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TAMPA - Since Jerry Garcia is no longer among the living, the Grateful Dead has become merely the Dead. On its first summer tour since Garcia's death in 1995, the iconic counterculture band has shortened its name in reverence to its late leader and sounds its most taut in years. Rejuvenated, you might say.
On Wednesday, the Dead brought to the St. Pete Times Forum a co-headliner in the form of good friend Bob Dylan. Dylan, too, was frisky. Both acts gave the crowd of 12,434 more than six hours of fine music with Dylan, 62, beginning the evening with a set of his own material and later joining the Dead.
The Dead's magic was in seamless playing by its longtime members - the band began in 1965 - and key new players, guitarist Jimmy Herring, who has the unenviable task of filling Garcia's shoes, and singer Joan Osborne, who divides Garcia's vocals among herself and other band members. The singer, a veteran of the New York coffeehouse scene who scored a 1995 hit with One of Us, may seem an odd addition to the Dead's boys club, but she fits right in. The singer added the right soulful vocals - how about Osborne belting out the riveting Night of a Thousand Stars? Wow! - and a free-spirited stage persona with graceful dancing and general "good vibes."
The Dead began the first of its two lengthy sets with Help On the Way, showcasing the almost psychic interaction between drummer Bill Kreutzmann and percussionist Mickey Hart. Herring's guitar solo, rippling, breezy, and delightful, was faithful to Garcia's. (Before this Dead gig, Herring filled in for Dickey Betts after Betts was canned from the Allman Brothers Band.)
The song segued into the band's spirited rendition of the Beatles' Blackbird, with guitarist Bob Weir - and much of the audience - handling lead vocal. Dylan joined the band on keyboard for Friend of the Devil, his voice adding raspy pizazz to the familiar chorus. The group then launched into Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody with Herring again a marvel with his ribbony lead guitar. Next came Like A Rolling Stone, with Osborne singing the legendary choruses along with Dylan. A funky version of the Beatles' Why Don't We Do It In the Road? gave bassist Phil Lesh a reason to get loose and Osborne lyrics nasty enough to inject with some blues. Dylan opened the show with a dazzling 70-minute set featuring recent material from 2001's "Love & Theft," an album that topped many critics' lists. Dressed in black, Dylan performed the set behind a keyboard. Dylan's voice, forever sandpapery, has taken on an even grittier rasp in recent years, but it's sturdy and appropriate on his rootsy new tunes, awash in upright bass, pedal steel guitar and rollicking piano.
Dylan gave a vigorous workout to the chestnut If You See Her, Say Hello and later banged the keys with relish on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. He played harmonica on several songs including the fine encore, Rainy Day Women #12 and 35. Many in the crowd agreed with the song's chorus, singing, "Everybody must get stoned."
Robert Hunter, lyricist for the Grateful Dead, performed on acoustic guitar between the bands' sets. Fans bombarded Hunter in catcalls of praise despite the singer's off-key caterwauls. Deadheads are paragons of loyalty, able to shrug off Hunter's warbling and relish his words.
- To contact Gina Vivinetto, e-mail gina@sptimes.com