So Phil did come back and play. And quite a bit, too.
I had the pleasure of mail odering a new years ticket for the big bash at Kaiser. The unnamed midnight Jam band is reported to feature Lesh if he's feeling well enough. Phil's liver is not quite what it could be. We love you Phil, I know you'll pull through.
See you in the midnight hour.
Chris Lull
April 11, 1997
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
Phil Lesh stated the following on David Gans' "Dead to the World" on KPFA 4.2.97:
"But the Grateful Dead was my band, and I don't have any desire to form a band of my own, or tour with another band, or do anything like that."
As recently as mid-March Phil wrote (in his "Phil Answers Frequently Asked Questions" section of The Phil Zone) that he and the rest of the guys would probably consider playing 'just one more show' or more if it were for the right reasons.
A few days ago that article was replaced by one that states the following:
" I have been asked many times if I will ever go back on the road. Part of the answer is that I miss playing very much and have been dropping in to play with friends who come to town. The road is a more complicated story - I miss the chance to see Deadheads from faraway places; I miss the energy of the east coast fans. . . but most of all, I miss Jerry."
For Deadheads, the good news is that Lesh is composing a symphony and is planning an evening of Christmas music sometime in December.
Bob Weir is currently touring with Rat Dog. He just wrote a fantastic letter to the editor of The San Francisco Chronicle about the destruction of the Headwater's Forest. Rat Dog is the headliner of this year's Furthur Festival.
Billy Kreutzman is in Hawaii. There are some fun pictures of him here.
Mickey Hart is taking "his latest creation" on Furthur Tour this summer along with Hornsby and his band, the Black Crows and moe.
I will end where I started, with a piece of Lesh and Gans' 4.2.97 conversation:
Gans: Is there a chance you might pop up somewhere along the Furthur
tour again this year?
Lesh: There's a possibility, yeah. I haven't been asked, and I don't
know what the plans are for the tour.
Gans: Well, Hornsby's going to be on the tour, and Ratdog, so. . .
Lesh: Hey, well, I'm open.
See you at Shoreline,
Chris Lull
Here are the rumors to date in no particular order:
*** Phil Lesh to play Maritime Hall with David Crosby. This rumor turned out to be true though it only surfaced on r.m.gdead 2 hours before show time. Rumor started by Maritime Hall staff. Spread through the Bay Area deadhead phone network. First posted by me<ceo@gankmore.com>.
*** Further to include Lesh -- mostly unconfirmed. Lesh denied this rumor himself on David Gans' "Dead To the World" on KPFA in Berekeley in early April. Loose Rumor first reported by <Sugaree101@aol.com> First posted 2.23.97, follow up 2.24.97.
*** Bay Area GD Hotel --unconfirmed. No strong denial. anonymous source from outside the GD community. Reported by me <ceo@gankmore.com> First posted 2.24.97.
*** Hidalgo to fill in for Garcia. --unconfirmed. No strong denial. Various sources dating back to fall 95.
*** GDP books MSG for 5 fall nights --unconfirmed. No strong denial. MSG productions grape vine. Reported by: <ceo@gankmore.com> First posted 2.1.97
**** Phil Lesh and Bob Weir to sit in at the David Murray show at the Fillmore on March 6th. Some versions of this rumor have Phil and Bob guesting for the whole show and others report it will be more like the Lesh-Crosby appearance. A few songs at the end. First posted to r.m.gdead by Matt Lawsky <mbl16@columbia.edu> Feb. 26? ****Also reported by the Fillmore staff to various individuals at the March 1st Zero show. **** This rumor has spread so fast and far it would be difficult to recall all of the sources and versions I have heard and read. Either this is pure speculation run rampant or there is some truth in it. If I were a betting man, which I am, I'd bet it would be worth buying a ticket to this show if you can find one. *** This rumor turned out to be 100 percent true. Lesh and Weir sat in with Murray for almost two whole hours.
*** The Atlanta paper today <3.7.97> lists as an "upcoming show", the "Furthur Festival, featuring the Black Crowes", at Lakewood Amp. June 21st. Reported by <kev@bigfoot.com> Confirmed by GD hotline (415) 457-6388.
**** <mtngirl28@aol.com> writes: "Just heard from a friend of my brother-in-law's at the dead office... a guy who's always been a reliable source of show dates for entire tours wayyyyyy before they're announced, right down to every last show... The Dead will be playing 3 dates at Shoreline and 3 at Madison Square Garden sometime in July... Three guesses as to who the guitarist is gonna be :-) Suuuure laugh at me now... but hey, if I'm right... WOWOWOWOWOW!!!!! " posted 3.18.97
********* 4.7.97 "Here's the clipping from the
web page of USA Today: The Millennium Society is planning its biggest bash
at Egypt's Great Pyramid of Cheops. A concert there will feature the Grateful
Dead and the artist formerly known as Prince. Prices will be announced
by June. Information: 202-332-1999 or on the Web at http://www.millenniumsociety.org."
<posted by thrtyrs@aol.com>