Latest news with #ScarletBegonias
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
John Mayer hails Dead and Company shows 'the honour of his life'
John Mayer has hailed playing with Dead and Company the "honour of [his] life". The 47-year-old guitarist has been performing with the Greatful Dead's founding members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann - who retired from touring in 2023 - and Micky Hart since 2015 and in honour of the legendary rock band's 60th anniversary, he has paid tribute to the group and their spin-off band, which also includes Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and drummer Jay Lane. From 1-3 August, Dead and Company marked six decades of the Grateful Dead with a series of concerts in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and John will "never forget" the shows. He wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (05.08.25): 'Night 3 in Golden Gate Park celebrating 60 years of @gratefuldead will be a one we'll never forget." Sunday's (02.08.25) second gig saw Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio take to the stage with Dead and Company for renditions of Scarlet Begonias and Fire on the Mountain, while the band were joined for the whole weekend by Graheme Lesh, the son of Grateful Dead's late bassist Phil Lesh. John wrote: "I finally had the chance to play with @treyanastasio, and beyond the full-circle moment of it all, the lock we had going was instant. Trey's ear-to-fretboard data transfer time is unparalleled. I'm still blown away. 'Extra special thanks to @grahamelesh for joining us all three nights. 'No matter how many shows we play as a band, I will always be a guest in this musical world, and I'll never lose sight of what is the great honor of my life. Happy 60th, Grateful Dead, and long may you run, @bobweir, @mickeyhart, and @billkreutzmann.' The Gravity hitmaker concluded his message with a tribute to the late Jerry Garcia. He wrote: 'It must be said… I'll never come close to playing like @jerrygarcia. 'But if I can somehow get you closer to him – and to the spirit he created 60 years ago – then I suppose I've done my job. "Thank you for accepting me. [heart emoji].' In December 2024, the Grateful Dead were among those chosen by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the Kennedy Center honour, being recognised for being a "social and cultural phenomenon since 1965". The organisation added: "Grateful Dead's music has never stopped being a true American original, while inspiring a fan culture like no other.' And the surviving members of the group admitted the accolade was "beyond humbling". They said in a statement when the news was announced in July 2024: 'To be recognised alongside the artists who have in the past received this honour is beyond humbling. 'We've always felt that the music we make embodies and imparts something beyond the notes and phrases being played — and that is something we are privileged to share with all who are drawn to what we do — so it also must be said that our music belongs as much to our fans, the Dead Heads, as it does to us. This honour, then, is as much theirs as ours."
USA Today
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
One Dead & Company fan's nearly 50-year journey to Golden Gate Park
SAN FRANCISCO – Here's a prediction for you: The Dead will never die. Not going to happen. Ever. Why? Because at this point, 60 years after the Grateful Dead made their mark on this psychedelic town, it's no longer about the band personnel as much as it is all about The Vibe. Sure, the music creates that vibe, which summons the tribe with its swirling jam-band sound, but arguably those tunes can be conjured by others possessing the right Dead mojo. All to say that Dead & Company's final show of a three-night stand in Golden Gate Park Sunday, Aug. 3, was nothing less than a reaffirmation that what the original quintet forged with spirited abandon is likely to live on well past any mortal expiration dates. Anchored by two original members, guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart (drummer Bill Kreutzmann has retired to Hawaii), Dead & Company tore through two sets filled with hits that left 60,000 fans singing, twirling, grooving and communing in a large but orderly field, with not a disagreement in sight. As the "Scarlet Begonias" lyric goes, "Strangers stopping strangers / just to shake their hand." Credit goes to singer and guitarist John Mayer in particular, who has taken on the Jerry Garcia mantle with both reverent study and spirited abandon. His blistering, weaving solos on songs like "China Cat Sunflower," "Shakedown Street," "Deal" and "Sugar Magnolia" deftly mixed his blues chops with Garcia's trademark flights of fancy. But if there was a closing night highlight, that came courtesy of the frontman from the evening's opening act, the Trey Anastasio Band. Anastasio, Phish's co-founder, who memorably anchored guitar and singing duties for the Dead's 2015 Fare Thee Well tour, joined the band for the second-set opener, "Scarlet Begonias," which transitioned memorably into "Fire on the Mountain," a one-two punch known to Deadheads as "Scarlet-Fire." Seeing Anastasio resume his lead guitar duties with the band was to witness a man in the midst of a joyous epiphany, never more so than when he and Mayer faced each other for dueling solos. If the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park could have levitated, they would have. For those keeping track, the other songs the band broke out Sunday included "I Know You Rider" (which pro forma came right out of "China Chat Sunflower"), the Buffalo Springfield tune "Broken Arrow," the Weir-John Barlow-Brent Mydland rocker "Hell in a Bucket," the retro "Cumberland Blues" and the close-out favorite, "Touch of Grey." Weir, who at 77 looked like a bearded poncho-wearing gun slinger, mostly contributed his trademark up-stroke rhythm chords, and occasionally took the mic. His voice, once a youthful bellow on staples such as "Samson and Delilah," is now more of a whisper, and it was deftly dispatched to handle songs such as "Standing on the Moon" and "Sugaree." Looking around the crowd, it was fascinating to note the breadth of ages, which suggests that by continuing in various incarnations since 2005, a decade after Garcia's death in 1995, the band has managed to mainline its music into a new generation of fans. Stints like the one the group performed at the Sphere in Las Vegas, which brought an appropriately trippy visual sensibility to a vast catalog of trippy tunes, has also helped keep the band's legacy alive. It was hard not to chuckle looking around at the various T-shirts and hoodies that read "Dead & Company Final Tour 2021," right next to another one that said the same thing only with a different year. Speaking of years, it was 1979 when I dashed to my seats inside Madison Square Garden, a high-schooler newly baptized into the world of the Grateful Dead. Of course, by then, I had a small suitcase full of Maxell tapes from epic Dead shows in 1969 and 1972 and felt that, by 1979, I had essentially missed the Dead bus. If someone back then had said, "Rest easy, you'll see most of these guys conjure this ephemeral magic in 2025," I'd have surmised the drugs must have been powerful. And yet, here we are. Mark my words, at some point soon folks will roll out to a concert to hear the Dead do their musical best, and not one of the original members will be there. And it won't matter. Humans may fade way, but the music never stops.
Boston Globe
19-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
In the midst of a messy ice cream divorce, Ben & Jerry's are sticking to their principles.
Unilever was so anxious to get its corporate mitts on the brand that it sweetened the deal by throwing in a promise to contribute millions to the foundation Cohen and Greenfield formed to promote progressive social causes. And it granted Ben & Jerry's an extraordinary amount of autonomy, agreeing to let an independent board oversee the ice cream maker's operation, and to make sure Unilever kept its promise to retain Ben & Jerry's business culture and social mission. Lest any of its loyal customers thought selling to multinational conglomerate Unilever smacked of selling out, Cohen and Greenfield framed the deal as giving their company the money and leverage to expand its social mission, which included pushing for marriage equality and responding to climate change. Advertisement In doing so, Cohen, a confirmed Deadhead, quoted from the Grateful Dead's song, Scarlet Begonias: ' Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.' Advertisement Cohen and Greenfield were never under any illusions about the difference between Ben & Jerry's and its parent company. As Greenfield put it in 2010, 'Ben & Jerry's is values-led, whereas Unilever is more consumer driven.' Still, for most of the corporate marriage, Unilever abided by the autonomy it had promised Ben & Jerry's in its initial proposal. The first serious cracks in the marriage showed up in 2021, when Ben & Jerry's announced it would halt sales in West Bank settlements, saying the Israeli occupation there conflicted with its values. That move led a half-dozen states pulling hundreds of millions of dollars in their pension funds from Unilever. Unilever's response was to sell off the Ben & Jerry's brand in Israel. And Ben & Jerry's, in turn, sued Unilever. As with most marriages, once the lawyers get involved, it's over. Last year, London-based Unilever announced it would cut 7,500 jobs and spin off its entire ice cream unit, which included the Ben & Jerry's business, as part of a cost-cutting move it hoped to conclude by the end of this year. Since then, things have only gotten messier. In November, Ben & Jerry's filed a lawsuit against Unilever, The suit claimed Unilever tried to squash Ben & Jerry's independent board and muzzle its efforts to express solidarity with Palestinian refugees, US students protesting against the war in Gaza, and opposition to US funding of Israeli military aid. Advertisement Unilever scoffed at the claims. Then, in January, Ben & Jerry's claimed Unilever prevented the company from criticizing President Trump in a social media post scheduled for Inauguration Day. Things got even worse in March when Ben & Jerry's board amended its lawsuit to say Unilever fired Stever because he refused to stop the ice cream maker from taking public positions on political issues. The board also claimed Trump's aggressive targeting of DEI measures and of critics of Israel's war in Gaza coincided with Unilever refusing to allow Ben & Jerry's make social media postings in support of Black History Month and Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist whom the adminstration is trying to deport for leading pro-Palestinian protests. In a statement, Ben & Jerry's board chair Anuradhapura Mittal offered the clearest evidence yet the marriage with Unilever had reached the point of irreconcilable differences. 'For 25 years under Unilever's ownership, this unique governance structure has been key to Ben & Jerry's success,' she said. 'But today, that structure — and the values it protects — is under direct attack. Unilever has repeatedly interfered with the Independent Board's authority, attempting to silence Ben & Jerry's advocacy, and even threaten the Board's dissolution.' Unilever sent me its own statement, saying it followed the terms of its agreement with the board over decisions about the company's CEO, adding, 'We are disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public.' Cohen Advertisement Look, it would be in Ben & Jerry's financial interest to lay low until Unilever spins them off. But that's not how they roll. When so many people are following Seamus Heaney's admonition 'Whatever you say, say nothing,' you don't have to agree with Ben & Jerry's politics to admire their conviction. And, as the Grateful Dead guitarist and singer who inspired Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream once put it, 'Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.' Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Massive Grateful Dead box set with 60 CDs and unreleased tracks available for pre-order
Massive Grateful Dead box set with 60 CDs and unreleased tracks available for pre-order If you have enjoyed the musical ride of the Grateful Dead, there's a new box set for you: "Enjoying the Ride," has 60 CDs marking the band's 60th anniversary. It has 17 complete concerts and more. Want the music to never stop? There's a new massive Grateful Dead box set just for you. "Enjoying the Ride," is a 60-CD box set encompassing more than 60 hours of music, collected from the iconic band's live performances from 1969 to 1994. Available to pre-order now on and due out May 30, 'Enjoying the Ride' ($599.98) comes on the 60th anniversary of the iconic band's formation in 1965 and changing its name from the Warlocks to the Grateful Dead later that year. Nearly all of the 450 tracks in the set are previously unreleased and fans can listen to three of those tracks – unreleased versions of 'Scarlet Begonias,' 'Touch Of Grey,' and 'Fire On The Mountain,' recorded live at the Berkeley Greek Theatre on July 13, 1984 – on streaming services now. 'My health must come first': Billy Joel delays 8 concerts for surgery recovery The collection is comprised of concert recordings from 20 different venues across the U.S.: 17 full-length concerts, some with additional material from the same venue, plus multiple performances from shows at three other venues: Fillmore West, Fillmore East, and Boston Music Hall. 'On these 60 CDs, you'll find music spanning more than 25 years, from 1969 to 1994, with the venues and the millions of journeys to get to them, making an essential part of the story,' said Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux. 'Going to see the Grateful Dead, following them from city to city, was likened to the modern equivalent of running away and joining the circus. These 20 venues are where the circus took us, and the show was something we never wanted to miss.' The box set has a special meaning for Rhino Records President Mark Pinkus, because it includes that July 1984 show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, his first-ever Grateful Dead concert, which he recalls had an "epic 'Dark Star' encore. "This show marked the start of a lifelong journey for me, and I'm willing to bet there are many shows in this fantastic set that will resonate with fans who also found community on the road," Pinkus said in a statement. "I am forever honored to work alongside David and the Grateful Dead to keep this long, strange trip alive.' Only 6,000 individually numbered copies of the 60-CD set will be made available. Digital downloads in ALAC ($399.99) and high-res FLAC ($499.99) will be available on the same day. Included with the set, a tour guide with liner notes by Jesse Jarnow (author and co-host of the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast podcast) with a producer's note from Lemieux, plus scores of photos. Get an edited-down Grateful Dead retrospective If 60 CDs seems a bit much, Rhino is releasing some smaller versions: Vinyl LPs: 'The Music Never Stopped,' ($149.98) is a six-LP version of the music in the box set with at least one song from each venue in the deluxe set. 'The Music Never Stopped,' ($149.98) is a six-LP version of the music in the box set with at least one song from each venue in the deluxe set. Compact discs: A three-CD version of 'The Music Never Stopped' is priced at $34.98. A three-CD version of 'The Music Never Stopped' is priced at $34.98. Digital: A download version of 'The Music Never Stopped' is available in ALAC ($14.99) and high-res Flac (26.99). For the record, this isn't even the largest Grateful Dead CD box set ever released. A decade ago, Rhino released "30 Trips Around the Sun" for the band's 50th anniversary, a collection of 80 CDs. Only 6,500 were made, but there's a few available on eBay, starting at $2,300. For a supposedly fading technology, compact discs have shown some resilience. Other musicians recently issuing mega-box sets include Bob Dylan and The Band: The 1974 Live Recordings ($159.99), a 27-CD set with 417 live tracks from the 1974 tour, and Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976-1987), a 17-CD set of unreleased albums and songs, including alternate and live versions (deluxe version with Blu-ray Disc, $449.98; CD version, $239.98). Also on tap: Dogfish Head's Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale The new box set isn't the only celebration of the Dead's legacy being served up. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery recently released Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale, in collaboration with the Grateful Dead. The 5.3% ABV beer is made with granola and krenza, a sustainable grain. 'As a beer geek with a music problem, few things in life are as sensorially sensational as enjoying a great beer while simultaneously listening to some great music,' said Dogfish Head founder and brewer Sam Calagione in a press release. It's the third beer the Delaware-based brewery and band have collaborated on. 'With its layered, nuanced flavors of tropical hops complemented by its malty body, our Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale is as compelling and joyful as the band's music.' And the live music hasn't stopped either. Dead & Company, which includes Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, will kick off their second residency at Sphere in Las Vegas next week. Follow Mike Snider on Threads, Bluesky and X: mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
