Furthur brings back The Dead at Chaifetz

Jason Gonulsen
Special to Metromix

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of Furthur have been at this for awhile now. Since Jerry Garcia's passing in 1995, they've been performing Grateful Dead tunes to live audiences, keeping the jams alive, so to speak. They do play a host of Grateful Dead tunes at each show, so if that's what you were wondering, go ahead and buy your ticket for Thursday night's show at The Chaifetz. But, I'm sure you already knew that.

I mean, what else would they play? A bunch of cover songs? Sure, you might get some covers—maybe some Bob Dylan ("Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues") or Ryan Adams and The Cardinals ("Magnolia Mountain"). But, make no mistake—this show will have everything a Grateful Dead show had outside of Mr. Garcia (which, of course, is kind of a big deal). Their three-night run at Red Rocks last September featured Dead tunes like "The Golden Road," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Stella Blue." You can find those setlists here.

I'm not much of a "jam band" fan, but the thing I Iiked most about The Grateful Dead was that their songs actually had solid lyrics. It wasn't simply all about the guitar solo or the noodling—their songs had stories, they had something to say. Sure, Garcia was a hell of a guitarist and singer, but he and Lesh and Weir could also write. Listen to the 'American Beauty' album and tell me that isn't great songwriting.

My favorite Grateful Dead tune of all time? Probably "Uncle John's Band" or "He's Gone." Or maybe "Franklin's Tower." I could name so many—and I'm not even a Dead Head (by any stretch of the imagination)!

Should be a great one on Thursday!