Quote:Members of the Dead to play fundraiser for Obama
Thursday, September 18, 2008
(09-18) 14:37 PDT State College, Pa. (AP) --

Barack Obama has the Dead on his side again.

The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign has confirmed a long-rumored fundraising concert that will include four remaining members of the Grateful Dead at Penn State University's Bryce Jordan Center.

Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart played at a get-out-the-vote concert in February in California for the campaign.

A Pennsylvania spokeswoman for the campaign says the trio will be joined by a fourth surviving member, Bill Kreutzmann, at the Oct. 13 show in State College.

Other rockers expected to attend include members of the Allman Brothers Band. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Quote:Rumor has it, after last week's announcement about the Grateful Dead playing a Pennsylvania Barack Obama benefit show Oct. 13, that the reunited band - Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann - is contemplating a tour in the spring. They played for Obama in June; before that, they hadn't played together since 2004. Has politics drawn them together again? Let's call it brotherly love, musical companionship, a desire for a better world. "They're all broke," said my spy.

Quote:Friendship - the kind of long-lasting comradely love that outlives differences and spats - is no joking matter. My spy, whose comment was lightly reported Monday, was wrong about the reasons the Grateful Dead will play together again.
They're going to Pennsylvania because they're all public citizens supporting Barack Obama, and Pennsylvania polls showed that voters were dead even there.
And if they tour together again, it's got nothing to do with financial need. The premise was false; no one's hurting. The Grateful Dead is "built on true love," says Mickey Hart, "and that thankfully has come around for us once again. You cannot make the kind of music that we do just for the money." Whatever split them up has been put aside, and they are "embarking on the next step of our long strange trip for the right reasons."

Quote:Long, strange trip leads The Dead to D.C.
Drummer Hart and band land inaugural ball gig
CRISTA JEREMIASON / The Press Democrat
By MEG McCONAHEY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 1:36 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.

Mickey Hart said his vintage tux is a little snug. But the Sonoma County resident figures he’ll still have enough range of motion to maneuver the sticks when The Dead do D.C. next week, headlining one of 10 inaugural balls for Barack Obama.

The irony of the counterculture’s ultimate outlaw band performing in black tie at a signature establishment gala is not lost on The Dead’s longtime drummer.

“Can you imagine? The Grateful Dead in Washington? They used to try to put me in jail and now we’re playing for the president,” he marveled on Thursday.

“I’ve never played in a tux. I really don’t like suits. It’s not exactly like playing in a T-shirt. But we’ll do fine.”

The west county musician said he was surprised when Obama actually accepted the band’s offer.

“We told the president-elect that we want to be of service, any place and at any time, and he took us up on the offer,” said Hart, conceding that he was actually stunned they got a call-back.

“I can imagine the inauguration committee being overwhelmed with requests. Who knows anyone who would not want to play an inaugural ball?”

Although their roots were rebellious, Hart said a lot of people who will now be running the country were fans.

“This is meaningful on a lot of levels. It’s not just a rock and roll band. The social implications are deep,” he said. “The Dead stands for freedom.”

He said his activist wife, Caryl, has already picked out her gown in “environmental green.” The couple will bring along their 15-year-old daughter, Reya, who is partial to thrift store chic.

The Harts plan on “ganging” around among capital parties with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Barbara Boxer, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Patrick Leahy, who Hart claims is a “major Deadhead.”

“We’re all planning on meeting up at different places,” he said.

Quote:The Dead To Perform Two Exclusive Shows With Holographic Jerry Garcia



Stemming from the success of Tupac's hologrammed performance at Coachella in 2012, the living members of The Grateful Dead have announced two exclusive performances with a hologram version of the late-guitarist, Jerry Garcia.

The performances will be held this July, in two of the Dead's most storied cities, New York and San Francisco, at Madison Square Garden and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium respectively.

The Jerry hologram was created by HoloJams, a company devoted to capturing beloved dead rock musicians in hologram form. About the use of hologram-Jerry, CEO Sam Watts said, "We're very excited that The Grateful Dead have decided to use our holographic Jerry. Once we ensure that these performances are well-received, there's no telling what we'll do. We could even be looking at a nationwide tour." Watts went on to talk about some of his other holograms, including a Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, and even Paul McCartney. "The McCartney one is mainly for us at HoloJams... we can never get enough Beatles music."

While some may find this decision controversial, the move is aimed at younger Dead fans who never had the opportunity to see Jerry Garcia perform. This particularly appealed to one fan, Jenny Sunshine, 19, said, "This is awesome! Now I'll finally be able to rock out with Jerry!"

The Hologram-Jerry has been programmed from over hundreds of hours of Grateful Dead performances, predominantly from the late-60s and early-70s. "We wanted to capture Jerry at his finest," says Watts. "And really, what could be more heady than 1972 Jerry?"

Good question, Mr. Watts. Be sure to let us know how you feel about this performance in the comments!