Written by Richie Oliver
Photo by Ed Perlstein
This year, it’s getting harder and harder to find things that we’re thankful for. With a global pandemic, it’s important that we find things, both big and small, to find thanks in, and personally, I’m thankful for Dead and Company.
Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, ending the Grateful Dead’s 30-year touring career. To me, Jerry Garcia’s passing is one of the biggest losses to music, as he pioneered the improvisational guitar movement.
Garcia took guitar solos to new heights, communing with celestial beings. Going on 10-minute solos, he encapsulated his audience, keeping them in the palm of his hand for the whole show.
Garcia’s voice was equally as intriguing, as it was both haunting and invigorating at the same time. He played each show like it was his last, and if it weren’t for Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey, Billy, Pigpen, Keith, Donna, Brent, Tom, and Bruce, the Grateful Dead wouldn’t be what it is today; a global phenomenon without ever hitting the charts.
After Jerry’s passing, the “core four” as they were called (Bob Weir on vocals and rhythm guitar, Phil Lesh on vocals and bass, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman on drums), started different projects to keep the music of the Dead alive. These projects were called many things, like “The Dead,” a shortened version of the Grateful Dead, “The Other Ones,” named after the most played song in the Dead’s catalog, and most famously, “Furthur,” named after Ken Kesey’s bus of merry pranksters, who traversed the country on acid-filled trips both literally and figuratively.
After Phil Lesh left the group, all the members tackled their own side projects. In 2015, the “core four” reunited for three final shows as the Grateful Dead at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, 20 years after Jerry Garcia played his final show with the Dead before his passing.
Called “Fare Thee Well,” these shows were bittersweet, and as I watched from my couch, I knew that this might be the end of the Grateful Dead. I wasn’t ready for it to end.
Before the final shows of the Dead, John Mayer was set to be the guest host of “The Late Late Show,” after Craig Ferguson left and before the show would find Stephen Colbert to replace. John Mayer had Bob Weir on the show to discuss the upcoming “Fare Thee Well” shows.
As part of having Weir on the show, Mayer joined him to play “Althea,” a Jerry standard from the Dead days. Who knew that this would spark a rebirth for the music and legacy of the Grateful Dead?
Starting that fall, John Mayer joined Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzman, Oteil Burgridge, and Jeff Chimenti to form Dead and Company, sometimes shortened to Dead & Co. Starting with one show on Halloween, Dead & Co. would expand that to a full tour.
Now, with 4 tours under their belt, Dead & Co. shows no sign of stopping. Although currently canceled because of COVID-19, the band looks to continue touring once the pandemic is over.
I am thankful for Dead and Company because they brought life back into the Dead’s timeless music. What once felt like days past has been reborn; John Mayer’s energy and vigor have brought back the feeling of Dead shows from the 1970s, and I never want it to end.
As I mentioned in a past article, Dead & Co. have been utilizing the livestream format to share past shows with their audience who now have to stay at home because of COVID-19. They have also been uploading different songs from live shows to their YouTube channel, making their music now accessible to everyone in the world; with thousands of views per video, Dead & Co are sharing the music of the Grateful Dead with a newer audience.
Growing up, I could never find people my age who were into the Grateful Dead. Now that John Mayer is making music with them, I am now seeing John Mayer fans growing more and more into Deadheads.
Thank you, Dead and Company, for keeping us grooving through this year. Though it’s been hard, you have kept us truckin’ along.
Dead and Company's music is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can support them by following them on Twitter @DeadAndCompany or picking up some merch. Let us know what bands you're thankful for by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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