Dead Survivors Ready To Play For Obama
Several surviving members of the Grateful Dead — Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart — would be up for doing another fundraiser for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. The guys reunited as the Dead earlier this year in San Francisco, and although nothing is set just yet, Hart says they’re willing to do it again: “I would like to think so, I mean it’s probably one of the few things we can agree on. I mean, we’re all deeply into Barack Obama and the thought of taking this country back in some shape or form, what’s left of it. I mean, this eight years almost killed us. So, you bet, I would spend a night with my brothers for that any time, any place.”
He said there is nothing in place right now, but they could swing into action at a moment’s notice: “Just a few e-mails shot back and forth, some friendly emails, that’s all there really is. And that’s all there really needs to be until the moment comes. That last thing was just like two days, you know, I mean, we just said ‘let’s do it,’ boom, no rehearsal, we just went out there and just played a few songs. And so it was one of those seat-of-the-pants kind of things. We’re not making plans, but I think we stand at the ready, to be of service.”
Meanwhile, Hart has been out with the Mickey Hart Band, which features guitarist Steve Kimock, former Meters bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Walfredo Reyes Jr., singer Jen Durkin and String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth. Hart said, “It’s a sizzling band… very powerful.”
Hart hopes to hit the studio later this year to record material with new band.
He recently released the Rhythm Devils Concert Experience DVD and a boxed set of his solo work, called The Mickey Hart Collection.