The Dead @ John Paul Jones Arena

The problem with the holidays is that the minute you get back from all the traveling and revelry you’ve got a mound of things to get caught up on once you arrive back home. As a result there are just some things you can’t get to quick enough…like this little announcement: The Dead coming together for their first tour in five years and making a tour stop in Charlottesville to boot.

Surviving Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann will be joined by Gov’t Mule / Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti on a 19-stop April/May tour through 16 cities that is set to begin on April 12 in Greensboro, NC and will wrap up on May 10 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. Included on the tour schedule is a stop at Charlottesville’s John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday, April 15. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 23 at 10am. [complete tour date listings after the break].

It looks like the circus is coming to town this spring. It should make for an interesting evening to say the least. On a personal level I’ve included a video from my favorite era of The Grateful Dead’s long, strange musical trip. For me the ‘Pigpen’ years are the Grateful Dead! I’m pretty sure this version of “Easy Wind” is taken from the Grateful Dead’s concert at the Winnipeg Fairgrounds on July 1, 1970.
The Dead 2009 Tour Dates:

Date: City: Venue:

Sun 4/12 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

Tue 4/14 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Wed 4/15 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

Fri 4/17 Albany, NY Times Union Center

Sat 4/18 Worcester, MA DCU Center

Sun 4/19 Worcester, MA DCU Center

Tue 4/21 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena

Wed 4/22 Wilkes-Barre, PA Wachovia Arena @ Casey Plaza

Fri 4/24 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum

Sat 4/25 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Sun 4/26 Hartford, CT XL Center

Tue 4/28 E. Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center

Wed 4/29 E. Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center

Fri 5/1 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Spectrum

Sat 5/2 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Spectrum

Tue 5/5 Chicago, IL All State Arena

Thu 5/7 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Sat 5/9 Los Angeles, CA The Forum

Sun 5/10 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheater