Dead Again: The Dead Deliver a Solid Performance at Irvine

By Sameer Bajaj
A&F Staff Writer

It can’t be easy being Jimmy Herring. Although he possesses an astounding technical ability and musical sense that would be valuable to any band, fans will always be quick to scrutinize his every fault and misstep. That’s because the new lead guitarist of the Dead (formerly the Grateful Dead) has been asked to replace Jerry Garcia, arguably the most beloved rock icon of all time. For almost 30 years, Garcia and the Grateful Dead toured America with a unique brand of psychedelic rock/jazz/country. While they never achieved much commercial success, they developed an unshakably loyal fan base that followed the band across the country year after year.

For the Deadheads (as the fans came to be known), the Dead were far more than a band; they were a way of life and a source of irreplaceable happiness and spirituality. So when Garcia passed away in 11995, the band and their fans were left without a leader. For a while, it seemed that the Dead would never play again. After seven years of solo ventures, the remaining members of the band decided to reunite, with Herring as the new lead guitarist.

After a great tour of the East Coast, the Dead provided a grand finale of their “Summer Getaway” with a three-show run of the West Coast. My friends and I arrived at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater well before the show so that we could hang out with the Deadheads in the parking lot, and we were not disappointed.

The lot scene was one big party with thousands of fans tailgating out of the back of their cars and enjoying the beautiful day. Near the entrance, fans sold homemade shirts, pipes, necklaces, brownies and anything else you could ever want before a Dead show.

As we entered the gates and made our way toward our seats, we could feel the good vibes and palpable excitement in the air. As the lights dimmed and the band took stage, the theater exploded with cheers and applause, with all the fans awaiting the first note.

The band opened with a focused improvisation that immediately got the crowd dancing. After a long buildup the jam flowed directly into a Dead classic, “Help on the Way.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Dead, songs often stream directly into one another without a break in between. This opener was the perfect way for the band to show that although they might sound a little different, they can still rock the hell out of the old tunes! In addition, “Help” provided the perfect vehicle for Herring to showcase his remarkable skills, as he aced all of the technically difficult guitar solos.

As “Help” segues nicely into “Slipknot!” the crowd began to buzz with anticipation. Normally, these songs are played as the first two of a three-song series with “Franklin’s Tower” at that moment

But the band went a different direction and played an upbeat cover of the Black Crowes classic “Hard to Handle” followed by “Down the Road,” which led directly into a soulful “Ramble on Rose.” This tune really gave new Dead vocalist Joan Osborne (yes, that Joan Osborne) a chance to shine. A blues singer who was been singing with the Dead for the summer tour, Osborne has a powerful voice that fits the music of the Dead well. The band continued with a tight cover of the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which segued into “Mountains of the Moon>All That We Are Bertha” to close the first set. All in all, I thought the first set was played with good energy and a distinctly soulful tinge.

The second set opened with another true Dead classic, “Friend of the Devil.” With rhythm guitarist Bob Weir taking the acoustic lead, this tune was played beautifully from beginning to end. As “Friend” flowed nicely into “Even So” then “October Queen” and “Deep End,” it was clear that the band wanted to establish a slower, more reflective mood in the second set. Even though I was in the mood to party, I had to appreciate the slower tunes for the beauty and depth that they were played with. The subdued mood continued for the next hour or so.

And then it happened. As the band began playing “Slipknot!” again the crowd erupted with anticipation of the inevitable. The Dead then burst into “Franklin’s Tower,” and the whole amphitheater was turned into a frenzy. I could not have been more excited; they could have played this song poorly and I still would have been floating in the clouds at the end. A stirringly upbeat song in the first place, the band played this version with great power as though they were releasing the building anticipation they had created when they opened the show.

After the second set, the band closed with a gorgeous a capella rendition of “And We Bid You Goodnight.” As I left the venue ecstatic, I could see many fans’ crying and embracing. Perhaps “Franklin’s Tower” or some other Dead classic had awoken some beautiful, long lost memories. Maybe the show reminded people of Jerry Garcia. Maybe fans were just moved by the music. Whatever the situation was, they were experiencing a power that can only be felt at a Dead concert.