Dead and Company's "Final" Tour May Not Actually Be Their Last

"We will play shows — I have to believe that we love this music so much we're gonna play the shows," said John Mayer

Dead & Company | Photo: Julio Enriquez

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Oct 3, 2023

It's a tale as old as time: an act purports a "last" tour that turns out to maybe not actually be the last. Last year, Grateful Dead offshoot Dead and Company announced their so-called final tour for 2023 about a year ago, with founding drummer Bill Kreutzmann later dropping off the scheduled run of dates.

Now, Jerry Garcia stand-in and noted post-coital nude guitarist John Mayer has revealed that, if he has a say in the matter, those shows this summer definitely won't be Dead and Company's last performances. Appearing on Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen recruited some Deadheads to ask Mayer about the band's future together. (No, but actually. Like, for real.)

"We will play shows — I have to believe that we love this music so much we're gonna play the shows," the singer-songwriter responded. "We just are trying to figure out what that looks like for the future. But everyone has it in their hearts to keep playing."

Cohen chimed in, "Two weeks at the Sphere. Call Irving Azoff right now."

The lineup for the "final" tour comprised Mayer and original Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, alongside Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. It's hard to say whether this now-promised (no take-backs!) future will see Kreutzmann return to the fold, but the drummer did make it clear that he wasn't retiring. Dead and Company have never performed in Canada.

See the clip of the interview with Mayer below.

 

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