Dead & Company kicked off their Final Tour Saturday with a headlining single set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Lightning and torrential rains delayed the festivities, with gates opening over an hour past the 11:00 am schedule, causing some of the earlier slated bands to be scrapped. The rain held off for most of Dead & Co’s electric-only set. The sun even managed to make a late-set appearance.

Thursday, April 20th, was the first full day of music at the 2023 Skull & Roses Music Festival. Many in the crowd happily celebrated 4-20 in a smokey haze during the 12-hour musical marathon. The fact that cannabis is now legal in California made the occasion all the more celebratory. A strong wind picked up, clearing the sky of clouds, making for a warm afternoon and a crystal-clear evening.

Saxophonist Dave McMurray returns with Grateful Deadication 2, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 tribute album which once again finds the saxophonist reimagining the songs of the Grateful Dead with his gritty and soulful Detroit sound joined by special guests including Oteil Burbridge, Bob James, Jamey Johnson, Greg Leisz, and Don Was. Watch the official video for the lead single “Scarlet Begonias” featuring vocals by Burbridge.

The Go Big For Hunger All-Star Band returns for two fundraising concerts at Portland House of Music and Bayside Bowl on March 2 and 3, 2023 (The Annual Go Big For Hunger Jam to support children with food insecurities). Led by current Dead & Company and longtime Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge and New Orleans' "first family of funk" percussionist and vocalist Cyril Neville, the shows feature Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, moe.

Next year’s SKULL & ROSES at Ventura County Fairgrounds, April 19-23, 2023, will be the fifth incarnation of the gathering, which is thriving just like the rest of the Grateful Dead culture it celebrates. This little party by the sea has grown enormously both in numbers and sophistication, to the point of having an original member of the Grateful Dead headline the festival for a second time. But the commitment to joy, dancing, and peaceful community is unchanged, which is perhaps why it’s grown so much!

The Ogden Theatre is a 1600 capacity venue in the Capitol Hill district of Denver and although its surroundings leave much to be desired, the place still brings out the magic for those who enter its historic doors. Originally opened in 1917, it got it start as did many theaters of that era as a movie house and a locale for vaudeville performances. Cinema was its main draw for decades until its almost unfortunate end in the early 90’s, when it was slotted to be demolished.

DEAD & COMPANY is launching its 2023 summer tour on Friday, May 19th and Saturday, May 20th in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum with dates running through Friday, July 14th and Saturday, July 15th when the tour ends in San Francisco at Oracle Park.  The band - Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, and Bob Weir, with Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti – will perform two sets of music drawing from the Grateful Dead’s historic catalog of songs.

When Gov’t Mule announced earlier this year that it would have Oteil and Friends opening shows Aug. 11 at the Roadrunner in Boston and Aug. 13 at the Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, the mind reeled with the possibilities of what to expect.

The third day of the fourth Skull and Roses Festival saw the biggest crowds ever and record warm temperatures. A strong onshore wind helped mediate temperatures. When the Alligators rotated onstage just after 4 pm, the fairgrounds were packed with music fans. The band was actually created initially as a one-off to perform at the festival. According to promoter Dennis McNally, “The Gators came into being because Chris, the promoter of Skull and Roses, had a problem—and a vision.

If you’ve been on the fence about attending this year's SKULL & ROSES April 7-10th in Ventura, CA, here are just a few reasons why this is a NOT to be missed festival!

PHIL & FRIENDS

This year, and for the first time, an original member of the Grateful Dead, bass player Phil Lesh, joins SKULL & ROSES. The line up will feature: Phil Lesh, Stu Allen, Grahame Lesh, Jason Crosby & John Molo.

OTEIL & FRIENDS