On Saturday, January 15, RTD was joined by special guests James Waldecker on lead guitar and Justin Lee on keyboards when we played for the memorial celebration for Brien Stetson.  The evening was a special gathering of friends and well-wishers, and several thousand dollars were raised for Brien's family.  Thanks to everyone who came out and supported them!  

The band had an amazing time playing and we think you'll see and hear exactly that when you check out these sets.  See you February 4-5 for our huge gig at Otus Supply with special guest second drummer, 2-time grammy winner and Sages and Spirits drummer Jake Wolf. 

01.15.2021  Tangent Gallery/Hastings Street Ballroom Detroit, MI
Set I: Brokedown Palace*, Run for the Roses*, I Need A Miracle* > Estimated Prophet* > Not Fade Away* > Eyes of the World ('73 ending) > Playin' in the Band > Loser, Jack Straw > He's Gone > Jack Straw
Set II: Good Lovin' > The Wheel > Mr. Charlie, Ship of Fools, Deal, Brown Eyed Women > Truckin' > Morning Dew > Playin' Reprise
*First 5 songs spell Brien
Entire show with James Waldecker on guitar and Justin Lee on keys

Raising The Dead (with guests James Waldecker on lead guitar and Justin Lee on keyboards) will perform at the Tangent Gallery this weekend for the memorial of fan and friend Brien Stetson.  Join us! 

Come Celebrate Brien's life as we bid him good night. Doors @ 7pm, Music @ 8pm-1am, Memorial @ 10pm 
Please come and share stories of Brien's life. $10 minimum donation. Proceeds will be gifted to his beautiful girlfriend, Lisa to ease her burden during this sudden loss. Please bring a photo of Brien to add to framed poster keepsake. Monster Foods will be there. 

2021 went out with a whimper: COVID spiked, and several members of RTD came down with disease, venues cancelled gigs after their staff got ill, and a really exciting set of December shows instead left us all wanting more.  Despite all that, 2021 was a pretty amazing year for your friendly neighborhood Dead tribute.  Here are some stats from our year:

18 shows (including duets and gigs with 3 or more members)
8 shows at Otus Supply in Ferndale, most live streamed by TheFunkShop.com
3 shows at the Tangent Gallery & Hastings Street Ballroom 
2 big shows in downtown Royal Oak for John Witz & Associates
1 live album released on all streaming services 
850+ fans entertained at the Detroit Red Wings Grateful Dead Night

Last year, we asked each band member to pick a favorite show, song, or moment from the year past.  With so many great memories to choose from, it’s a hard task, but we’re all about doing the hard work, just for you, dear reader.  Here’s our choices for “Best of 2021”

“Little Caesar’s Arena stands out as the highlight of 2021. It may of been one of the shortest sets we’ve played but certainly a monster, from Hell In The Bucket all the way until the end of Shakedown, the more than 850 fans were on their feet and the band was on fire. We said goodbye to our keyboard player and longtime member Max Katz, but overall what a way to end still another year of uncertainty of live entertainment due to COVID. May the Music Never Stop.”

“Dancin In The Street from the Red Wings gig, for the sole reason that my mom mentioned to me over the holidays that she loved the Mamas And The Papas song we did and that I was really belting it out. LOLZ!  It took a few minutes to realize she was talking about Dancin. And…Ya gotta love a Joe drum solo!”

​“The Oddly Specific Gathering in Jerome, MI. Strong soundboard recording. It was very cold on this late September night. Full Cord Bluegrass finished their set and we ate an amazing Michigan farm-to-table dinner. Hitting the grass stage for set 2 late into the night, the vibe was late summer outdoor Grateful Dead, picture Red Rocks 1984. Cold, but energy crackling from an intimate audience digging on every note. Set 2 of our Hunter birthday nod started with a Dark Star > Box of Rain > Dark Star sandwich. The space of Dark Star included some discoesque groovyness funk from which Box emerged. Then we played probably our tightest full Terrapin Suite of the year, followed by a Furthur rarity, Colors of the Rain. The show ended with the lyrics of Brokedown Palace flowing across the late night Jerome horizon.”

“Cadieux Cafe second set is my pick for the best of 2021.  During the show, I knew we were creating something special, weaving back and forth through some of the Dead’s most loved song segues, all mixed up and with 4 stops at Terrapin Station, like the bread in a Dagwood sandwich.  The cicadas were LOUD that night, and one landed on my leg during Terrapin Station (EXACTLY 1:08:00 on the video), pointed out by a fan during The Eleven (1:16:12).  It stayed on my leg the entire rest of the set, only jumping off after we finished the entire Terrapin Suite.  In the moment I named it “Hunter” after the Terrapin lyricist and took a photo, which I illustrated for the cover of our album release.  I listened to this set more than any other show we’ve ever played while mixing it for release, and I still love it.”

What was YOUR favorite RTD performance of 2021?  Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you in 2022 with more surprises, debuts, and big jams from the band beyond description. 

Winter 2021-22 will be a busy season for Raising The Dead, and it's your chance to come see 2 (or 3!) sets of Live Dead, RTD style.  This includes 3 shows with very special guests sitting in all night: 12/29 with Languedoc-wielding shredder Marcus Rezak, and 2 nights of double-drum mania with Jake Wolf, whose main gig is with Sages and Spirits, with bandmates Melvin Seals, Rob Eaton, John Kadlecik, Rob Barraco, Jay Lane, Skip Vangelas!  
Brave the cold rain and snow, because this space is getting hot! 

• December 19: Tangent Gallery, Detroit  
• December 29: Otus Supply, Ferndale with Marcus Rezak 
• January 15: Tangent Gallery, Detroit (Brian Stetson's Memorial)
• February 4 (night 1 of 2): Otus Supply, Ferndale with second drummer Jake Wolf from Sages and Spirits
• February 5 (night 2 of 2) : Otus Supply, Ferndale with second drummer Jake Wolf from Sages and Spirits

What a night!  Raising The Dead performed at Little Caesar's Arena on Saturday, December 4, 2021 for the Detroit Red Wings Grateful Dead night.  Fans purchased special event tickets that got them in to the game vs the NY Islanders, a special Grateful Dead/Red Wings jersey, and best of all, a pre-game performance from Raising The Dead.  With help from Thom Bloom at Otus Supply, we brought in a killer sound system (16,000 watts of JBL power!) which was expertly run by Chris Hines.  Mike Stork brought in his video rig and cameras, and ran a psychedelic video show behind the band on two 80-inch LCD's.  During So Many Roads, we even presented a slideshow of friends, family, and members of the Dead who have left for Terrapin.  

The audience was huge - over 800 Deadheads purchased special event tickets - and they rocked the Pizza Palace hard!  The sound of the fans when Dancin' In The Street gave way to the first big D minor chord of Shakedown was just awesome!  And the fan near the stage who kept yelling for Feel Like A Stranger (at least it wasn't Freebird) got his wish, when we made a last-minute setlist change from The Weight to Stranger to close the show.  

This show was the final one for keyboardist Max Katz, who over 4 and a half years has given Raising The Dead audiences incredible performances on organ, Rhodes, piano and synth.  He was also responsible for writing most of our setlists, including the brilliant one immortalized on our album release, Terrapin Stations & Other Ones: Live at Cadieux Cafe.   We hope his musical adventures will continue for many years. 

Check back here frequently, as we'll be posting video and audio from the show soon.  If this was your first show, we hope it won't be your last!  

12-4-2021 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Hell in a Bucket
Foolish Heart
So Many Roads
Box of Rain
Tennessee Jed
Dancin' In The Street>*
Shakedown Street*
Feel Like A Stranger
​
*Third Stone From The Sun teases

BIG ANNOUCEMENT! Saturday December 4, Raising The Dead will play for the Detroit Red Wings Grateful Dead night! One ticket gets you the concert, the game, and the collector's jersey! The band will play on a stage in the concourse before the game, and the game begins at 7.  Use the links below to get your tickets now!  

Information from the Red Wings site
Special event ticket link
Group sales email (or call Madison Burton at 313.471.7041

Here's the final information about the event from The Red Wings

Grateful Dead – Concert and Jersey Pickup Instructions
 
Thank you for purchasing the Grateful Dead ticket package. Please review the instructions below for information on the concert and jersey pickup. 
 
Concert Instructions:

• Please use the Comerica Bank entrance at the Southeast corner of the building to enter
• Doors open at 4pm and the concert will begin at 4:30pm.
• Your tickets will be scanned when you enter. There is no re-entry to the arena.
• All bag policies apply and can be found HERE

 
Jersey Pickup Instructions:

• A voucher has been added to your account and can be accessed in the same location as your tickets.Screenshots will not be accepted.
• Pickup will begin as doors open for the concert and will be located at the Comerica Bank entrance
• If you do not pick up your jersey at the concert, you can pick it up during the game at the Group Sales Kiosk located near the Chevrolet Entry NE outside of PORTAL 6.
• Sizes Small – 2XL are available on a first come, first serve basis.

 
Access Tickets & Vouchers
 
Your mobile tickets can be accessed by either downloading The District Detroit Mobile App or visiting DetroitRedWings.com/MyAccount. We highly recommend accessing your tickets and storing them in your mobile wallet before arriving at Little Caesars Arena for faster entry. For more information on mobile ticketing, including step-by-step guides, please visit DetroitRedWings.com/Mobile.

Raising things to the next level is what we are, have been, and will continue to do.  To that end, this second installment at the Tangent wasn't just the band.  Oh no, we brought the Grateful Hoop Mama, Erika Gallagher to dance with us.  We brought Mike Stork from TheFunkShop.com to run a projected psychedelic video show, on a giant screen brought by Warren Nelson.  Lights were run by superfan Mike Chojnowski.  Live painting was done by Jody Bauman.  And we debuted a series of 25 prints of Martina Sanroman's fantastic artwork, signed and numbered by the artist (prints remain, just let us know - they're $30 each).

As if that wasn't extra enough, we beat the record set at our October 24 show by playing a 152 minute first set (that's 2 hours, 32 minutes)!  Then we followed it up with a 100+ minute second set, playing in to the wee hours of the night.  As Dead Again guitarist Phillip Nathan commented on Facebook, "It’s not a REAL party until the band plays for 6+ hours straight IMO." We're working on it, Phillip.  We're working on it! 

The show features debuts of Around and Around, Black Peter, Hey Pocky Way, and Spoonful, as well as long exploratory jams throughout (THE WHEEL!  PLAYIN! UNBROKEN! CASSIDY!  THE OTHER ONE!).  Watch the whole thing, or drop the needle anywhere for a delicious dose of psychedelic stew. 

11-12-2021 Tangent Gallery, Detroit MI 
Set I: 
Cold Rain and Snow, Row Jimmy, The Wheel>The Greatest Story Ever Told>Casey Jones, Sugar Magnolia>Sugaree>Victim or the Crime>Colors of the Rain>Around and Around,* Dire Wolf, Black Peter,* Sunshine Daydream>Playin' In The Band

Set II: 
Unbroken Chain, Cassidy>Eyes of the World>Hey Pocky Way*>Wharf Rat>The Other One>Spoonful*>I Need A Miracle, ​Morning Dew
​
* First time played

October 9 was the original start date of our fall residency at the Tangent Gallery in Detroit, and since our lead guitarist Matt Cole couldn't make the date, People Movers guitarist James Waldecker was conscripted to fill the Jerry chair.  When that gig was postponed, we decided to have James play the October 24 gig.  The result was a long night of exceptional Dead, with a unique and intense sound all its own.  

James, along with his brother Joe and Laurie, were three legs of the now dormant Detroit Dead band People Movers.  Moments when the three of them sang together felt like a reunion fans had been waiting years for.  James handled the lead guitar duties with a frontal Fender sound, powered by his Strats and Tweed amp combo.  This show was also the longest show Raising The Dead had played to date.  The first set clocked in at 2 hours and 16 minutes!  The second was only slightly less at 1:48.  We took advantage of the time to stretch out by delivering some fantastic jams.  We debuted Mason's Children and Foolish Heart and revisited some of our favorites, including They Love Each Other, Estimated Prophet, Bird Song, and we revisited the song of the year, the Terrapin Suite.  We return to the Tangent on November 12 and once again on December 19 with Matt Cole back in the Jerry chair. 

October 24 Tangent Gallery, Detroit MI
Set I: 
Feel Like A Stranger, They Love Each Other, Me and My Uncle>Big River>Deep Elum Blues, Mason's Children*, Althea, Pride of Cucomonga, Foolish Heart*, Estimated Prophet>Liberty, New Speedway Boogie, Bird Song, China Cat Sunflower>Ramble on Rose>The Eleven

Set II: 
St. Stephen>William Tell Bridge>I Know You Rider, Ship of Fools, Mr. Charlie, Help on the Way>Slipknot!>Throwing Stones, Terrapin Suite

*First time played

Raising The Dead is excited to begin our fall residency at the Tangent Gallery and Hastings Street Ballroom this Sunday, October 24.  We'll play from 7pm to midnight with a selection of songs from the Dead catalog spanning their entire career.  The show will be a special treat for fans of the now defunct People Mover's Band - as James Waldecker will be filling in for Matt Cole on lead guitar, meaning a third of the band (including Joe and Laurie) are PMB alumni.  We'll perform some of their signature tunes and arrangements.  

Matt will rejoin us for performances on November 12 and December 19.  Shows will feature live painting by Martina Sanroman, artist of our poster shown above, and we'll be offering signed prints of the poster at the gigs.  

On Friday, October 29, Marcus Rezak's Shred is Dead returns to Otus Supply, and we've assembled a supergroup of Detroit musicians to open for him.  Detroit Dead includes Dave Martin (guitar), Laurie Lester (vocals) and Matthew Cole (guitar) from Raising the Dead; John Lyle (bass) from Dead Again/Deep Space Six; Justin Lee (keys) from Dead at the Winery; and Chaim Tolwin (drums) from Supercrunch/Deadicated. They'll get the Shred is Dead party started with some sing-along jam favorites!

We hope you'll join us, and mark your calendar for a BIG gig coming up on December 4!  

On September 25, Raising The Dead performed an awesome show at the Oddly Specific Gathering in Jerome, Michigan.  The 3-day camping festival  hosted by our friend Gracie featured amazing home-grown food, vendors with all sorts of goods, a big bonfire, lots of super-kind people, and a great lineup of musicians keeping the groove all weekend long.  

On that Saturday night, we took the stage after the fourth set that weekend by the extraordinary Full Cord Bluegrass.  The temperature was about 60 degrees when we took the stage, and steadily declined through the night, dipping down into the 40s.  But the air was still, and we heated things up with a jam-filled show to remember.  

The setlist, written by our drummer Joseph Waldecker, featured only songs whose lyrics were written by Robert Hunter.  Our show was preceded by a reading of the complete Terrapin Station Suite poem by our friend Bonnie.  Inspiration moved us brightly, and we played late into the night as the crickets and cicadas sung along.  Check it out below.