[UPDATE 7:50 p.m. ET]: Several members of Dead & Company have responded to earlier reports from Rolling Stone that the band would cease touring after 2022. Original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, in addition to bassist Oteil Burbridge, all expressed confusion as reports questioning the group’s future spread on Friday afternoon.
Weir spoke out first on Twitter when he quote tweeted Rolling Stone‘s initial report, writing, “News to me…”
News to me… https://t.co/Yjf1aCkwRA
— Bobby Weir (@BobWeir) April 8, 2022
Kreutzmann then chimed in, responding to Weir, “Whew. I thought you knew something that I didn’t! #themusicneverstops #wewillsurvive”.
Whew. I thought you knew something that I didn’t! #themusicneverstops #wewillsurvive https://t.co/Bqt0l0OxC6
— Bill Kreutzmann (@BKreutzmann) April 8, 2022
Burbridge then made light of the situation on Instagram with a bemused meme of himself saying “Sources told me. . …It’s never over…” with the caption “SMDH……#oteilfromegypt”.
View this post on Instagram
Per Rolling Stone, the same sources who initially confirmed that 2022 would mark the end of Dead & Company are now saying “discussions continue about the fate of the band.” The band itself said in a statement: “Dead & Company has made no official decision as to this being their final tour.”
[4/8/22 3:50 p.m. ET] Rolling Stone reports that 2022 will mark the last year of Dead & Company. The post-Jerry Garcia amalgamation of Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti put tickets for its summer tour on sale this morning.
The band’s management declined to comment on the possible end of the group’s touring days. Dead & Company has encountered some recent hurdles in the past year, as Kreutzmann missed a series of shows with an unspecified non-COVID illness. Bill The Drummer sat out five shows total on the band’s 2021 combined summer/fall tour, including two shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, two more at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre outside Denver, and the Halloween tour closer at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl.
Those shows saw Jay Lane (Bob Weir & Wolf Bros) fill in on the kit beside Hart. During the first Red Rocks show, however, Hart left the stage unannounced during the second set closer and did not return for the encore. He later wrote on Facebook, “Please excuse my early departure from tonight’s show. All is well. Looking forward to night two of Red Rocks,” but did not elaborate further on his absence.
This past year also got off to a rocky start for Dead & Co., as Kreutzmann announced that he would also sit out the band’s Playing In The Sand January destination event in Mexico. Then days before the event Mayer revealed he had tested positive for COVID. Tom Hamilton (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead) was called up as a replacement, but the event was ultimately canceled the Friday it was set to begin, despite the fact thousands of fans had already arrived in Quintana Roo. Promoter CID Events ultimately let those who had already arrived stay for free in addition to issuing refunds.
Dead & Company’s 2022 summer tour is set to begin on June 11th at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. The band is set to perform 20 concerts this summer, wrapping the tour with two nights at New York, NY’s Citi Field (7/15, 7/16).
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