Barack Obama And The Dead

While all Deadheads might not agree with President Barack Obama’s policies, they do have to thank him for one huge favor – getting The Dead back on stages across the U.S.

Bassist Phil Lesh explained that when he was gearing up to play a benefit concert for Obama, the first time he had publicly supported a presidential candidate, he planned on featuring his other band, Phil and Friends

Lesh hadn’t toured with the other surviving members of the Grateful Dead since 2004 and he was all about done with the band.

His youngest son convinced him not to give up on the guys.

“My son Brian said, ‘No Daddy, you’ve got to get The Dead together because it will be so much more meaningful and important,'” Lesh said.

After a number of benefit performances and playing an inaugural ball concert, Lesh, along with guitarist Bob Weir and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, are now on the road with dates through mid-May.

Photo: AP Photo

As part of the Terrapin Station festival.

“It came off so well that we thought we owe it to ourselves to play again,” Lesh said. “It brings out something in all of us, in our gestalt and our totality, that we can’t deliver, we can’t find anywhere else.”

Warren Haynes is filling in for lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995 of a heart attack. After his death the band dropped “Grateful” from its name.

“We all miss him every day,” said Lesh. “At the same time, we’re still here on Earth and we’re still making music. And by God we’ll continue to make music until we drop.”

After playing three gigs in New York March 30 at the Angel Orsenanz Foundation, Blender Theatre At Gramercy and Roseland Ballroom, The Dead’s spring tour kicked off on Sunday at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina.

The Dead will be picking from 160 classic Grateful Dead tunes and performing new percussion parts written for the tour.

Read the AP story here.