The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead were one of the most popular bands of the psychedelic era and were known for their folksy musical style, live improvisations and extensive touring schedule. Over their 25+ year career, the band amassed a loyal and devoted fan base, often known as "Deadheads." They broke up in 1995 after the death of lead guitarist and songwriter Jerry Garcia.

On April 23, 2009, the Dead, the surviving members of the band who reunited in 2008, performed on The Late Show with David Letterman.http://www.inquisitr.com/22692/the-dead-on-letterman/

Dead Heads

While the band released a number of successful albums, they were primarily known as a "Live" band, often logging over 200 shows a year. In order to keep things fresh, and to encourage fans to attend multiple shows, the band changed set lists each night and would often throw in extended periods of improvisation that could differ greatly night to night.

Fans of the band began to attend multiple shows on each tour, even going so far as to follow the band from stop to stop so that they could be at each show. The culture that developed around the band and the fans that followed the group eventually became known as Deadheads.

The Dead and The White House

The Dead met with President Barack Obama in the oval office on the evening of April 13, 2009, the day before their concert at D.C.'s Verizon Center.http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/04/obama_meets_privately_with_the.html

The President and the Dead reportedly discussed the history of the oval office itself during their meeting, before the band headed off to visit the administration's confirmed Deadheads: deputy chief of staff Jim Messina and senior advisers David Axelrod and Pete Rouse.http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/04/obama_meets_privately_with_the.html

Band Members

Jerry Garcia - Guitar/Vocals
Bob Weir - Guitar/Vocals
Phil Lesh - Bass
Bill Kreutzmann - Drums
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - Keyboard/Vocals
Mickey Hart - Drums
Tom Constanten - Keyboard
Keith Godchaux - Piano
Donna Godchaux - Vocals
Brent Mydland - Keyboard
Vince Welnick - Keyboard

2009 Tour

On January 1, 2009, the renamed band The Dead made up of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, announced a new tour starting April 1, 2009.New York Times: The Dead Come Back, and So Do the Allmans (January 1, 2009) Dates that have been announced include the following.