Tuned In
By Ben Sellers
Jonas' review of The Dead
Apr. 16, 2009 7:50 pm
Raising The Dead
Tuesday night’s Dead show at The Verizon Center in Washington proved that this reunion tour thing might be a good idea. For The Dead.
Generally, aging rockers should probably just stay on the golf course—but given the right circumstances, it is possible for baby-boomer bands to do more than give a rote run-through of their greatest hits.
 The Dead did what The Dead have always done: They jammed and noodled and drummed their way through songs they’ve played for nearly half a century. They did it with two new players: Warren Haynes on guitar and Jeff Chimenti on keyboards. They did it without Jerry Garcia—something many fans are sure to struggle with—but they did it with as much intensity and innovation as they ever have.
From upbeat rockers like “Cassidy” to unearthed chestnuts like the Phil-Lesh-led “Pride of Cucamonga,” the first set was a deep nostalgia trip for old fans and a quick career retrospective for the uninitiated. Wandering jams were limited, and the songs proved there is quality songcraft even on the fringes of The Dead’s catalog.
The second set opened with a well-intentioned but rough acoustic set that featured “Peggy-O” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” The latter a Bob Dylan song, the former a traditional number associated with Dylan.
What followed was a blast from the other end of The Dead spectrum: an hour of sonic and rhythmic exploration only a true Deadhead could love. “Dark Star” popped up at one point, as did “King Solomon’s Marbles,” and an entertaining “Rhythm Devils.” But most of the extended segue was either a genius art project or a tangled trainwreck depending on what you had ingested that evening.
Things shaped up with a cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together.” “Sugar Magnolia” ended the set, with Tipper Gore on drums (I’m sure Frank Zappa is still turning in his grave). Enthusiasm spilled over from that crowd-pleaser into the encore of “Uncle John’s Band” and “Ripple.”
Sure, they were sentimental choices to end the night, but they were played with comfortable conviction instead of a melancholy longing for the past.
It took almost 14 years, but the remaining members of The Dead seemingly have managed to put some creative space between themselves and the enormous legacy of Garcia. Instead of focusing on the absence of their former frontman, the music took center stage.
The result was less of a resurrection and more of a mutual-admiration society for the music of The Grateful Dead. Fans and band members seemed to enjoy the trip in equal measure.
It would be easy to dismiss The Dead as over-the-hill burnouts whose only legacy is the crop of mediocre copycats that populate the “jam band” scene. In fact, The Grateful Dead gave the world some of the greatest songs in the American Rock canon. Those songs remain as entertaining and vital as they were 30 or 40 years ago. In the right hands, they still shine.¯Jonas Beals
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About Ben Sellers:
Ben Sellers is editor of the Sounds section in Weekender. He also edits the The Free Lance-Star's teen publication, it! magazine.
Frequent contributor Jonas Beals is a music writer, promoter and all-around impressario.
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