even care for The Dead, Jerry or no. I’m just not a fan of the “jam” band and I’m not a fan of most Dead fans, for that matter.