Grateful Dead Core Four to reunite for 'final shows' at Chicago's Soldier Field July 3,4,5

As Billboard is reporting the Grateful Dead's core four members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be reuniting (joined by Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and one-time Dead pianist Bruce Hornsby).   Garcia died in August 9 of 1995 a day every Deadhead remembers where they were (ed. Waterton Lakes National Park, AB).  The Grateful Dead had already played their last concert a month before July 9, 1995 at Soldier Field.

Competition to promote this unique and potentially lucrative entertainment commodity was undoubtedly fierce.  As Billboard reports:

Competition to land the coveted booking was stiff, with such players as Goldenvoice's Paul Tollett and Live Nation mounting efforts to reunite the Dead at venues like the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., the site of Coachella, and Bonnaroo (the latter, according to sources, offered the band $3 million for a headlining set -- and was rejected).

In the end longtime jamband promoter (and former Wetlands owner) Peter Shapiro unsurprisingly got the gig.  According to Billboard "Shapiro has an exclusive contract with Lesh and co-owns three Brooklyn Bowl locations... that are favorites of jam bands, as well as the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y.  where Anastasio previously joined Weir onstage."

Well yes that may all be true but things might have turned out much differently if Bob Weir hadn't had a rough day at The Palms on July 5 of last year when he and his band were contracted to play. Weir has a checkered history with highly inconsistent playing and what seems like some sort of combination of prescription drug abuse (what he calls a 'bad shoulder') and severe alcoholism. Weir collapsed onstage at the Capitol Theater in April of 2013 and infamously seemed to have been dosed during a show at the Nokia Theatre on July 28, 2010 (the youtube video has to be seen to be believed).  Weir who had apparently lingered at the bar after soundcheck, asked to 'take it easy' by Casino staff, allegedly hit on a waitress and was slapped.  Shortly thereafter Palms Casino Resort sent out a tweet cancelling the show (Ratdog his de facto cover band went on to play an actual set of covers):

Sorry to hear @BobWeir is under the weather, but RatDog is on stage now. Refunds can be obtained from the original point of purchase.

When Phil Lesh and Bob Weir announced in November of 2014 that they were disbanding their post-Dead vehicle Furthur (named after the Merry Pranksters school bus vehicle of the same name) it was a foregone conclusion it was to resurrect the Grateful Dead one last time.   Let's not forget that in addition to Phil's band Phil Lesh and Friends (the true standard bearer of their songbook), Bob's Ratdog, Furthur and previous incarnations simply The Dead and the Other Ones it's safe to say they've given this a long drawn out ride.  But Bobby's various stumbles and falls his made it impossible for any band by any name that included Bob Weir as a member to get tour insurance which paired down considerably original plans for the 50th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead.

 As the situation evolved insiders speculated that because of the insurance situation the band was likely to stick to the East Coast and go with a promoter they were familiar with doing residencies at friendly venues (at the time it was speculated more than three days) akin to the Allman Brothers Band's annual Beacon Theater residency (and final shows this year). In addition to Bonnaroo they turned down the upstart Lock'n festival as well as month long residencies at the Warfield and Radio City. So in the end they went with the familiar promoter but a stadium over three days.   From appearances they've made the best of the situation and settled on a single venue (one insurance policy?) Soldier Field that has great history and resonance with the band.

None of this should make light of what will undoubtedly be a magical occasion over three days of music  The addition of Anastasio but in particular Hornsby is a very smart touch.  While the core four members remarkably stayed consistent over the bands thirty year touring history their keyboardists were akin to Spinal Tap's drummers.  Everyone has their favourite periods and a major factor is who the keyboardist was at the time.  Few would doubt that Hornsby brought something very special during his brief tenure with the Dead and that he had a capacity to bring out greatness in Garcia- embolstering him at a time he very much needed it.

Furthur w. Trey Anastasio perform Workingman's Dead (SBD mp3)

 

(l to r) Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio, Fake Jerry, Phil Lesh

Furthur 9/7/13 Lockn Festival, Arrington VA

Set 1: Uncle John's Band*, High Time*, Dire Wolf*, New Speedway Boogie*, Cumberland Blues*, Black Peter*, Easy Wind*, Casey Jones*^, Bertha^, Truckin^, Other One^, Viola Lee Blues^, Scarlet^ > Fire^

* from full album "Workingman's Dead"
^ with Trey Anastasio
all highlighted links to mp3's

Page McConnell explains his rig

After Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon gave comprehensive tours of their own rigs, pedal arrays, racks and amps (originally aired during the setbreaks of the webcast from their 12/28 and 12/29/12 Madison Square Garden Holiday Run, pianist/organist and chief groupie taster Page McConnell takes us through his own keyboard rig.

 

 

On tour, McConnell plays a Yamaha C7 piano outfitted with hammers from a German Steinway. A Helpinstill pickup run through an Avalon U5 direct box, plus an Earthworks Piano Mic system, feed the P.A. Then there’s the Hammond B-3, Hohner Clavinet, Rhodes, Moog Little Phatty, and Yamaha CS-60. “Since I did my solo record, I’ve been out with the Little Phatty and I really like it,” says McConnell. “Before the Phatty, I used a Moog Source. I’ve had a few different keyboards occupy that particular spot.” His Clavinet got quite a workout at Festival 8 on songs like “Down With Disease” and “Ghost.” “People like the Clav,” he says. “It’s funky and it makes them dance.” The CS-60’s flavor comes in handy for certain moods. “I use it more for the spacious stuff and the ambient or spacey sounds. Pads and textures — I really like the texture of Yamaha’s analog synths. I’ll start with one of the presets, like the flute or brass sound, and mess with it.” However many vintage keyboards he owns, McConnell keeps his live rig tight: “I try not to have more than six keyboards with me.” - KeyboardMag

 

Trey Anastasio Band - Danforth Music Hall, Toronto (setlist)

Trey Anastasio Band, 01/18/2013
Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, Canada

Set 1: Cayman Review, Alive Again, The Land of Nod, Ooh Child*, Spin, Plasma, Last Tube, Frost, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Shine, Scabbard, Valentine, First Tube
Set 2: Money, Love and Change, Pigtail, Gotta Jibboo, Let Me Lie, Night Speaks to a Woman, Small Axe^, Drifting, Goodbye Head, Architect, Sand, Clint Eastwood#, Push On 'Til the Day

Encore: At the Gazebo, Sultans of Swing+

*  Five Stairsteps cover
^  Bob Marley cover
# Gorillaz cover
+ Dire Straits cover 

Trey Anastasio Band Tour 2013

Jan. 18 – Toronto, Ontario, Danforth Music Hall
Jan. 19 – Syracuse, N.Y., Landmark Theatre
Jan. 20 – Portland, Maine, State Theatre
Jan. 23 – Port Chester, N.Y., The Capitol Theatre
Jan. 24 – Port Chester, N.Y., The Capitol Theatre
Jan. 25 – Montclair, N.J., Wellmont Theatre
Jan. 26 – Albany, N.Y., Palace Theatre

Trey Anastasio explains his guitar rig, pedals & effects. Parts 1 & 2

Much to the delight of his fans Trey Anastasio a youtube video has been released explaining his guitar rig, pedals & effects.  The footage was played during the setbreaks of the 12/28 and 12/29 web streams of their vaunted shows at Madison Square Garden.

Anastasio begins with describing with glee his current hollow body Paul Languedoc guitar (the fourth from this luthier he has used throughout his career) with a beautiful Ocelot inlay referencing the song of the same title.  For casual fans it's nice to see a healthy and hale Trey excitedly taking his fans through his basic rig which hasn't as it happens changed too much over the years.

 

Trey Anastasio aids victims swept away by Hurricane Sandy

A photographer for The Gothamist happened to spot Phish frontman Trey Anastasio in Red Hook, Brooklyn distributing diapers and batteries in front of  the flooded 158-year-old Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.  Anastasio was apparently in the area helping a friend whose "house is under water. I've spent the day helping him, pulling out dry wall. It's really bad here. Really bad."