Grateful Dead - 50th Anniversary Speculation

The Dead officially turned 49 a few days ago. In a January interview with Rolling Stone (below), Bob Weir seems to at least hint at a tour of sorts - aside from this, how do you see the band's organization commemorating the milestone? What would you like to see happen from from a release standpoint? What kind of events might be interesting for the fans?

The Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary is coming up in 2015. Is it a chance for you to look back and get sentimental?
Let me start by saying that I'm already in my 50th year, so this is an ongoing process. We have to do something commemorative. I think we owe it to the fans, we owe it to the songs, we owe it to ourselves. If there are issues we have to get past, I think that we owe it to ourselves to man up and get past them. If there are hatchets to be buried, then let's get to work. Let's start digging. I'll just say, to my delicate sensibilities, that it would be wrong to let that go by un-commemorated.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...we-owe-it-to-the-songs-20140130#ixzz31pxbb8TM

 

This is about as vaporous as rumors come, so take it as such, but I have an acquaintance who works for Phil. The last couple of times I've run into him over the last month at Terrapin Crossroads, he's said the exact same thing: some sort of full band tour for 2014 is under discussion.

 

To add to the speculation, would Warren Haynes be back in the fold?

 

no Haynes please.....he Haynesfies all the bands he's ever in....

much prefer John K.


you know they'll tour for it.... I'm guessing with John K...... his Jerry is even better than Bobby's and that has to count for a lot.

 

I saw a tour of Phil Lesh and Friends when Robben Ford was playing guitar in the band. He was nailing all the Jerry Garcia runs. He would be a great choice to tour with them.

 

Of course the Dead will tour in 2015. Jeeeeezus... The only unknown is who will phil in for Jerry. It'll probably be one of the axe-men already mentioned.

 

The keyboard spot could be a question too.........unless Further etc. has had a consistent person (I haven't been following).

 

i would go in a heartbeat

 

bruce hornsby should fill the spot

 

Ah yeah. I forgot that... How 'bout Hornsby?

 

And its gotta be someone who can sing, otherwise its all Bobby and Phil. Unless they bring Donna along for the ride. She could screech her way through the rest of the catalog she didn't trash in her first round. What better way to exonerate the Scarlets of yesteryear than with a 2015 version of France?



I'd prefer they honor the legacy with a ridiculously expansive box set IMO YMMV...(but yes I would be there for sure )

 

I suppose you're right......but he prefers playing piano to (electric) keys.

 

Stoner alert: I meant *2015*, not '14.

 

who's john k?

 

Was sort of hoping to discuss some of the other possibilities other than a tour.

Anyone have anything on the wishlist? A certain box set, another GD at the movies, an event of some kind?

 

I enjoy all things Grateful Dead, subscribe to Dave's Picks... so don't get me wrong I'm alway down for new Dead. But is there really anything in the Grateful Dead archives not readily available at this point that is really worth longing for? If I spent the rest of my life only listening to the Grateful Dead I'd have a hard time listening to even half of what is out there. The upcoming MoFi releases interest me, but I'm sure this isn't something the masses are excited about. I think the most respectful thing the Dead can do for the 50th anniversary is not turn it into a money grab.

 

Off the top of my head - Box set with a complete show from every year, Summer or Fall 1970 box, Spring or Summer 1973 box, Summer 79 box, Misc 80's box, 1985 Twenty Years So Far box, Greek Theater box, Red Rocks box

 

some more shows from 1993-1995 would be nice even though they aren't up to par with what came before that

 

Vinyl version of Europe '72:The Complete Recordings would be great (and probably very, very expensive).

 

They haven't really done anything like a money grab yet, so I wouldn't really expect them to start now. In fact, I'd say Dead releases have pretty much been the opposite of money grabs.

 

yes, there are still completely uncirculated shows, shows in need of major upgrades, unreleased multi-tracks recordings (like 8/21-22/68), etc. Some of the releases have been stumbling blocks, but others have completely nailed it (E'72 box, 11/17/73).

Touring wise, frankly, I could care less what they do live anymore….I have been let down so many times by post-Garcia incarnations, I refuse to invest in any of it anymore at this point.

 

A Red Rox Box (RRB)...

 

Whatever happened to Keith's SYF piano? Let Bruce play that...

 

Don't you mean a Hartbeat?

 

Doesn't it seem like yesterday we were talking about 20 years so far? Where does the time go??