Dead & Company set dates for 2017 Fall Tour

The music of the Grateful Dead truly lives on through the powerful performances of Dead & Company. Read my review of the group's terrific performance at Irvine Meadows in July 2016 here. I first caught the band earlier that year at a strong performance at the Fabulous Forum; you can read my review of that show here.

Check out the media release before on details on the troupe's next series of concert dates...

Tickets on Sale Beginning Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 10 a.m.

Fresh off their highly acclaimed summer tour, DEAD & COMPANY has added a fall leg to its 2017 tour beginning with two shows at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, November 12, and Tuesday, November 14, and running through Friday, December 8, at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Tickets go on sale for most concerts starting Saturday, September 16, at 10 AM through Ticketmaster, unless otherwise noted. Tickets for the Orlando and Sunrise concerts go on sale Saturday, September 23, at 10 AM. A full listing of tour dates can be found below.

Dead & Company performing at Irvine Meadows on July 26, 2016.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The celebrated group features original Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir alongside singer/guitarist John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Continuing in the tradition of the Grateful Dead, the group draws from the Dead’s vast catalog of songs and is taking the iconic music catalogue to new heights.

To ensure fans get tickets in their hands directly, Fan Registration will be available for the fall tour dates beginning today, September 7, at Noon ET, through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program; supplies are limited, further information here. Presale opportunities will be available beginning Tuesday, September 12, at 10 AM.  

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, September 12, at noon through Friday, September 15, at 10 PM in all markets except in Orlando and Sunrise, Florida. In Orlando and Sunrise, American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public Tuesday, September 19, at noon through Friday, September 22, at 10 PM.

Dead & Company has once again partnered with CID Entertainment to offer VIP Experiences & Seamless Packages on tour including a premium concert ticket with early venue entry, a limited edition, screen printed poster, and a commemorative concert ticket and case. For full package details, visit CID Entertainment.

Check deadandcompany.com for complete ticketing information.

The inaugural Dead & Company tour, in the fall of 2015, kicked off with two sold-out shows at the legendary Madison Square Garden, which Billboard dubbed as "magical,” followed by three highly successful U.S. tours. Dead & Company is “potent enough to enrapture the faithful and convert the skeptical” (Boston Globe).

Dead & Company Fall Tour 2017 Dates:

SUN    12-Nov             New York, NY            Madison Square Garden                 

TUE     14-Nov            New York, NY            Madison Square Garden     

THU    16-Nov            Philadelphia, PA        Wells Fargo Center**

FRI      17-Nov             Boston, MA                TD Garden    

TUE     21-Nov            Washington D.C.       Capital One Arena    

WED   22-Nov            Hartford, CT               XL Center**

FRI      24-Nov           Detroit, MI                  Little Caesars Arena 

SAT     25-Nov            Columbus, OH           Nationwide Arena    

TUE     28-Nov           Charlotte, NC             Spectrum Center      

WED   29-Nov           Atlanta, GA                 Philips Arena 

FRI      1-Dec               Dallas, TX                   American Airlines Center    

SAT     2-Dec              Austin, TX                   Frank Erwin Center**

TUE     5-Dec              New Orleans, LA       Smoothie King Center          

THU    7-Dec              Orlando, FL                Amway Center++     

FRI      8-Dec              Sunrise, FL                 BB&T Center++

**Tickets are not available through Ticketmaster for these concerts.

++Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 23, at 10 AM.

Dead & Company conjure up past glories in Irvine

Dead and Company perform at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on July 26, 2016.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

EDITOR'S NOTE: Robert Kinsler's review originally was posted on The Orange County Register Web site on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. A special "thank you" to Bob Steshetz for the use of his awesome photographs taken at the performance.

John Mayer performing at Irvine Meadows.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

Dead & Company
Where: Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
When: Tuesday, July 26

What may have started as little more than a one-off tribute to the Grateful Dead in late 2015 has developed into something special. Launched by founding Grateful Dead singer-guitarist Bob Weir and modern-day singer-guitar hero John Mayer, the aptly-dubbed Dead & Company performed a marathon-length performance before an enthusiastic and near-capacity retro-attired crowd at Irvine Meadows on Tuesday night. In addition to those celebrated talents, Dead & Company features founding Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart (drums) and Bill Kreutzmann (drums), as well as bassist Oteil Burbridge and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. 

As strong as the troupe was in a headlining tour stop at The Forum last December (READ THAT REVIEW HERE), the Irvine performance easily outdistanced that show. While both performances clocked in at about 3-1/2 hours (including a 40-minute intermission) and each allowed ample time for the band to revisit a plethora of Dead favorites, there was a musical explosiveness that set the outdoor date in Irvine apart. 

Bob Weir at Irvine Meadows.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

Opening with the laid-back blues-rock gem "Cold Rain and Snow," Mayer's nuanced lead vocals and sterling guitar work were a perfect fit with the band's loose jam approach. The follow-up song "Jack Straw," allowed Mayer and Weir to share lead vocals; the psychedelic blues vibe allowed the song to build from a more sparse section to a stronger rock 'n' roll finale, with Mayer's speedy guitar leads blending beautifully with Chimenti's fluid playing on a grand piano.

Songs frequently stretched to 10 minutes or more, and while that might not work for simple compositions, Dead & Company's prowess to blend solos amidst intricate textures in involving and hypnotic ways kept things interesting. While blues is at the heart of much of the band's sound, the infusion of rock, jazz, folk, psychedelic and even gospel elements made sure things never got boring.

John Mayer, left, and Bob Weir.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The Delta blues-tinged "Big Boss Man" was a key highlight of the group's first set, with Mayer proving that even when using a clean (non-distorted) tone on his electric guitar, he could tear it up. Both solos in the song allowed him to showcase his speedy and affecting lead guitar work. The next tune, the New Orleans-styled "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo," was marked by the beautiful vocal harmonies blended by Mayer and Weir. 

The second half of the concert offered just as much magic, allowing the crowd to cheer and sway to the rhythms during potent performances of "Fire on the Mountain," "Dark Star," and a flat-out rocking "U.S. Blues" that closed out the second set.

The memorable and fast-moving encore included a beautiful version of "Brokedown Palace" with Mayer and Weir once again blending their voices as the gospel Americana soundscape played out around them.

Dead & Company at the end of their concert.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

With Weir on lead vocals, Dead & Company wrapped up the magical night with a rollicking cover of Chuck Berry's iconic "Johnny B. Goode," Mayer once again unleashing masterful guitar work while Chimenti pounded away on his keyboards and the talented band of players infused the song with layers of rhythm and textures in true Dead fashion. 


Robert Kinsler

Sights and Sounds: Blur, The Guess Who, Bill Kreutzmann, Steve Earle

Happy Friday everybody! While I will be trying to catch up on a few more Academy Awards-minded movies over the weekend leading up to the Oscars (I caught the James Brown biopic Get On Up last week and do recommend that one), I still wanted to share a few bits of music news headed into the weekend!

You can stream "Go Out" from Blur's forthcoming album The Magic Whip via the link here.

Audio Fidelity has announced plans to release The Best Of The Guess Who on limited edition 4.0 Quad Hybrid SACD.

Here are highlights of the media release on the forthcoming release, as well as a look at the great cover artwork too:

Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing The Guess Who's The Best Of The Guess Who album on Limited Edition 4.0 Quad Hybrid SACD in April 2015. They didn't have street cred; they didn't look like stars; and they weren't considered "cool" by the ultra hip and snooty underground FM rock crowd. But over the course of their career, The Guess Who created some of the most transcendent and electrifying pop music of the Seventies. The Guess Who stubbornly flew in the face of fashion, trends, and the flourishing progressive rock movement, and built an enduring body of work that illuminates their status as immensely gifted pop rock practitioners.

Though influenced by the British Invasion, The Guess Who were purely Canadian rockers. The band scored a string of Top Ten hits in the late '60s and early '70s, including the psychedelic-romantic smash "These Eyes" and the riff-rocking anthem "American Woman." The band was a huge success in the States and even performed at President Nixon's inaugural ball (with the acerbic "American Woman" conspicuously omitted from the set list).

Burton Cummings' throaty baritone vocals and guitarist Randy Bachman's theatrical riffs gave the band their versatile sound - and their rocking classics sound as vital today as they did when they were first released.

As a special bonus that audiophiles and fans alike are sure to enjoy, Audio Fidelity has included in each package a miniature version of the coveted psychedelic poster that was contained in the original 1971 vinyl album release!

Track Listings

1. These Eyes

2. Laughing

3. Undun

4. No Time

5. American Woman

6. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature

7. Hand Me Down World

8. Bus Rider

9. Share The Land

10. Do You Miss Me Darlin'?

11. Hang On To Your Life

Mastered dual Channel SACD from all original masters by Steve Hoffman at Stephen Marsh Mastering

Original Recordings Produced by Jack Richardson for Nimbus 9

Recording Engineer: Brian Christian

For more information: https://audiofidelity.net/product/guess-whothe-best-guess-who

Bill Kreutzmann, a founding member and drummer for every one of The Grateful Dead's 2,300+ concerts, has penned a memoir DEAL: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead (St. Martin's Press) set for release on May 5, 2015. 

The tell-all book will provide Kreutzmann to reflect on the band's 50th anniversary while recalling sharing the stage with his legendary band mates as well as the fabled likes of Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and The Who.

Visit his official Facebook page here or his Web site here for all the details.

Finally, writer George A. Paul has posted a great roundup including a mini-review of Steve Earle's excellent Terraplane album (available now via New West Records).
You can read my previously-published review of Earle's latest disc here on the MusicNewsNashville.com site.