Note: The embedded vids below take some time to load. Be patient, it will be worth it!

Phish live in 92 from Shoreline:

Grateful Dead NYE 78′ the closing of winterland:

2/21/2003 – Peak Oxy years stuff right here:

Bisco 12/29/2010 – the standout show from last year’s NYE run w/ Sammy on drums:

1. FURTHUR

Photo: Mary Ouellette / SoundSpike

Bob Weir and Phil Lesh’s Furthur continue to tour from coast to coast, the incarnation closest to the original Grateful Dead experience. While there are haters and lovers of Furthur, all true deadheads can rejoice in seeing Bobby and Phil share the stage and make magic. To get a feel for where the band is at today, check out this show from Madison Square Garden from November 10th.

2012 Forecast: Furthur already has a spring tour booked, and will likely continue to tour at least through the end of 2012. With more Phil and Friends shows in the works and a possible Ratdog reunion tour, 2012 may be a lighter touring year than 2011.

2. 7 WALKERS

7 Walkers

If you haven’t heard the debut album or caught a show from Billy K. and Papa Mali’s ’7 Walkers’, do yourself a favor and check them out. This stripped down ensemble invented a whole new genre of Grateful Dead known to fans as ‘Swampadelica’. Their album is soulful, bluesy, fun, and a must have for deadheads. You can buy it from the official 7 Walker’s site here.

2012 Forecast:  Next up for 7 Walkers is a series of shows with Steve Kimock aboard next week’s Jam Cruise. After that, look for continued dedicated attention and touring from Billy K. as well as a possible follow-up studio album.

3. MICKEY HART BAND

Mickey has put together a brand spanking new band for 2012 with a whole slew of new original songs taboot. Check out the YouTube above to see the cast of characters that Mickey has assembled. The band just recently finished up a winter tour that was pretty smoking from what I’ve heard. Let’s hope Mickey keeps this band around for a while and releases some of the great new originals they’ve composed.

2012 Forecast:  Mickey and his new band already are still in the midst of a few January shows and then will likely be releasing an album of original material with a supporting tour to follow later in the year.

4. PHIL LESH AND FRIENDS

Phil Lesh reunited ‘Phil and Friends’ this year at Warren Haynes’ annual Christmas Jam. Check out the vid above of a playful China Cat Sunflower from the reunion. The Xmas Jam group featured Jackie Greene, Warren Haynes, Jeff Chimenti, Joe Russo, and of course uncle Phil himself.

This was just a preview though, Phil and Friends will be playing 3 shows in Colorado in February of 2012 with an amazing lineup of John Scofield and Warren Haynes on Guitar, Jackie Greene on Keyboard/Guitar, John ‘The Lion King’ Molo on Drums, and Phil. These shows promise to be nothing short of epic. To get a feel for what the shows might be like, check out the vid below of a very similar band featuring Warren and Sco from Mountain Jam 2007. I was at this show and it is probably my favorite P&F show ever out of many, many shows I’ve seen.

2012 Forecast:  Aside from the February shows, rumors have been swirling that Phil and Friends will crank out some more shows in 2012. Expect to see some one-off or mini-runs at Phil’s new Terrapin Crossroads venue.

5. DARK STAR ORCHESTRA

DSO

DSO continues to tour relentlessly, from New York to San Francisco to Jam in The Dam and beyond, bringing unmatched energy, passion, and love for the Grateful Dead canon to ‘Starheads’ everywhere. With Jeff Mattson firmly settled into the lead role in Dark Star, fans everywhere (including myself) can’t stop singing the praises of the new frontman and the raw 60s and 70s style psychedelic guitar work he brings to the band. If you’re still a skeptic on Dark Star and think they’re just a ‘cover band’, stop fooling yourself and catch them on their upcoming tours, you will not be sorry!

2012 Forecast:  DSO is sure to keep up the relentless touring in 2012. So far the band is playing the NE and SE in the winter, Jam in the Dam in March, and the West Coast in April. Expect a NE and festival tour in the summer, West Coast in late fall, and a return to the NE for NYE 2012.

Bonus Dead: As if this wasn’t enough, RATDOG is reuniting on January 25th for a special webcast show from Bob Weir’s TRI Studios venue that he launched in 2011. The golden road really does go on forever, and there’s nothing to do but smile about it.

GD

Here’s a taste of Weir and Hornsby together at moe. Down 2011 performing Jack Straw:

To get tickets, head on over to the APE pre-sale now (pw is ‘layover’) and get your tickets while they last.

PHIL LESH – TERRAPIN CROSSROADS LAUNCH!

FULL WEBSITE LIVE

PHIL'S NEW TERRAPIN

PHISH NYE RUN! WHAT A RUN IT WAS, LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!

Contact -> Sample official vid

GREAT review of Night 1, the best of the run

Lots more to come, but what I wanna know is….

Hart and Kreutzmann

The Rhythm Devils
7/17/10
Northwest String Summit
Horing’s Hideout
North Plains, OR

Setlist (1 set show):
Cumberland Blues>
Sitting on Top of the World
Friend of the Devil
Next Dimension
Bird Song
Casey Jones
Don’t Ease Me In
Ship of Fools
Jack-a-Roe
Comes Dawn
Not Fade Away
Ripple

MP3 Stream
MP3 DL

Bird Song (7/17):

Iko Iko (7/19):

Full 2010 Rhythm Devils Tour Dates and Info HERE

And while you wait, enjoy this vid one more time – cause we just can’t get enough of it!

FURTHUR SEPTEMBER 2010 TOUR

9/16 Cuthbert Amphitheater, Eugene, OR
9/17 Cuthbert Amphitheater, Eugene, OR
9/18 Marymoor Amphitheater, Redmond, WA
9/20 Santa Barbara County Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
9/21 The Hellenic Theater, Los Angeles, CA
9/22 The Joint, Las Vegas, NV
9/24 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, CO
9/25 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, CO

Full show details and ticket info at Furthur.net

Jerry in 78'

The show features the year’s only Morning Dew and what a ‘Dew it is! This is not to be missed, Jerry lays it all on the line with in a truly heart-wrenching show of emotion and beauty. The perfect complement to the rocking Not Fade Away that preceded it, this Dew is just about perfect. This Not Fade Away -> Morning Dew sequence is the exclamation point on this smoking show, a true gem of 78.

Egypt 1978

The Grateful Dead ~ 4/15/1978 ~ William and Mary College Hall   Williamsburg, VA

Set 1: Mississippi Half Step, Passenger, Friend Of The Devil, El Paso, Brown Eyed Women, Let It Grow, Deal

Set 2: Bertha-> Good Lovin’, Candyman, Sunrise-> Playin’ In The Band-> Drums-> Not Fade Away-> Morning Dew-> Around & Around,

Encore: One More Saturday Night

Stream Link (Live Music Archive)

Stream NFA->Dew here:

Show Flyer - 8/10/82

To get a sense of how the band was sounding in 82′, give a listen to this wonderful recording of a summer 82′ show at the Iowa City Fieldhouse. The show is rock-solid from front to back, but some highlights include an extended and trippy Feel Like a Stranger opener, a haunting  Friend of the Devil, and a unique pre-drums sequence of Lost Sailor->Saint of Circumstance->Eyes of the World. Unusual for 82′, this stand-alone Eyes (without the common Estimated Prophet precursor) is just top-notch and smoking with exciting and exploratory jamming. Other high points include a seamless Miracle->Bertha 1st set closer, and an always fun China->Rider set 2 opener. Check out the download below, it’s an absolutely sparkling Charlie Miller Matrix mix of the show – a gem for any head’s collection.

The Dead - Summer of 82'

The Grateful Dead
8/10/82
University Of Iowa Fieldhouse
Iowa City, IA

SET 1
Feel Like A Stranger
Friend of the Devil
New Minglewood Blues
Tennessee Jed
Cassidy
It Must Have Been The Roses
On The Road Again ->
BIODTL
Stagger Lee
I Need a Miracle ->
Bertha

SET 2
China Cat Sunflower ->
I Know You Rider
Lost Sailor ->
Saint Of Circumstance ->
Eyes Of The World ->
Drums ->
Space
Iko Iko ->
Truckin’ ->
Stella Blue ->
Sugar Magnolia

ENCORE
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue ->
Johnny B. Goode

Download Link

Stream a few choice tracks from the show here:

1. PHISH RETURNS

Phish @ Hamtpon - 3/07/09

Phish returned to the stage in 2009, with a more than triumphant year of playing. The reunion began with a historic 3 show run at Hampton Coliseum in March. Things just got better as the year went on for The Phish – the band released a new album, ‘Joy’, and hit the road for a big 2-leg summer tour, Halloween at Festival 8 in Indio, CA, an East Coast fall tour, and New Years in Miami. All in all, 2009 was a great year to be a Phish-head!

Hampton Fluffhead

2. PHIL AND BOBBY GO FURTHUR (JOHN K. LEAVES DSO)

Lesh, Weir, and Kadlecik - Dec. 09'

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir shocked deadheads everywhere in August of 09′ when they announced their newest post-Jerry Dead project: Furthur. Unexpected to all, Phil and Bobby called on John Kadlecik, aka ‘Faux Jerry’, aka ‘The Ghost of Jerry’, DSOs long-time axe-man, to join the band. The new project laid to rest indefinitely both Phil Lesh and Friends and Ratdog, and dealt a major blow to DSO, leaving them without a front man. In the 6 months the band has been together, they’ve played a big coming out 3-show run in Oakland, a brief Northeast December tour, New Year’s run in San Fran, and a smoking Winter tour of the East Coast and Midwest. Coming up in 2010, the band will hit the stage for a Memorial Day Festival and a mini-tour of the Northeast in late June and early July.

Furthur NYE 2009 Poster

3. THE DEAD REUNITE FOR TOUR

The Dead - Spring 09'

Months before Furthur, the Core Four reunited for the first time in over 5 years for a one-off Spring Tour across the US. The boys were joined by Warren Haynes on lead guitar and vocals, and Jeff Chimenti of Ratdog on the keys. Check out a few tour highlights below for download!

The Dead 09 Logo

Download Tour Opener – 4/12/09 Greensboro, NC
Download Madison Square Garden, 4/25/09
Download 5/2/09 – Final show at the Spectrum
Download The Dead at Shoreline – 5/10/09

4. BISCO TAKES FANS HIGHER WITH BIG NOKIA NYE RUN

Bisco - Fall Tour 2009

The Disco Biscuits closed out a fantastic year of playing with their second Annual  5 show run at the Nokia Theater in New York City. By all accounts and from personal experience, this string of shows was top-notch and a real exclamation point on the year for the band. Check out choice downloads, videos, and news from 2009 in the Bisco Archive.

Bisco NYE Run 09 Flyer

5. PHISH FESTIVAL 8 & ROLLING STONES MUSICAL COSTUME

Phish - 10/31/09 Set 1

Phish re-launched two traditions on Halloween weekend 2009 with their first festival of Phish 3.0 along with a highly anticipated Halloween musical costume set – The Rolling Stones’ ‘Exile on Main Street’. Breaking new ground, the band also performed an intimate and picturesque acoustic set at Noon on Sunday, with complimentary donuts and coffee for phans. Truly a magical weekend, and it’s now going to be seen like never before in a full length 3D film being released April 30th. Check out this crisp video/audio stream of the Sunday acoustic set here!

6. ABB BACK WITH A VENGEANCE: BEACON, MOUNTAIN JAM, AND MORE

ABB Beacon Marquis 2009

After canceling their annual Beacon run in 2008 due to Greg Allman’s battle with Hepatitis C, the band returned in 2009 with a guest-filled 40th anniversary run at the Beacon Theater. The run included guest stops from a star-studded cast including Clapton, Lesh, Weir, Helm, Scaggs, Anastasio, and McConnell. The band kept trucking in 09′ with spring and summer festival appearances including Wanee and Mountain Jam as well as big summer and fall tours. The band just wrapped up a fantastic 9 show run at the United Palace in New York city, is sounding better than ever, and has more shows plotted for 2010 already. Check out setlist, vids, and a review of the final night at the United Palace here.

Haynes, Trucks, and Clapton - Beacon 2009

7. PHIL LESH CELEBRATES 70TH BIRTHDAY WITH SPECIAL PHRIENDS

Lesh, Robinson, Weir, Greene, and Kadlecik - 3/12/10

On March 12th 2010, Phil Lesh celebrated his 70th birthday (technically 3/14/10) with a big bash at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. The evening featured a fun 3 set format complete with an opening acoustic set and 2 raucous electric sets featuring special guests from throughout Phil’s solo career including John Molo, Chris Robinson, Jackie Greene, and Steve Molitz. Give it a listen here:

Download Link ~ Stream Link

8. PHISH DOES BONNAROO, JAMS WITH BRUCE

Phish at 'Roo 2009 - First Tube

Breaking with long-standing tradition, Phish played their first mainstream festival with 2 separate appearances (an extended late night set and a 2 set show) at 2009′s Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, TN. The band realized a long time dream and provided the festival’s highlight with a big collaboration with Bruce Springstreen, who also headlined the festival in 09′. The boss and the boys treated fans to a fun cover/bust-out of ‘Mustang Sally’, as well as performances of Bruce’s own songs ‘Glory Days’, and ‘Bobby Jean’. To re-live this special moment, check out this smoking video of Glory Days:

9. STRING CHEESE REUNITE FOR BIG ROTHBURY GIG

SCI @ Rothbury 2009

The String Cheese Incident reunited for a special one-off show at 2009′s Rothbury music festival. The band put on a massive spectacle of a show enhanced with massive light and art installations. The show went off with flying colors, so much so that the band has decided to tour further in 2010, with gigs at Red Rocks and beyond already announced and more in the works. To get a taste of the Cheese to come, buy the Soundboard of the Rothbury show here.

SCI at Red Rocks

10. TREY BRINGS BACK CLASSIC TAB

Markelis, Lawton, Anastasio, and Paczkowski

Having brought back the core four of his Classic Tab Band – Russ Lawton, Tony Markelis, Ray Paczkowski, and, of course, Big Red himself – in the Fall of 2008, Anastasio hit the road with a bigger-and-better Classic TAB band a few months ago in the Winter of 2010. For the tour, Trey added to the core four with a 3-piece horn section featuring TAB vets Jeffier Hartswick and Russell Reminton along with new-comer cutie Natalie Cressman. The tour was a massive success and featured some of the most enthused and passionate guitar work from Trey since Phish’s 2009 return. Check out lots of downloads, setslits, vids, and more in the TAB Winter Tour archive, enjoy!

And remember folks, WELCOME TO NOW!