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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Oteil Burbridge on touring with Dead & Company, and drumming with Bill Walton
'Oteil From Egypt' to fans (despite the fact he grew up in D.C.) has long struck me as being cut from the same cosmic-cloth as the late great Walton often Advertisement It's a vibe Burbridge, 60, gives off in spades. Grateful for the music, seer of the magic, a childlike passion in his bones, a believer of fairy tales. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up When I asked Burbridge about Walton, the Dead's biggest (at 6 feet 11 inches) Deadhead, he pauses. 'You know the movie ' I do. 'That's what my life with the Dead feels like,' Burbridge tells me. ' is true. It is magical. It is a fairy tale, and it is your real life. That's how Bill made me feel.' Advertisement Almost a year to the day since the death of the Boston Celtics' I called the two-time Grammy winner at his South Florida home. We talked giants, magic, fairy tales, goblins, devils — and that giant magic fairy tale of a cultural phenomenon: the Grateful Dead. Q. So you're A. Melvin Seals is so great, man. God, you see why Jerry had him for 18 years. Last September, [when] I was touring with Melvin, my mom was really sick. It was agonizing. Being with Melvin — it was magic. He's a magician. An actual magician. Anybody that can turn that kind of darkness around is doing magic, period. He's Albus Dumbledore. Q. You've played Boston with a few bands. A. I first played Boston back with [the first band I joined] Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit. It's a music town. There's a Boston audience for whatever you do. But Boston is the worst friggin' city to drive a tour bus through. But I'm sure you've heard that a thousand times, so I won't go on. Q. We have some narrow streets. A. You need to come in on a horse and buggy. Q. I saw on Instagram you played a replica of called ' Advertisement A. Oh, man, that was a trip. My nickname is 'Oteil from Egypt' — Col. Bruce Hampton gave me that because my name is Egyptian. I've always been into Egyptian iconography, history, religion. So that was cosmic: Oteil From Egypt Plays Osiris. In the pro-wrestling world, we call that a crowd Q. Crowds shout 'Oteil from Egypt,' I see it all the time online. Do you have any Egyptian connection? A. No. My parents are both American. They gave us all African names, because their names were super Wonder Bread. My [late musician] brother was Q. I love that. Can you remember first being drawn to music as a kid? A. I can't, because my parents were music fanatics. My dad's religion was music. My mom put headphones on her stomach when she was pregnant, so I heard Miles and Coltrane in the womb. When I wasn't even fully formed, that stuff was vibrating my cells . I have zero memories without Elvin Jones and Max Roach. Q. They were jazz drumming greats — you started on drums at age 5. A. Honestly, I think that's why I get hired so much on bass: I know how to play with a drummer. Q. You even got officially A. I was told about this 'Horning Ceremony.' I said, 'That sounds suspicious, bro.' When Advertisement Q. So as a kid, you acted, but you told me 'TV was icky business.' You also danced. A. I actually wanted to be a dancer, but Q. I had that as a kid. That's wicked painful. Is that why you switched to music? A. Exactly. I couldn't play drums because of Osgood-Schlatter, so I picked up my brother's bass. I was gunning to get in Kofi's band so I tried to musically assassinate his bass player [laughs]. I always say 'Music isn't a competition!' It's like, yeah, that's [expletive]. I should stop saying that. Q. Joining Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann's trio, BK3 was your first direct Dead connection. A. Mike said he thought I should play with Billy and get my feet wet in the Grateful Dead waters. It was so sincere. I was like, 'You know what? I'm down, man.' Q. I love that you connected with [Dead bassist] A. I wish I'd had more of a relationship with him, but I got some quality time. We had some extended private conversations, where I could ask things that would not leave the room. I'm super grateful for that. Q. It must have been special to see those guys get the A. Those are some of my Advertisement Q. Did you feel intimidated joining? A. Yes and no. I mean, the Burbridge family motto is 'We do it afraid.' Q. That's a good T-shirt. A. Walking out your door is intimidating. You just have to do your homework. When you have a band that's been together for 50 years, there's a lot of homework. You cut the pie up and eat one piece at a time. Q. Did Walton ever get to see Dead & Co at the Sphere? A. No, man. I was in the gym at the Sphere and [the news of his death] came on ESPN. Thank god I got to spend so much time with Bill. He'd say things like: 'Oteil, I was a far better person after I stopped competing. When I was competing, all I wanted to do was win.' Just really beautiful stuff. Q. I interviewed him and he had this innocent, childlike way of saying profound things. A. Yes! He loved to play drums. He'd say: 'Can I set up drums and play with you? You don't have to mic 'em.' I have pictures of him playing drums with Oteil & Friends, grinning from ear to ear. To have that joy and gratitude — it's inspiring. JERRY GARCIA SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION Featuring Melvin Seals, Jacklyn La Branch, Oteil Burbridge, Tom Hamilton, John Morgan Kimock, and Lady Chi. 7:30 p.m., June 3 and 4, Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Interview was edited and condensed. Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@ Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at Advertisement
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Dead and Company announce three Golden Gate Park shows. Get tickets now
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. The Dead are returning to their birthplace. From Aug. 1-3, Dead and Company will headline three huge back-to-back-to-back concerts at San Francisco's Polo Field in the iconic Golden Gate Park to celebrate their 60th anniversary. According to a press release 'fans can look forward to an incredible series of performances, featuring unique sets by Dead & Company each night.' Advertisement In addition to delivering different songs at all three gigs, Bob Weir, John Mayer and co. will be joined by a new opening guest every evening. On Friday, Aug. 1, Billy Strings will handle opening duties. The next night, Sturgill 'Johnny Blue Skies' Simpson takes over. Finally, the Trey Anastasio Band featuring Phish's frontman closes things out on Sunday, August 3. These shows come on the heels of the Rock Hall of Fame group's second residency at Las Vegas Sphere (which followed their alleged 2023 retirement). At their most recent gig, they played 18 songs including fan favorites like 'Casey Jones,' 'Scarlet Begonias' and 'Fire on the Mountain' as well as a few Bob Dylan covers and their take on Jimmy Cliff's reggae classic 'The Harder They Come.' If you'd like to catch this one-of-a-kind live show featuring Weir, Mayer, Mickey Hart, bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and drummer Jay Lane, tickets can be yours as soon as today. Advertisement Fans can purchase tickets for all upcoming Dead and Company shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the three Golden Gate Park shows is Friday, May 30. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. Dead and Company Golden Gate Park tickets 2025 A complete calendar including all Dead and Company Golden Gate Park show dates, special guests and links to buy tickets can be found below. Advertisement Dead and Company special guests As noted above, the classic rockers are sharing the stage with a number of sonically adventurous icons in their own right over the three-night stint. In the off chance you're not familiar with their work, here's each artist's most streamed song on Spotify (and information about their tours): Dead and Company set list Advertisement At their first show back at Sphere after the 2024 run, Dead and Company played 18 songs. For a closer look, you can find them below, courtesy of Set List FM. Set I 01.) 'Gimme Some Lovin'' (The Spencer Davis Group cover) (Live debut by D&C) 02.) 'Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo' (Grateful Dead cover) 03.) 'Bertha' (Grateful Dead cover) 04.) 'New Speedway Boogie' (Grateful Dead cover) 05.) 'Brown-Eyed Women' (Grateful Dead cover) 06.) 'Good Lovin'' (The Olympics cover) 07.) 'Don't Ease Me In' (Henry Thomas cover) Set II 08.) 'Feel Like a Stranger' (Grateful Dead cover) 09.) 'Scarlet Begonias' (Grateful Dead cover) 10.) 'Fire on the Mountain' (Grateful Dead cover) 11.) 'Terrapin Station' (Grateful Dead cover) 12.) 'Drums' (Grateful Dead cover) 13.) 'Space' (Grateful Dead cover) 14.) 'Standing on the Moon' (Grateful Dead cover) 15.) 'Althea' (Grateful Dead cover) 16.) 'Going Down the Road Feeling Bad' ([traditional] cover) 17.) 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' (Bob Dylan cover) Dead Forever Video Clip (Featuring Phil Lesh) 18.) 'Touch of Grey' (Grateful Dead cover) Dead and Company members The latest iteration of the long-running band will feature these six music vets: Bob Weir rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals (2015–) (Grateful Dead 1965–1995) Mickey Hart – percussion, drums (2015–) (Grateful Dead 1967–71; 1974–1995) John Mayer – lead guitar, lead and backing vocals (2015–) Jeff Chimenti – keyboards, backing vocals (2015–2023) Oteil Burbridge – bass, percussion, backing and lead vocals (2015–) Jay Lane – drums (2023–) (occasional sub for Kreutzmann 2021–2022) Original Grateful Dead member Bill Kreutzmann is sitting out this round of shows. Phil Lesh passed away Oct. 25 at 84-years-old. Huge jam bands on tour in 2025 Weir, Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia essentially created the template for freewheeling, improvisatory rock back in the '60s. Advertisement Over the years, many acts have followed their lead and created their own version of the 'no two set lists are the same' spectacle. Here are just five of our anything goes favorites you won't want to miss live this year. • Phish • Dave Matthews Band Advertisement • Goose • String Cheese Incident • Widespread Panic Who else is out and about this year? Check out our list of all the biggest classic rockers on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. Advertisement This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
San Francisco Chronicle
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Grateful Dead fans demand San Francisco concert ticket info from city officials
Grateful Dead fans are eager to secure tickets for this summer's Dead & Company concerts at Golden Gate Park. But so far, no one knows when — or how — tickets will be released. Some fans are so anxious for answers, they're showing up at City Hall to ask directly. On Thursday, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission unanimously approved permits for the band's three-night event, scheduled for Aug. 1–3, marking the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. During the public comment portion of the meeting, one fan, Johnny Greavu, stepped up to ask what thousands of Deadheads have been wondering. 'There's going to be massive demand for this. How are tickets gonna be distributed?' Greavu asked. 'Is there gonna be some sort of lottery, are tickets gonna go on sale at a certain date? This is going to be crazy.' Commissioners, citing protocol, told him they couldn't respond. But Greavu continued pressing them on the matter anyway. 'Where is Shakedown gonna be?' he asked, referring to the makeshift marketplace that has long accompanied Dead shows. 'That should be planned.' Though questions went unanswered, the commission's approval clears the way for what is expected to be one of the city's largest cultural events of the year. Attendance is expected to reach 60,000 people per day at the Polo Fields. In a social media post after the meeting, the Recreation and Park Department confirmed the vote, adding that further details from Dead & Company would be announced soon. A department spokesperson referred ticket inquiries to event promoters Another Planet Entertainment and Live Nation, who also said details would be shared soon but did not provide immediate information on Friday. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who introduced the concert proposal earlier this week, called the event a tribute to the city's musical legacy and a potential economic boon.
San Francisco Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco 49ers players join Dead & Company backstage at Las Vegas Sphere
The San Francisco 49ers swapped their red and gold jerseys for tie-dye T-shirts this past weekend, taking a team field trip to the Las Vegas Sphere to see Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead offshoot currently in the final leg of its celebrated residency. Running back Christian McCaffrey, tight ends George Kittle and Jake Tonges, defensive end Nick Bosa and fullback Kyle Juszczyk were among the players who documented the psychedelic experience online. 'Grateful Dead with the boys,' wrote Kittle in an Instagram post Monday, May 12, showing the players backstage with founding Dead member Bob Weir and drummer Jay Lane. 'Kittle pumpin me up pre show,' Lane, a San Francisco native, wrote in an Instagram post. 'Had to chill or i would've demolished my drums.' The players, decked out in band merchandise, appeared to fully embrace the moment. '10/10 would recommend,' Tonges wrote. 'I get it,' added Juszczyk in a comment, suggesting a newfound appreciation for the jam band. Also spotted at the show was actor Jonah Hill, who is attached to portray Jerry Garcia in an upcoming Martin Scorsese-directed biopic on the Dead for Apple TV, along with producer Matt Dines. Though the project has seen delays, Hill's appearance has reignited interest in its future. The Sphere experience may not be the 49ers' last brush with the Dead this year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bobby Weir (@bobweir) On Monday, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced plans — pending final approval — for Dead & Company to perform a three-night run in Golden Gate Park on August 1-3, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. Weir, a longtime Bay Area fixture, is no stranger to the 49ers' home turf. He has performed at Levi's Stadium and was seen on the sidelines during the NFC Championship Game in January 2024.
Axios
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Dead & Company to return to San Francisco
San Franciscans will have the chance to re-experience the Grateful Dead's most renowned hits at a "once-in-a-generation musical celebration" this summer commemorating the band's 60th anniversary. Why it matters: The homegrown, psychedelic rock band, founded in Palo Alto in 1965, was a pioneer in the counterculture movement and remains a Bay Area fan favorite decades later. Driving the news: Mayor Daniel Lurie on Monday announced plans for a three-day concert series with Dead & Company, a spinoff group with longtime Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, at Golden Gate Park's Polo Fields from Aug. 1-3. The event is part of a wider effort to expand cultural and musical events in San Francisco to help boost business activity. The concert series will be Dead & Company's first public performance outside their ongoing Las Vegas residency since 2023, when the band ended its farewell tour at Oracle Park. It will also mark the first anniversary after bassist Phil Lesh's death and will coincide with the birthday of late founding member Jerry Garcia. What they're saying:"Golden Gate Park and the Grateful Dead share a rich, intertwined history that helped shape a cultural era," San Francisco Recreation and Park general manager Phil Ginsburg said in a statement. "Celebrating their 60th anniversary with a Dead and Company performance in the very place where the Summer of Love took root is a powerful tribute to their legacy." The intrigue: The concert series is the first big entertainment-related initiative he has spearheaded that isn't an extension of former Mayor London Breed's portfolio. It's expected to draw about 180,000 attendees, with potential to generate tens of millions of dollars for the local economy, according to the mayor's office. The band's three-day run in San Francisco in 2023 produced $31 million in economic revenue. Catch up quick: As an offshoot of Grateful Dead, Dead & Company honors the jam band's eclectic psychedelic style by playing covers of songs that have come to define the city's 1960s counterculture era. Though the group officially disbanded after Garcia died in 1995, surviving members have gone on to perform in various offshoots, including as The Other Ones, The Dead, Furthur and, most recently, Dead & Company. Between the lines: Dead & Company pays homage to the band's non-commercial approach to music through improvisation in live performances and an emphasis on experimental sound — a blend of folk, blues, rock, reggae and more — that has long drawn diehard Deadheads while resonating with today's younger audiences.
