Grateful Dead Reunite For Obama Show
February 5, 2008

Following Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy, and Robert DeNiro is The Grateful Dead, who have reunited to support Barack Obama in his quest for the presidency. Monday marked the first time that The Grateful Dead played together in four years, saying that Barack Obama embodies the political hope that has been absent since Robert Kennedy was slain four decades ago. Mickey Hart spoke at a news conference yesterday, the day before Super Tuesday, the biggest day in the campaign outside of Election Day, and said, "Every few generations a guy like this comes along. It seems like desperate times and we're desperate people."

The Grateful Dead broke up in 1995 after the death of Jerry Garcia, but have played together a few times in the years since, but not since 2004. They played yesterday at a San Francisco concert in front of 2,400 fans and Bob Weir, the singer-guitarist, noted that they had never played on the behalf of a presidential candidate before, saying, "The last time hope was in the air, it was ended by a bullet. We've been reluctant to do political events all along." Bassist Phil Lesh mentioned that he met Obama last year and Barack told him that he had songs from the Dead on his iPod. Awesome.

There was a short video from Barack Obama to start the concert, in which the candidate thanks the band. According to Reuters, the concert was a flashback to the Dead's glory days, as if the concert goers were magically transported back to 1968, including an air heavy with marijuana smoke. Ron Svetlik, who has attended more than 200 Grateful Dead concerts since 1974, was even in attendance. Not surprisingly, Svetlik had already voted for the Green Party candidate by mail but suggested a write-in vote for Jerry Garcia. Ah, Grateful Dead fans. It's great to have them back.

So, will there be more Dead concerts for Barack Obama or otherwise? It's hard to say but the band didn't rule it out. Weir said, "It's a lot like family. What we have is thicker than blood."

(Source: Reuters.)

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