One more "glass half full / empty" post...Trey Anastasio performing on the Dead "farewell shows."

[Miles Archer]

Your possible reaction, ONE: You are a fan of Trey and Phish, consider them to be kindred spirits of the Dead, and are stoked about him joining Bob, Phil, Mickey and Bill as they say goodbye on their 50th anniversary.

Your possible reaction, TWO: How the hell could they include this Jerry wannabe?

Your possible reaction, THREE: The best part is that they are saying goodbye, finally.

I'm a casual fan of the band, know every one of their songs, own all of their commercial CDs, and never attended a show back in the day. Not a fan of Phish or Anastasio at all.

How about you?

Grateful Dead Reunite for Chicago Farewell Concerts With Trey Anastasio
'Fare Thee Well' 50th anniversary shows will take place over three nights

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/grateful-dead-reunite-chicago-farewell-concerts-trey-anastasio-20150116

In what will be a bittersweet announcement for Deadheads, the four surviving and original members of the Grateful Dead revealed that they will reunite to celebrate their 50th anniversary with three gigs at Chicago's Soldier Field July 3rd to 5th. However, for percussionists Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Phil Lesh and guitarist Bob Weir, these three shows will mark the final Dead shows ever.

[onethatcares]

1. I'm kinda tired

of the "We're outa money" tours. No matter the group.

[Miles Archer]

2. I can get behind the desire to do something for the band's 50th anniversary...

...but I don't think Anastasio belongs on that stage.

Steve Kimock...who performed with many of the Dead offshoots...was snubbed for this one, but recently posted a gracious "it's all good" message on his Website.

There's a history of this kind of thing in the Dead camp...supposedly Vince Welnick committed suicide after feeling dejected when not asked to join "The Other Ones." I am sure there was much more to it than that. but if he was in a suicidal frame of mind, it surely didn't help.

[NightWatcher]

3. Why Not Warren???

Why didn't they get Warren Haynes instead of the guy who has been a Jerry wannabe his entire career? Sorry, I'm not a phish fan. Warren has played (so has Steve Kimock) with various incarnations of Dead bands and toured with the other members for years.

This seems like a sell out kind of move. I guess they want to make sure that the shows are full of phish fan TrustFundiFarians. I think the seats would be full without giving in to the phish head yuppies and hipsters.

Feel free to blast me. I don't care. I've got my fav shows on my computer and ipods, iphones, etc. Thank you archive.org.

[GoCubsGo]

9. He is my preferred choice, as well.

I also cringed when I saw Bruce Hornsby on the bill. I was never crazy about the Dead's Bruce Hornsby period. He tended to overwhelm everything with his own schtick. It was almost like watching a Bruce Hornsby show with the Grateful Dead as his back up.

[NightWatcher]

12. The Hornsby Dead sounded like the Dead, only filtered through an elevator

Easy Listening is difficult to actually listen to.

[GoCubsGo]

13. That's an excellent way of putting it. n/t

[Miles Archer]

15. I forgot about him too....

...I saw him with the Allman Bros. at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View CA on the last tour they did with Dickey Betts. Also a big fan of his work with Gov't Mule, and have heard several of the shows he played with "The Dead."

I think you may be right about making a grab for the Phish fans, rather than a strictly "artistic" decision.

[antiquie]

4. I'm not happy with the Trey selection.

I'm a long-time fan having attended hundreds of Dead and related shows. All I can figure is scheduling or personality difficulties. It is a disappointing way to say goodbye. I can't believe money has anything to do with Fare Thee Well -- more likely they're doing it for us old Heads, especially since Bobby canceled so many shows. (IMNSHO).

[Miles Archer]

7. I definitely think they are doing it for the right reasons...

...and I don't believe any of the four are "cash strapped." The sheer yearly volume of "vault releases," from the Dave's Picks CDs to the Spring 90 box sets and more, should leave them MORE than comfortable. I know they made the lion's share of their money from touring, so the vault releases MUST take up some of the slack.

My personal "wish list guest" was Jeff Mattson from Dark Star Orchestra. Those folks, to my ears, often sound BETTER than The Other Ones, Further, or any of the post-Dead side bands. They do original sets as well as "classic" ones...I can't imagine sitting in the audience for a faithfully-recreated Pigpen-era Fillmore show. Hard working and extremely humble, they are much more than a "tribute band."

[cyberswede]

5. I would have liked to see David Hidalgo (from Los Lobos) in the mix

I heard he was awesome when he sat in on a couple tunes at Laguna Seca in 1989 (my spouse was there; I wasn't)

But you can hear it here:
https://archive.org/details/gd1988-07-31.akg.thompson.motb.85999.sbeok.flac16

[Miles Archer]

6. Oh hell yes, I hadn't even thought about him.

I have always loved the Los Lobos version of "Bertha." A very simple song...maybe "deceptively simple"...but good luck nailing that groove. Los Lobos did.

[antiquie]

8. Oh yes! Bertha with David Hidalgo -- at Laguna Seca!

I haven't seen DSO, but I've heard stellar reviews, especially of the Santa Monica pier shows.

[Miles Archer]

10. This will slay you..."Bird Song" is in my top 5 Dead and/or Jerry songs.

[antiquie]

11. I'm blown away.

[Miles Archer]

16. I just got their "Dark Star Jubilee" post on my Facebook page...

Dark Star Orchestra for three nights in May and one of the supporting bands is Los Lobos.

Have you gotten your Dark Star Jubilee tickets yet?

We're all pretty excited for this one & hope you choose to join us!

https://www.facebook.com/darkstarorchestra/photos/a.402068373019.180077.6071548019/10152772516518020/?type=1&theater

www.DarkStarJubilee.com



May 22- 24 @ Legend Valley in Central Ohio with
Dark Star Orchestra x3 | Los Lobos | Railroad Earth | Robert Randolph & The Family Band | Peter Rowan's | Twang an' Groove | Keller and The Keels | Steep Canyon Rangers | Melvin Seals & JGB | Jeff Austin Band | The Weight: Playing Songs of The Band | Moonalice | Kung Fu | Mattson / Barraco & Friends | The Nth Power & Many More!

[antiquie]

17. Melvin Seals! Peter Rowan! Los Lobos!!!

Without streaming, I wouldn't have seen any shows for the past ten years. Crossed fingers for Fare Thee Well.

[Tom Ripley]

14. I think Steve "Clem" Grogan...uh...I mean Adam Gabriel should have gotten the gig

http://www.mansonblog.com/2011/03/clem-performing-with-bob-weir-and-steve.html

[nolabear]

18. One, please.

By Deadhead standards I'm a total piker. But I love them, I do, and one of the nicest things about them is that now and then some other musician like Trey just gets it too.


Fare the well, fare thee well...