This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. While the surviving band members – Bobby Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann – had said there was talk of a reunion to celebrate the milestone, the October death of bassist Phil Lesh seemed to put an end to that.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone Weir discuses the possibility of that reunion, but he doesn’t sound too optimistic about it.
“I think when Phil checked out, so did that notion, because we don’t have a bass player who’s been playing with us for 60 years now,” he says. “I suppose I could go back out. I wouldn’t put anybody in his place, so it would be a trio at this point. It’d be me and two drummers. I’d have to think about that. … I guess we’ll just see what the three of us can pull together.”
Talking about the decision-making in the band, Weir shares, “We speak a language that nobody else speaks. We communicate, we kick stuff back and forth, and then make our little statement in a more universal language.”
“For us, it’s a look or a motion with one shoulder, or the way you reflect a phrase or something that tips off the other guys where you’re going with this,” he adds. “And then they work on being where you’re headed, getting there with a little surprise for you.”
“That’s a formula that’s worked real well for us over the years, and there just aren’t enough of us left now to do that anymore,” he says.
While Grateful Dead hasn’t made any decisions about reuniting, the offshoot Dead & Company is set to launch new residency dates at the Sphere Las Vegas on Thursday. The shows are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the band.
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