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USA Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Grateful Dead to mark 60th anniversary with three shows: How to get tickets
SAN FRANCISCO – The long strange trip is proving to be even longer than anyone thought. The Grateful Dead, this city's iconic band with roots in the psychedelic era, has plans to return to one of its most legendary performance locales to celebrate 60 years since its 1965 founding. Golden Gate Park, which sits in the city's center and was a magnet for rock and theater performances of all kinds in the '60s, will host three shows by Dead & Company – the name given to what remains of the original band plus current guests – at the park's Polo Fields Aug. 1, 2 and 3. Artist presale tickets open at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET May 28, with fans able to register for three-day tickets. The general on-sale for three-day tickets begins May 30 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET with prices starting at $635 ($556 + $79 fees). Single-day tickets will be available soon starting at $245 ($209 + $36 fees). In the late '60s, the band used to play free concerts in and around Golden Gate Park, which was not far from their group home and headquarters near the corners of Haight and Ashbury streets. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Now, guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart continue to perform with John Mayer playing lead guitar and singing, longtime collaborator Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, former Allman Brothers staple Oteil Burbridge on bass and Jay Lane on drums with Hart. Guitarist Jerry Garcia died in 1995 at age 53, bass player Phil Lesh died in 2024 at 84, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann, 79, stepped back from performing with the group in 2023. Each night of the three-show celebratory run will begin with 75-minute opening sets. Billy Strings will take the stage on the first night, followed by Sturgill 'Johnny Blue Skies' Simpson on Aug. 2 and the Trey Anastasio Band Aug. 3. VIP Tickets include expedited entry and a dedicated upfront viewing area with exclusive bar access. Also included are premium food vendors, full-service bars, upgraded restrooms and an elevated lounge with bleacher seating, according to the promoters. News of the anniversary concerts was first revealed May 13 by San Francisco's new mayor Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. Lurie has been making waves since taking over as mayor early this year with efforts to tackle some of the legendary city's most pressing problems such as rampant homelessness and a moribund city center. The Dead & Company concerts are part of an effort to attract more high profile events to the city. 'From Haight-Ashbury and the Grateful Dead house to Ingleside, where Jerry Garcia grew up, the Grateful Dead is embedded in San Francisco's history,' Lurie announced in a statement. 'Sixty years later, we're still enjoying their music. ... This is more than just a concert, it's a San Francisco homecoming.'
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Grateful Dead Keep Missing No. 1, But Only Barely
The Grateful Dead scores another Billboard win with Dave's Picks, Volume 54, which debuts at No. 2 ... More on the Top Album Sales chart — the band's tenth time stalling in the runner-up spot. The Grateful Dead, 1970 (clockwise): Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Mickey Hart and Jerry Garcia during the Music File Photos - The 1970s - by Chris Walter at the Music File Photos 1970's in Various Cities, United Kingdom. (P The Grateful Dead crafted a unique business model that continues to generate revenue and produce chart wins, decades after the band stopped releasing new music. Over the years the musicians were together, the beloved jam band played countless live shows, and most of them were recorded for posterity's sake. No one could have expected all those years ago how valuable those recordings would be decades later. Now, an archival team working with the musicians delivers multiple live recordings every year. Each is offered in limited quantities, and each and every one of them becomes a commercial success. This week, the group returns to the Billboard charts with another bestselling title. While the new title opens in a lofty position, the release underlines a frustrating trend for the legendary act. Dave's Picks, Volume 54: Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, MD - 3/26/73 debuts on four Billboard rankings. It opens highest on the Top Album Sales chart, which ranks the bestselling full-lengths and EPs in the U.S. Thanks to nearly 19,500 pure purchases (per Luminate), the Grateful Dead starts its latest archival recording at No. 2 — just missing out on another No. 1 on the competitive tally. This latest entry marks the tenth release by the Grateful Dead to stall at No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart. Most musical acts never collect 10 top 10 bestsellers in total—let alone see double-digit projects peak just one spot shy of the throne. The fact that the band has accumulated so many major wins is impressive, though it must also be frustrating to come so close to the summit time and again without securing the top spot. Even for musicians who aren't typically concerned with commercial metrics, this recurring outcome likely resonates. Here is a list of all of the Grateful Dead albums that have peaked at No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart: Dave's Picks, Volume 54 also lands inside the top 10 on two other Billboard rankings. In addition to its runner-up showing on the Top Album Sales chart, the collection kicks off its time on the Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums lists at Nos. 4 and 6, respectively. The full-length also breaks into the top 40 on the Billboard 200, launching at No. 35. To date, the Grateful Dead has earned 130 placements on the Top Album Sales chart. Of those, 46 have reached the top 10. Remarkably, only one release has ever managed to top the tally. That long-overdue win came in February 2024, when Dave's Picks, Volume 49 became the group's first — and so far, only — chart-topper.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Jerry Garcia was my soulmate… we relied on each other,' says Grateful Dead founding member Bobby Weir
'What a long, strange trip it's been' for the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir – or Bobby Weir, as he goes by these days. As Deadheads among you will know, that immortal line comes from one of their best loved songs, Truckin'. 6 6 A Weir co-write with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and lyricist Robert Hunter, the bluesy, steady-rolling shuffle has been recognised by the United States Library Of Congress as 'a national treasure'. The same accolade applies to Weir himself. It was he who took lead vocals on the song which references a drugs raid at the band's hotel on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, in 1970. At 77, he is chief keeper of the Dead's flame, performing their music as leader of two bands, Dead & Company and Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. It is the second of these offshoots that us British Deadheads (yes, I count myself among them) are getting excited about. On June 21, Weir is heading to the UK for the first time in 22 years, the last time being with another of his post-Dead bands, RatDog. He and Wolf Bros — Don Was (bass), Jeff Chimenti (piano) and Jay Lane (drums) — are taking to the Royal Albert Hall's hallowed stage with the 68-piece Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. They will present reimagined songs from what Weir describes as 'the Dead songbook' and a sprinkling of compositions from his solo career. And that's the reason why I'm on a video call to one of America's most intriguing and long-serving musicians. It's a fine spring evening in London and an equally balmy lunchtime on the West Coast, where a clear blue sky frames Weir's distinctive, distinguished features. 'A sense of being' His swept-back grey/white hair with matching walrus moustache and beard, as well as his piercing brown eyes, give him the air of one of rock's elder statesman. But, before we get stuck into his symphonic London show, it's time for a Grateful Dead recap. It's important to note that they were not just a band but also a way of life. They fostered unrivalled community spirit, putting themselves and the original Deadheads at the forefront of the counterculture movement in the late Sixties. They were a rallying point for all those pot-smoking folks with tie-dyed clothes, beaded necklaces, sandals and long hair. They were — to borrow hippie parlance — far out, man! When I first heard rock and roll, I realised I had something of a calling. I was seven, eight, nine years old when Elvis Presley was a big star. He had an energy about him that I related to. Being part of a giant family gave the Dead 'a sense of being and a sense of purpose', decides Weir. At just 16, he had hooked up with Jerry Garcia, five years his senior, in the Californian city of Palo Alto to become the Dead's youngest founder member, beginning his 'long strange trip' playing the band's music. 'Number one, it's the only thing I'm equipped to do,' he tells me, choosing his words carefully. 'I'm dyslexic in the extreme, so an academic career was never a move on the board for me. 'When I first heard rock and roll, I realised I had something of a calling. 'I was seven, eight, nine years old when Elvis Presley was a big star. He had an energy about him that I related to. 'Soon, there was only one thing I was really interested in — making that kind of music.' Weir says the arrival in the US of The Beatles, as leaders of the 'British Invasion', also had a profound effect. 'The Beatles looked like they were having a lot of fun — they were bright, they worked well together and their music reflected that. 'It's pretty apparent that in three or four hundred years, people will still be talking about them. Maybe if we [the Grateful Dead] are lucky, we'll also make that cut!' Weir's imposing rock vocals and richly textured rhythm guitar provided the perfect foil to Garcia's ethereal delivery and intricate lead guitar. They conjured up a transcendent fusion of rock, country, jazz, gospel, ragtime, you name it, and were masters of improvisation on extended jams involving tracks such as the epic Dark Star. Today, Weir admits that never a day goes by when he doesn't think about Garcia, who died in 1995 aged 53, effectively ending the Grateful Dead (if not live performance of their music). 'Jerry and I were soulmates,' he says. 'I did stuff that he didn't do and he did stuff that I didn't do. We relied on each other. 'The whole deal was that we would keep doing it for as long as we were having fun — and we did.' Weir also has bassist Phil Lesh on his mind, a fellow founder member who died last October aged 84. Back in the day, when we were playing these songs, this [orchestrated sound] is basically what was going on in our heads. 'I've thought about him a lot lately and I haven't come up with any greater clarity other than he was a friend of mine — he taught me a lot and I like to think I taught him a lot. 'He was a musical mentor but, at the same time, my way was not his way. I had to sort the catfish from the trout, as they say, when ideas came up. 'Now, I'm just going to let that all pass.' It's a full 60 years since The Grateful Dead formed and 30 since Garcia's death but Weir is still pushing on by bringing his special concert to the Albert Hall, a venue he's never played before. 'I've only heard about it in songs but I'm looking forward to it for sure,' he says, surely in reference to The Beatles' A Day In Life with its line, 'now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall'. 6 6 The event follows similar outings by Weir in the States and he believes the addition of a full orchestra is not as strange as it seems. 'Back in the day, when we were playing these songs, this [orchestrated sound] is basically what was going on in our heads,' he says. 'We were hearing a much fuller representation than our instruments allowed us to play. 'So, we imagined how songs could sound and we reached for those timbres. This is an opportunity to actually do it.' For an artist so defined by improvisation, I'm intrigued by the prospect of him playing with an orchestra and all the attendant constraints. When I mention this, Weir latches on to the theme and says: 'This is the point I wanted you to remind me of. 'Right now, we have to stick to a given arrangement. What's on the paper is what's going to get played BUT that's not where we're taking this. 'What's afoot is trying to get it so the orchestra can improvise relatively freely.' 'I'll need 100 iPads' Weir explains his plans for a team of 'improv leaders' sorted into 'various sections of the orchestra with a multiple choice of riffs'. 'I'm probably going to need Apple to give me a hundred iPads to make it work,' he adds with a wry smile. 'But if it works for us, it will work for any of the composers. I'm thinking of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony — the start of the second movement. You could employ this kind of thing until hell won't have it no more!' Weir returns to matters in hand, namely the Albert Hall show and what the audience can expect — ie the unexpected as is the Grateful Dead way. He says: 'We've got a couple of dozen songs orchestrated. Right now, it comes out at roughly five and a half hours of music. We're already at the point where you don't know what you're going to hear. 'That's how we've done things all along and that's how I intend to go on. That said, there will be new additions for the London performance because they're up and ready.' Weir senses that his audience will be open-minded about orchestral arrangements and prepared to 'get with it' on this latest sonic adventure. 'This is for the folks who want to hear something that's a step beyond where it's been — and this is surely that!' he exclaims. So, are we likely to see the cosmic Dark Star, which once ran to 43 minutes but usually clocks in at about 20. 'Dark Star is orchestrated,' replies Weir. 'I won't say I'm taking requests but I'll take it into consideration. We haven't got there with the setlist yet.' When I was 15, I decided on a terribly romantic thing to do — run off and be a cowboy. I guess we'll have to wait and see if he'll play his most cherished Dead co-writes — Sugar Magnolia, Playing In The Band, Estimated Prophet, Hell In A Bucket, Throwing Stones or, of course, Truckin'. While Garcia forged an intuitive songwriting partnership with Robert Hunter, yielding Uncle John's Band, Ripple, Stella Blue and other classics, Weir fell out with Hunter when creating crowd pleaser One More Saturday Night. He confesses: 'There was a lot of tension because I write lyrics too and Hunter was not real good with that. He liked to play it closer to the vest.' So Weir turned to his pal, the late John Barlow, for collaborations. 'Barlow and I went to school together,' he says. 'We grew up together. 'When I was 15, I decided on a terribly romantic thing to do — run off and be a cowboy. 'I worked on Barlow's parents' ranch in Wyoming. Over the years, we would live out there in a little log cabin and write. 'And I'll tell you this — we're just starting to crack the nut on some of our compositions with the orchestral work.' In this free-ranging interview, full of unexpected twists and turns, a bit like a Grateful Dead live set, I ask Weir about his early visits to England. He recalls the 1972 Bickershaw Festival, near Wigan, a doomed venture partly organised by late TV host Jeremy Beadle. The Dead played a five-hour set to the mud-covered crowd and Weir says: 'I remember it well. It was a rainy occasion!' During that tour of Europe, they also did two nights at Wembley Arena (then called Empire Pool) and a four-night stand at London's Lyceum. Weir says they were a band at the peak of its powers, celebrated by the live triple album, Europe '72. 'We were young and strong but jet lag was a serious business,' he adds. 'We took it into consideration in '72 and held off for a few days. 'But we were in a phase when the band was high and we delivered the goods.' This year, Weir has also been delivering for Dead & Company (with John Mayer on lead guitar) at the state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas. The venue projects moving images on to the inside of the huge spherical auditorium but, says Weir, it's still not fully prepared for the Dead's freewheeling attitude. 'Mind-blowing as it is, it's still a work in progress because a great deal of technological development needs to be done before content people can be faster on their feet. 'When that work is done, it's going to surpass opera in terms of what you can deliver from one stage.' As for this restless soul Weir, he believes that his musical journey is only just 'coming to fruition'. 'It's been complicated so it was always going to take a while,' he admits. 'I'm not sure I totally understand what it is that I'm up to but I have a handle on it now to take the next steps forward.' It seems that this line from Truckin' could have been written for Bobby Weir. 'Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me.' 6
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump announces plan to reopen Alcatraz after new interview
Good morning, all. It's Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday commemorating the Battle of Puebla. Here's why it became popular to celebrate in the U.S. Now, on to the news. Subscribe to get this newsletter in your inbox each morning. In a sweeping interview that aired yesterday, President Trump touched on the economy, deportations and potentially running again in 2028. Then, last night, he announced two new policies. The interview: Trump blamed Biden for 'bad parts' of the economy and took credit for the 'good parts.' He also said he didn't know whether he must uphold the Constitution when it comes to deportations and said he wouldn't seek a third term. Read the takeaways. [USA Today] The policies: Trump announced plans to rebuild and reopen San Francisco's notorious island prison, Alcatraz, and place a 100% tariff on foreign-made movies. A senior adviser for California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed he has 'no authority' to do so. [Politico/Deadline] The Golden State Warriors are officially advancing to the NBA's Western Conference semifinals after Buddy Hield and Steph Curry helped them beat the Houston Rockets. They'll take on the Minnesota Timberwolves next. [Yahoo Sports] Delays at Newark Airport in New Jersey stretched into a seventh day yesterday, with flights being held back an average of nearly four hours, in part due to an air traffic controller shortage, walk-offs and a runway closure. [CNN] Israeli cabinet ministers approved plans today to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain there for an unspecified time amid efforts to root out Hamas. The plan comes after the military called up thousands of reserve soldiers. [AP] The FDA warned that two brands of tomatoes — Ray & Mascari and Williams Farms Repack — have been recalled in 14 states due to possible salmonella contamination. See if your state is affected. [CBS News] Brazilian police said yesterday that they'd thwarted a bomb plot on Lady Gaga's concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, which drew 2.5 million people. If you missed the record-breaking show, take a look. [Rolling Stone] 👠 Fashion fanatics: The 2025 Met Gala is tonight, and Vogue's red carpet livestream begins at 6 p.m. ET. Get to know this year's theme: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. [Yahoo Entertainment] ⚾ On the field, the Marlins begin a three-game series against the Dodgers at 6:40 p.m. ET on the MLB app. [AP] 🏀 On the court, the Eastern Conference semifinals continue with the Knicks going up against the Celtics at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. [NBC Sports] ☀️ And don't forget to: Read your daily horoscope. Play the crossword. Check the forecast in your area. In 1965, the Grateful Dead played their first-ever show under the name 'the Warlocks' before changing it a few months later. Though the band's frontman Jerry Garcia died in 1995, his legacy lives on. 'There's just no way that you can replace Jerry Garcia,' drummer Bill Kreutzmann said last year. [Guitar World] Jury selection for Sean 'Diddy' Combs's trial begins today. I asked Dylan Stableford and Kate Murphy, who have reported on the case for Yahoo News, what to know. Dylan: Back in 2023, Cassie Ventura, Combs's ex-girlfriend, filed the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, rape and physical violence. All of that preceded the federal indictment accusing him of coercing women to participate in drug-fueled sex performances called 'freak offs' against their will. Dylan: Five counts, including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted of all the charges, Combs could face life in prison. Kate talked to a criminal defense attorney about each of them. Kate: In my convo, the attorney told me the burden of proof is on the prosecution. For the sex trafficking counts, they'll need to prove the victims were forced into the alleged freak offs. Diddy's defense will argue that he was a swinger and that the sexual encounters were consensual. Go deeper: Here's more of what the attorney said about the case. The world's tallest and shortest dogs recently met to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Guinness World Records. Reggie, a 3-foot-3 Great Dane, and Pearl, a 3-and-a-half-inch Chihuahua, quickly got comfortable and shared a nap in bed. Watch a video of their adorable meeting. [People] Have a great day! See you tomorrow. 💡 P.S. Before you go, your daily advice: Add a piece of bread to your bagged salad to absorb moisture and keep it fresh for longer. [Katalin Nagy] About The Yodel: The Yodel is a morning newsletter from Yahoo News. Start your day with The Yodel to get caught up on weather, national news, politics, entertainment and sports — in four minutes or less. Did you like this morning's newsletter? Subscribe to have it sent to you on weekdays. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Boston Globe
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Phish and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame snub: It's OK
Since entering the American consciousness in the mid-1990s as the country's preeminent jam band, the Vermont quartet has been the subject of a wide swath of commentary, much of it derisive. The group's genre-blurring style of rock, funk, prog, and jazz can sound like noise infused with the childish lyrics of Raffi to the uninitiated. Phish's studio albums are fine, but they restrain the true ability of the band. To fully appreciate and understand the greatness of Phish, you must see the band live. Advertisement Still, it was no surprise to many Phish fans when the band was recently snubbed by the Cleveland gatekeepers at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame even though the group topped the fan vote by more than 50,000 votes. Advertisement Phish has never reached the level of cultural importance held by the likes of The Grateful Dead, a band to whom they are, rightly or wrongly, seen as heirs. One reason for the endless comparisons between the two, including their front men the late Jerry Garcia and Phish's Trey Anastasio, is that both are best known for their live performances and turning a three-minute song into a sprawling 30-minute improvised opus. Members of Phish realized early on in their careers that real money for musicians is not in record sales but in live touring. The band maintains a robust annual summer tour schedule, frequently accompanied by a slate of fall or spring dates. The band also plays an annual four-night New Year's Eve run at Madison Square Garden, a gig that has achieved pilgrimage-like status among fans. This deep focus on the live show experience also includes the practice of allowing fans to record shows by providing a special ticketed section at every show just for tapers. This practice helped Phish grow its fanbase organically as fans would trade recordings of coveted shows. Today, the band has its Phish's intense focus on the experience of its live shows allowed the band to pioneer something that is now commonplace: the multiday, all-immersive music festival. Phish festivals like the Clifford Ball and Lemonwheel Advertisement While Phish has organically achieved this live success, it still does not have the common tokens of entertainment success: multiplatinum albums, a room full of awards, and critical praise. In an Honestly, he's right and that's OK. Phish is not the easiest band in the world to follow but that is a big part of what makes it special. Phish is more than just a band with songs; it is a big welcoming community or, as the fish band from Vermont. You don't have to explain why you've spent a small fortune framing concert posters and ticket stubs. You don't have to explain why you went to 17 shows at MSG one year. They just get it. It takes time to get Phish. Someday the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will get it, too. Advertisement
