John Mayer defends Grateful Dead's decision to keep playing after 'final' shows
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- (7 Oct 2015) MAYER DEFENDS GRATEFUL DEAD'S DECISION TO KEEP PLAYING AFTER 'FINAL' SHOWS
Singer-songwriter John Mayer proudly declared himself a "Deadhead" as he defended members of the Grateful Dead in their decision to regroup after playing what was supposed to be the band's final tour this summer.
Mayer is rehearsing in a city north of San Francisco with three of the four remaining members of the band for a fall tour that kicks off October 29 in New York - months after the Dead played to devoted fans who, in some cases, paid thousands of dollars for sold-out shows in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Chicago.
"I just don't know if any Deadhead in the world has said 'When I paid my money, I paid to see these guys finish this,'" Mayer said at the Marin County recording studios of singer and guitarist Bob Weir.
The Grateful Dead's Weir and percussionists Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann are part of Dead and Company with Mayer. Bassist Phil Lesh is not involved, although Weir in an earlier interview did not rule out the possibility of Lesh joining an upcoming show.
The Grateful Dead celebrated its 50th anniversary with five concerts in June and July, two decades after beloved guitarist Jerry Garcia died of a heart attack and long after releasing its last studio album.
Still, younger fans continue to discover the jam band known for its live sessions and improvisations, including the 37-year-old Mayer, who said he fell hard and fast for the music in 2011. He met Weir while guest-hosting the "The Late Late Show" in February and from there, the idea of collaborating evolved.
"Bob and I played on that show and then started to play together up here and before long it revealed itself as something that was organic and musical and vital and made sense. And really kind of tore down all of the labels and boundaries and stigmas for everybody, and that's what music is supposed to do in the first place. It becomes ultimate truth and everything goes out the window and it become ultimate truth when we start playing," explained Mayer.
Weir said that when they played together, he noticed Mayer "was answering back, and it was fun, and more fun than I was really going to be happy about just walking away from."
The band announced Monday that 5,000 fans will have a chance to win two tickets each to a Nov. 7 show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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As a deadhead since the '70's I have attended more than one "final concert" but was always happy when they went on to play again in any reincarnation of the group. Nothing to defend.
Indeed !
Music is bigger than the finite way we tend to define it. Music calls us, and we have no choice; we must answer. Thank God for music.
Thank the artists muses for music - music is the voice of the muse.
Nobody cares.
Mayer and the Dead seemed an unlikely pairing, but he is a sharp kid and masterful guitar slinger. He left the gloss of pop music to communicate with an audience on a more organic musical lanscape. He's not Jerry, and this is not the Grateful Dead but it's another chapter for Bob, Bill, Mickey & Company and it's still good.
They have to try to keep the GD name going for marketing, they used to play for silver, now they sell their name.
@@robertasurprenant816 in fairness they still have about 30 full time employees to pay. There were as many as 90 up until Garcia's passing.
@@robertasurprenant816 nah. That's just your weird slant Holmes.
I will follow any remaining member that wants to still put on Dead shows. I truly believe that's what Jerry would have wanted. The music never stops.
😎✌🤪💨💨💨🌈🐻💀
From the very beginning Jerry described the Grateful Dead as always evolving. As being fluid. He said that was the point of “The Grateful Dead” At some point in life Jerry chose in his own words to “have fun” and if the music always stayed the same, it would no longer be fun. There were dramatic shifts from the Grateful Dead from the very beginning . They debuted as the Warlocks (Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir had spent the late ‘50s and early 60s immersed in the tAmerican Folk Music Revival movement) deciding to experiment with a new sound of sound of Rock and they went Electric. After changing their name to The Grateful Dead. In the mid 60s they shifted genres and became part of group of musicians who played “psychedelic” music. Their live shows were always improvisational and they never played a song the same way twice By 1970, they had embraced acoustic sounds and traditional song structures, but often and later embraced the eclectic style of the “Americana” genre. The music changed and evolved with each decade, often with their music revealing the band members’ Jazz and Blues roots. Anyways, it would only be logical for the Dead to evolve again with the passage of Jerry Garcia. The band has lost and replaced many key members throughout the decades, but many of the “Deadheads” of the 80s and other decades had put Jerry into a role he never wanted. He was worshipped and regarded as a deity, to which Jerry disliked and never thought himself to be. When Jerry died, a nation of Deadheads reacted as the generations before did when JFK was assassinated. Many were lost and.have never embraced or even given Dead and Company a chance. Maybe if they thought back and asked themselves “What would Jerry do?” it would be easier. Jerry would want the music to continue and to keep evolving for as long as it could “be fun” He would find his absence from the band a preposterous reason for the music not to continue. Jerry would remind everyone that it was never about him, other members and least of all about the band itself or it’s name. It was; and always has been just about the music and having fun Just my perspective from a Deadhead who saw Jerry’s last performance at Soldier Field.
The music never stops
John said it best, "I don't know of any Deadhead who said after the Fare Thee Well shows that there should be no more Dead shows"
Old men sing about their dreams
Women laugh and children scream
And the band keeps playing on
it’s a very great combo bobby and john and then there were three, a singer 🌹
They were the last shows with the surviving members, and none have happened since. I don't get it.
What don’t you understand? Not sure if I understand your comment.
@@hreagan1140 I don't understand why people think they said they wouldn't play again and now they are. They never said none of them would play together again, they said that 2015 was the last shows with all the surviving members, and they were.
Some folks trust to reason others trust to might,
I don't trust to nothin', but I know it comes out right.
Say it once again now, Whoa, I hope you'll understand
When it's done and over, Lord, a man is just a man.
Playin', playin' in the band. Daybreak, daybreak on the land.
Some folks look for answers others look for fights,
Some folks up in treetops just a looking for their kites.
Whoa, I can tell your future just look what's in your hand,
But I can't stop for nothin' I'm just playing in the band.
Playin', playin' in the band. Daybreak, daybreak on the land.
Standin' on a tower world at my command
You just keep a turnin' while I'm playing in the band.
And if a man among you got no sin upon his hand
Let him cast a stone at me for playing in the band.
Playin', playin' in the band. Daybreak, daybreak on the land.
mayer brings it
Keep playing. I think it's grate !
Simple, whatever combo is playing, they are NOT the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead ended when Jerry died, Furthur wasn't too bad a substitute and the boys didn't do terrible shows at the Fare Thee Well shows, but they are NOT the Grateful Dead without Jerry.
No they are not. The Grateful Dead has evolved as it always has and now is called Dead & Company. You don’t have to like it, but try not to cut them down. They’re all just doing what they love for new and old generations alike. Making music. Let them have fun and don’t go to the new concert ma or listen to the music if you don’t want to. Just don’t criticize them for being who they have always been. Have fun! Enjoy the ride. They aren’t forcing you to get on the bus with them!
The time of the the members performing as The Grateful Dead may have died, but the music never did. It continues to live on under different band names and with different musicians.
What is your point, Roberta? They have never attempted to call themselves “The Grateful Dead” ever since Jerry died. I think you might be confused about something.
what the fuck is this interview randomly cutting to random, silent shots in the worst quality ever
Cool, John is definitely learning: but he will never be a Jerry; no one will!
Keep on truckin' boys ...
What
If you only did this because Amex paid for it...I may never pay to see you again in any way shape or form. Come on John or any of you please teply
The Grateful Dead hasn’t played a show in 26 years
I love their decision to keep playing together. Screw anyone who says that they shouldn’t be doing it. Besides, John Mayer is infinitely better of a guitarist than Trey Anastasio.
Not really.
Wow, no one wants their money back? I spent thousands of dollars traveling to Santa Clara for those shows thinking it was the end. Then Chicago happened and those shows weren't documented anywhere as part of the final go. It felt like a betrayal then and still does today. Oh, I still go, and live Otiel and often John, but Dead and Co. are the best Grateful Dead cover band on the planet, nothing more...
Bobs big money grab.
This is pathetic
FINAL TOUR- Bob is the boy who cried wolf. Mayer defends big paycheck, although he never saw Jerry, and never even listened to the dead till Weirs cash call came. A true understanding of the dead scene came with Johns arrival? Please. Should have stuck with Kadlecik, but he didnt draw the million dollar crowd. that simple. After seeing Jerry 200 times I call this a FAIL. Sorry guys.
John makes more money by far at his solo concerts than he does with Dead and Company.
@@IowaJay Yea, it's not about the $ for these guys anymore, even though they do in fact get big checks for each show. Deadco's great, but only from law seats. I'd rather spend more money seeing JRAD or other jam bands. Happy the core three are still playing & wish them well with their endeavors once this awful pandemic allows for live venues again. John K's awesome and looking forward to some Melvin shows in the future. The core three at their age get to decide who and when they want to play; don't like it, catch another group of artists
@@stevec8501 and Phil too. Musicians like to play and we like to hear it.
Inaccurate that JM didn’t listen to the dead until the cash came calling. He got into the dead before that and invited weir to play on the late late show when he sub-hosted. Dead and co was formed after that.
I probably saw Jerry around 200 times as well, with the Dead, JGB, Legion of Mary, Garcia/Grisman, Nicky Hopkins, Howard Wales, etc. I first saw Jerry and the Dead in 1970.
There's no accounting for taste. Bob and the boys like playing with JM, Oteil and Chimenti. They are the band, not us, and they can choose to play in any incarnation that they like. If JM was only in it for money, Weir, Kruetzman and Hart would simply drop him and play with others. They are all already rich, and they all spent the first 10 years of the Grateful Dead broke. I don't blame them for charging what they do, that's their right. They owe us nothing. It's a mutual embrace, they play and we pay if we want to be there.
Jerry is dead, but his music lives on. Let there be songs .....
WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE TO GET PHIL LESH TO PLAY WITH U GUYS??? IT'S NONSENSE HE ISN'T? WHY????
YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST JAM BAND ON THE PLANET. SO BRING BACK SOME OL' TIMES WITH PHIL. EVEN IF IT'S A SPECIAL FEW GIG'S PLEASE!!!!!!! @.
STEVO IN BALI.
🌴🙏🏄🏄🏄🙏🌴