John Mayer spoke to the Associated Press yesterday in regards to his new role as lead guitarist of the Dead & Company band. Mayer, along with Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, will begin an extensive fall tour on October 29th in Albany, NY.
The tour is certainly anticipated, though some have been critical that the shows came too shortly after “Fare Thee Well”, the band’s official 50th anniversary celebration that was, at the time, thought to be their last shows ever. While the ‘Fare Thee Well’ lineup included bassist Phil Lesh, Mayer feels that fans of the band would want to see more Grateful Dead music.
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Mayer said, “I don’t know of any Deadhead in the world who said, ‘When I paid my money, I paid to see these guys finish this.'” While some might argue with Mayer’s sentiment, ticket sales for the Dead & Company tour may prove otherwise.
Meanwhile, Weir commented on his musical relationship with Mayer, saying that “was answering back, and it was fun, and more fun than I was really going to be happy about just walking away from.”
We’re certainly eager to hear how Mayer lives up to this challenging and exciting role.
[Via AP]