The Grateful Dead had plenty of history in the city of New Orleans over the years, and that tradition lives on, with Bob Weir returning to play the Saenger Theatre with his Campfire Band on Tuesday, April 18th (purchase tickets here). Weir released his solo album, Blue Mountain, in late 2016, which was inspired from his time working on a Wyoming ranch at the age of fifteen. Members of The National backed Weir on this new album, and appeared with him for the subsequent 9-date run back in October.
Watch Bob Weir Play “Tennessee Jed” At Nashville’s Famed Ryman Auditorium [Videos/Setlist]
However, Weir’s relationship with the Big Easy dates back way further, with Bourbon Street forever being a part of The Grateful Dead’s cannon. The song “Truckin’,” which Weir co-wrote with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Robert Hunter, details the infamous night back in 1970 when the entire band and crew were arrested. After finishing their show in the Big Easy at The Warehouse, the group went back to the hotel, where the following lyrics were inspired by an unfortunate turn of events: “Busted, down on Bourbon Street / Set up, like a bowlin’ pin / Knocked down, it gets to wearin’ thin / They just won’t let you be, no.”
The songs on Blue Mountain harken back to a place in time when radio wasn’t available. Folks living on ranches in the country relied on singing songs and telling stories around the campfire, a tradition that Weir admits is nearly extinct. Songs such as “Ki-Yi Bossie,” a song Weir wrote for the ailing John Perry Barlow, the honky tonk of “Gonesville,” and the haunting story behind “Lay My Lily Down” show Weir taking experience from his teenage years and turning them into beautifully penned cowboy songs.
Tickets for the Saenger Theatre show are currently on-sale, and can be purchased here. For additional information and show updates, check out the Facebook Event page.
[photo courtesy of Bob Weir’s Facebook page]