It’s been a long strange trip for bassist Oteil Burbridge, who got his start playing with Col. Bruce Hampton in the Aquarium Rescue Unit and continued to find a home in The Allman Brothers Band for many years. While those are impressive feats on their own, “Oteil From Egypt” took his career to the next level when he joined the gratefully inspired Dead & Company ensemble last year.
Burbridge played with Dead & Co for two nights at Citi Field last weekend, marking his first-ever performances at a stadium. Naturally, the bassist wanted to stand out for the new opportunity, and decided to shave his mohawk into a lightning bolt. The bolt is a signature symbol of the Dead, only furthering his passion for the low end role.
Dead & Company’s Oteil Burbridge Talks About Playing Grateful Dead Music For The Rest Of His Life
The bassist shared some thoughts on the new gig, saying:
This time last year, Jess and I were in Santa Clara for GD50. Little did we know we would be at Citi Field – Mets Stadium in a year with Dead & Company and I would be playing my first stadium show of my career. We decided to shave my mohawk into a lightening bolt to celebrate!
If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will… and it seems to have gotten Burbridge! Not only was his hair on full display, but his vocals were too; Burbridge sang lead during a verse of “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” at last night’s show. It’s nice to see the bassist getting more and more comfortable and expanding his contributions in this great ensemble.
The sky is truly the limit for Dead & Company.