From deep in the heart of Marin County, The Dead have just wrapped the latest round of rehearsals for the upcoming tour. For this Dead adventure, my film-making partner Justin Kreutzmann and I were asked to provide a behind-the-scenes look at what the "boys" are up to.  read more...

As a long time Dead Head who has seen many, many shows, I am thrilled to report that this band is on fire! They are breathing new life into many Grateful Dead classics by adding twists and turns that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. No song is taken for granted; all of them- including those that you might think these guys can play in their sleep- are being tweaked to sweet perfection. From precise attention to the details of vocal harmonies on songs like "New Potato Caboose" and "Till The Morning Comes," to working out new and eclectic jams on the "Eleven," the band will be firing on all cylinders by the time they hit Greensboro, and will not disappoint.

As we tried to blend in to the rehearsal space and be invisible, it was awesome to watch these guys run through, say, "Terrapin" and play it with such power and force to an empty room (except for the crew, who are busy themselves- making everything "just exactly perfect"). I know that when they get in a building with 20,000 electrified Dead Heads, the energy levels will be so high that everyone's minds will surely be blown. So please enjoy these photos (and videos) as they reveal a group of guys psyched to make music together and bring it to the Dead Heads!

Rock on,

JB