For classical composer Lee Johnson, tackling the work of the Grateful Dead was like discovering the musical foundations of a new foreign country. Johnson is known for his concert pieces, choral works, short operas and musicals, planetarium soundtracks, and solo/ensemble pieces that cross into jazz and big band music.

Today's review is a show readily available for download at the Live Music Archive, 7/29/88, at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey California. This was the first of a three show run at Laguna Seca, and in my opinion the best of the three. I chose this show mainly because of the extremely high quality of the recording currently available at the LMA. It sounds to me to be a mislabelled soundboard or soundboard/audience matrix recording, but I suppose it's possible that its just a phenomenal audience recording.

Staggering gas prices curtailing your travel plans? Avoid the pinch and let Road Trips transport you far and wide while safely parked with your favorite listening device. Our latest 2-disc installment takes us to the magical Summer of '71 with stops in New Haven, Chicago and, for a limited time, sunny Southern California. All in brilliant HDCD and all for the same low $19.98.

Phil Lesh & Friends played the Greek Theater in Los Angeles last night and Grateful Web was on hand to snap some photos.

The 7th Jammy Awards at the Wamu Theater at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City left no one disappointed to say the least.

Guitarist/singer/songwriter Keller Williams offers up a live, digital-only release titled REX (Live at the Fillmore).  The recording captures a very special live performance by Grateful Grass - a project featuring Williams, Keith Moseley (The String Cheese Incident), and Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band) - performing not-so-traditional bluegrass versions of Grateful Dead favorites.  The collection, recorded February 8, 2006 at D

Someone turned over a large rock and roll subculture over the past three night run at "The Beacon Theater", as "Deadheads", "hippies", and "throwbacks", have resurfaced to see "Bob Weir and Ratdog".  No other band in bluegrass, blues, country, folk, reggae, or rock and roll history, has woven such a distinct counterculture and sense of community, other than "The Grateful Dead", and the bands offshoots.  Known to "Deadheads" as "The Dead", the band's inception began in 1965 in San Francisco, California, from a jugband known as "The Warlocks".

Bobby and Ratdog played the Beacon Theater in New York City the past three nights.  One of our writers, Sharon Abella, was on hand and snapped some photos of the show.  Check back soon for her write-up from the night. And a special thank you to Dennis McNally for his wonderful hospitality.

Enjoy,

The Grateful Web

You waited, you begged, you became surly; so without further ado...A Dead.Net Exclusive: