peace AND all that's blog: "The Dead"

WOOT!!!!!!!!! The Dead Rise at the Spectrum on May 1 and 2 Four of the original members of the Grateful Dead are reuniting as The Dead to perform in one of their favorite venues, the legendary Wachovia Spectrum, on Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2. The Spectrum is the ONLY venue in which the Grateful Dead have performed in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Now the historic arena, known as America’s Showplace, is slated for demolition in the fall of 2009. How appropriate the band which holds the record for the most shows ever in the Spectrum will have the chance to visit the Spectrum for two more shows before they “tear this whole building down (from their song “Samson and Delilah”).” While the Grateful Dead haven’t performed at the Spectrum since March 17-19, 1995, the Dead did play at the Spectrum in November 23-24, 2002. The Grateful Dead first performed at the Spectrum on December 6, 1968, as part of the Quaker City Rock Festival along side Steppenwolf and Iron Butterfly. They have also performed over their nearly 40 years together in Philadelphia, PA, at the Tower Theatre, the Philadelphia Civic Center, Temple Stadium, and JFK Stadium, all three of which are no longer standing. Original Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart will be joined by keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and Allman Brothers Band/Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, both of whom played with the band at the “Change Rocks” concert held for Barack Obama in State College, PA, in October of 2008. The group first formed with lead guitarist Jerry Garcia as the Grateful Dead in 1965, and is legendary for their live performances. The Grammay-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group always toured relentlessly, allowing their “Dead Head” fans to tape and trade their exploratory, free-flowing concerts. “We’ve got some unfinished business,” says guitarist/singer Weir. “Everybody has a whole new bag of tricks; we have the body of material we worked up over the years and we have a mind meld going on here and it would be a sin to let that just wither and die.” “A mind meld is a terrible thing to waste,” added drummer Hart. “For me, it’s the question mark that’s really pulling me in….what’s gonna happen?” Lesh said. “When you walk out on the stage the possibilities are infinite every time. The musical possibilities are infinite; there is no end to it, there’s no back wall and there’s no ceiling, there’s no floor.” Always sonic and technological adventures, the Grateful Dead formed in San Francisco’s electric Haight-Asbury neighborhood in the mid-‘60s, combining their love of bluegrass, country, electric rock and jazz to create one of the most iconic repertoires in rock music. By touring continuously and never relying on radio hits or latest trends, the Dead and Dead Heads created an unparalleled bond. Fans were turned on to the group by live bootlegs and word of mouth, with many following the band on the road for whole tours. see ya there!!!! peace baby