Dead & Company: The Grateful Dead Is Resurrected (Again), This Time With John Mayer *

Not as much recently.

 

Still not my cup of tea, and still don't like Mayer. But glad other people are enjoying their shows. I'll enjoy other, mostly less expensive, shows elsewhere.

 

No wrong or right

 

But I like Mayer w/ Dead & co

 

Wrong that it's not my cup of tea? I've listened, it's not.
You think I like John Mayer? Wrong.
You think it's wrong that I'm glad people enjoy their shows? I think it's wrong that you think people who don't like the same things that I do shouldn't have fun.
Wrong that I'll enjoy other shows? No, I will.

 

Let's take a step back with the "right" and "wrong" stuff here. This is the Dead after all.

That's like saying someone is wrong for preferring '82 to '89.

It's all a matter of which wave moves you the most.

 

A friend bough tix to the NOLA show earlier this year and gave me one, so we went. It was much better than I expected.

 

People that don't like Dead & Co. aren't "wrong." People that don't like the Grateful Dead aren't "wrong."

The fact that I think Mayer is doing a great job is not "right."

 

Anybody heading to the Alpine shows this weekend?

 

So you think John's facial expressions are holding them back?

 

Thankfully, I simply just listen to the shows.

But yes!

 

Mayer is holding them back?! Mayer is a big part of the reason that can play big sheds at large prices. Not that I enjoy large prices.

With all due respect, if you haven't been to one of these shows, you're not really posting an informed opinion. Please start an "I don't like John Mayer playing Dead tunes" thread, or some title the Gorts don't mind, and post in that.

Most people posting here enjoy the shows/music for what the shows are and what the music is. Criticisms here and there are normal, but if you still really don't like Mayer at this point in the band's trajectory such that you feel compelled to make fun of his face, feel free to post elsewhere.

I vote we change this to an appreciation thread if that helps the problem. Short of that, I guess the ignore feature really is vital here.

 

I'm only interested in the music.

It is nice that they can tour and have these big shows, I think that's an important part of the appeal for many/most.


EDIT: Didn’t see most of your post, so here is my continuation:

I like the music, and find value in a lot of it. I listen to most of the shows at some point, have done a live stream or two, etc. Would love to attend but you know how life is.

I think criticism is always helpful for understanding the music better and even appreciating it better. I’m incredibly familiar with Mayer, and not just solo, and I like some of what he does. But man does he throw in some half-baked third rate Clapton/SRV licks where they just don’t work at all.

Jeff has been incredible this tour. I wouldn’t hesitate to rank him as the best Dead keyboardist not names Keith. And Oteil is amazing too, love that he is singing more and love his style within this context of Dead songs.

 

It's wrong to prefer '95 to '74

 

Erik B^

 

That Ripple tonight to end night 1 at Alpine Valley...

 

Picked up the Bonaroo show off iTunes. Over 3 hours of music. Pretty good stuff

 

Bobby!!!

 

I left before the mike slap. A very dull show. The worst of the slow tempos. Bobby phoned in an awful solo somewhere in the first set. He pretty much stopped playing after a few bars.
Only Chimenti had any energy.
Friday night was better.

 

I listened to last night on the radio, and thought CitiField was much better.

Also mentioned on The Grateful Dead Channel during setbreak.........

No fall tour. That's it for the year after Lockn.

 

He was much better at kicking amps

 

That’s too bad, sorry to hear that. A classic venue like Alpine Valley deserves better. Seems like it’s been a good tour so far but I guess an off night is bound to happen every now and then. Wonder if there were any contributing factors.

 

I fully intended to go to Alpine but ended up passing for various reasons. Felt bad about it, as I have mostly liked D&C thus far — and I think Mayer’s doing a fine job — but after listening to most of the second set on the radio last night (Saturday) I don’t feel like missed much.

Friday, with the Viola Lee fest, seems like a more interesting setlist. Maybe I’ll get a copy of that show. Much less than buying tix would’ve been, and I didn’t have to deal with the traffic out of Alpine.

 

Mayer being popular and generating ticket sales and venue sizing has absolutely nothing to do with the talent that appears on the stage as a symbiotic entity and whether any single individual holds another "back." Think 1994 Eagles reunion

Ive always disagreed with the oft toted deadhead mantra that "you can't critique if weren't there" approach. In fact I kinda think its the opposite when it comes to the music itself, if you weren't there you dont have "attendance bias" and weren't invested in the performance so are much better positioned to offer an objective view. There were many shows I walked out of going "wow that was great" only to realize later upon more objective listening, not so much... My friends back home who didnt go were able to come to that conclusion much sooner then I

 

Had a great time Friday. Mellow crowd, didn't rain. Saturday night brought out the drunken yahoos, which never helps.
The first set guest didn't bring much extra to the table (Justin Vernon - never heard of him, is in Bon Iver).