CNN‘s Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper invited very special guests Dead & Company onto their New Year’s Eve broadcast from New York’s Times Square, who talked to the duo live from their green room at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
Related: Dead & Company Opens New Year’s Run At San Francisco’s Chase Center [Photos/Videos]
The band got camera-ready to talk to the anchor-duo, known as AC2, with just about an hour until they were set to hit the stage for the fourth show of their New Year’s Eve run. However, this was no ordinary interview for Andy Cohen. He is an unabashed Deadhead who recently made the news for bringing late-night host and Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon on the bus as he dove into the music of the Grateful Dead.
In this slightly-cringe interview, Cohen’s unbridled enthusiasm shined through his faux-professional persona as he attempted to ask questions the general CNN audience would find interesting. The interview started with an underhand lob of a question: “what is a Deadhead?”
“There are all kinds of Deadheads,” Bob Weir responded. “You got tech guys, you got CEOs, you got gas station attendants, you probably got serial murderers. Hopefully not a lot of them. All kinds of folks. They’re the certain kind of person who requires a little bit of adventure in their lives. And therefore they require a little adventure in their music, and we’re happy to provide that.”
Cohen, who essentially ran the entire interview, reeled it back with another simple question that wasn’t music-related: “John Mayer, what is your New Year’s resolution?” To which a slightly cocky Mayer responded, “Keep up the good work. I don’t think every year that goes by is a year full of mistakes you need to correct. I, for one, would love to have a 2020 like I had a 2019. I think we had a great year.”
As the interview wrapped up, Anderson Cooper regretfully informed Andy, the band, and the viewers that he had not been to a concert this year and would like to change that next year. Cohen assured Cooper that he could guide him to the burning shore of a Dead & Co. show. Anderson unwittingly dug himself into a hole by telling Andy “but you need to educate me,” to which Andy emphatically responded, “Oh, I will.”
If Cooper isn’t careful, he will come into work on Monday with Cohen’s entire tape collection on his desk.
Watch the entire video of Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper interviewing Dead & Company below.
Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper Interview Dead & Company – 12/31/19
[Video: samccfl]