It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Bob Weir, as the Grateful Dead guitarist seems to have more musical clarity than ever these days. The 68-year-old, who cancelled an entire summer tour just two years ago, has been a tour de force as the leader of the new band Dead & Company, all the while making regular appearances at Sweetwater Music Hall. From last summer’s Fare Thee Well celebration and beyond, it’s readily apparent that Weir is here.
Today, a new interview with The Guardian shed some light on a number of Weir’s ongoing projects, as well as a new one for which fans have been hoping. As for the ongoing projects, Weir confirmed that he’s still working on a solo album and the Amazon television series highlighting the Grateful Dead’s biography. For the new project, well, it seems that Weir is writing a memoir of some sort.
He captured all three in one fell swoop, saying “I’ve got as much on my plate as I’ve ever had. No – more… I’m also doing a TV show, I’m writing a book and I’ve got a solo record coming out.” The article also mentions a collaborative symphonic performance with Stanford University’s music director, Giancarlo Aquilanti, to bring the Dead’s style into the orchestral world.
“Whatever I’m going to be doing, a lot of it will be furthering this heritage, this legacy…I’m not the guy who was saying it was the last show. I’m good to play.”
Weir also shared his thoughts on a number of subjects, including John Mayer, Phil Lesh, Fare Thee Well, the new Desert Trip festival and the race for the next US President.
On John Mayer:
“It’s not his playing that impressed me; it’s his ears. He listens and responds, and that’s what our music is about… No, he doesn’t play a lot like Jerry, and I hope he doesn’t. It’s a new approach, a new color, and I can still hear Jerry when we’re playing anyway. That will always be.”
On Phil Lesh:
“I just saw him, played with him last weekend and he seemed fine… If it’s his time, it’s his time; I’m real matter of fact about death and dying. I view death as the last and best reward for a life well lived, so Phil can look forward to dying, but I don’t think he’s there yet.”
On Fare Thee Well:
“It was an adventure. If we had a little more rehearsal, the music may have been a little tighter, but I think we delivered the goods. Everybody went there to celebrate the legacy, and that’s what got done, and done good and proper.”
On Desert Trip:
“Maybe next year, if they do it, but the slots in that would be too tight… There wouldn’t have been room for our presentation on that show, because there are too many [other acts], all of which are good. I want to be there, I want to catch it, I will say that. Maybe I’ll bring my family.”
On the race for President:
“I think if Hillary [Clinton] – who is in all likelihood going to be nominated for the Democrats – wins, it will be because she incorporates a lot of what Bernie Sanders is saying, and the government will tilt that way,” he said. “If Trump wins, I think the whole thing is going to blow up and we’re going to start over, and that’s always a good thing to do.”
Check out the full interview here.