Raising The Dead had an awesome weekend kicking off the Days Between, performing a ton of live Grateful Dead for appreciative audiences at Hippies At The Village in Burton, MI (our 3rd year) and at Grosse Pointe Park’s Cabbage Patch Saloon (our first time).  It is our practice to not repeat songs on consecutive gigs, but while we debuted no less than eleven songs this weekend, one we played twice: the fabled Terrapin Suite. 

Our drummer, Joseph Waldecker worked for a solid month, practicing the extremely difficult drum parts (it took Mickey and Billy to do the album, he did it by himself!) and he also researched if any other Dead band had ever played it in Michigan before.  As far as we could tell, The Grateful Dead, Further, The Dead, Phil and Friends, Dead and Company, Ratdog, Dark Star Orchestra, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, local bands Dead Again, Deadicated, Dead at the Winery, Supercrunch… Nobody has ever performed the full Terrapin Suite in Michigan before!  So, we had to give it a shot.  And another!  

The results are here for you to see, and we are as thrilled as the audience who was there to witness it.  And now, you can also enjoy our performance from the Cabbage Patch.  More audio and video to come soon! 

Had a great time at Hippies at The Village today. Hope you all had as much fun as we did!

7/31/2021 Hippies at the Village Burton, MI

Set I: Promised Land, Here Comes Sunshine* > The Wheel > Mr. Charlie*, Blow Away > Terrapin Suite*
Set II: Stop That Train, Viola Lee Blues, Cats Under the Stars* > I Know You Rider > Cats Under the Stars > Playin in the Band > The Eleven > Bird Song, Johnny B. Goode

8/1/2021 Cabbage Patch Saloon Grosse Pointe Park, MI

Set I: Don't Ease Me In, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues*, When I Paint My Masterpiece*, Mountain Song* > Waiting for a Miracle > I Need a Miracle* > Standing on the Moon*, Next Time You See Me*, Box of Rain
Set II:  Weather Report Prelude, Easy Wind*, Ship of Fools*, Big Bad Blues*, Unbroken Chain, Ramble on Rose, Let it Grow, So Many Roads, Terrapin Suite

*first time played

RTD is excited to perform for the Oddly Specific Gathering on Saturday, September 25.  We’ll be performing two sets of live Grateful Dead at the festival site in Cement City, MI.  Day passes are available, as are full weekend camping passes.  Get them all from the Third Coast Herbal Collective website.  

RTD is returning to the Hippies At The Village festival - now located in Burton, MI - on Saturday, July 31.  If you follow Joe's social media, you know we'll be debuting one of the most difficult and rarely played songs in the Dead's catalog.  Don't miss it!  

The days between Jerry's birth and death kick off August 1 at the Cabbage Patch Saloon and end at our home base, Otus Supply.  We hope you'll join us for the both! August 21 we return to Cadieux Cafe to play in the sand once again.  We have more fall gigs to announce soon, including a big headlining gig in September you won't want to miss!  See you soon, NFA
​

• ​July 31 • Hippies At The Village • Burton, MI • 4-7pm
• August 1 • Cabbage Patch Saloon, 15130 Mack Ave. Grosse Pointe Park, MI • 8p • $5
• August 8 • Otus Supply, 345 E. 9 Mile Rd. Ferndale, MI •  $10 
• August 21 • Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Rd. Detroit, MI 48224 • $10 • 7pm​​

What a night!  Raising The Dead helped Dave celebrate his retirement from 25 years of teaching middle school choir by performing a long evening of music, including guest musicians, unexpected song selections, and an epic rain storm to remember! 

It just so happens that the best people play bass - and Bill gave up his amp for two players: Dave's brother Jeff Martin, from the Salt Lake City based jam bands Mokie and The Pranksters, and Dave's best friend Matt Fouts, from the Grand Rapids based Domestic Problems and Soul Syndicate.  Both were former bass players in the 90s jam band Karmic. Jeff was the first to guest, playing Jack Straw, and then Matt took over and slapped da bass on Shakedown.  Matt returned in the first set with West LA Fadeaway, and Jeff tore down with Help>Slip>Frank in the second set.  After Jeff left the bandstand, Miko Steinberg joined us again on percussion for The Other One through the end of the set.  

The unexpected songs were all school related: Another Brick in the Wall, pt II ("We don't need no education!), and Alice Cooper's School's Out.  Laurie's Big Boss Man also kept the theme of the night going.  Dave threw in two of his favorite JGB song - Gomorrah and My Sisters and Brothers, and Playin' in the Band spanned the two sets, ending after an awesome Estimated>Eyes.  This show is a must listen, so check it out now! 

(About that rain storm - most highways across Metro Detroit were shut down as the city received over 6 inches of rain, and cars were abandoned in viaducts everywhere!)

6-25-2021 Otus Supply, Ferndale, MI 
Set I: They Love Each Other, Gomorrah, Jack Straw*, Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2**>Shakedown Street***, Playin' In The Band>El Paso, West LA Fadeaway***, Big Boss Man

Set II: Estimated Prophet>Eyes of the World>Playin' Reprise, Help on the Way*>Slipknot*>Franklin's Tower*, The Other One #>Wharf Rat #>My Sisters and Brothers #, School's Out** #

E: China Cat Sunflower #>I Know You Rider #

*=with Jeff Martin on bass
**=first time played
***=with Matt Fouts on bass
#=with Miko Steinberg on percussion

Last weekend was a busy one for Raising The Dead!  On Friday, we headlined the Soaring Eagle stage at Rock N Rides in Royal Oak.  A ton of Deadheads came out, including lots of new fans we hadn't played for before, and we regaled them with a country-flavored jamfest. This show was the debut of two classic Dead songs, Box of Rain with it's intricate, stacked harmonies, and Tennessee Jed.  We also funked a big Shakedown, and rocked out Saint of Circumstance.  With a hard curfew at 10pm, Ripple was unfortunately cut short about 2/3 into the song.  Maybe we will finish it this weekend at Otus! 

The next night, Dave and Matt had the pleasure of playing an acoustic duet, opening for the jaw-dropping guitar work of Marcus Rezak and his amazing band, Shred is Dead.  We got spacey and sang in harmony, and you can hear the show below.   All in all, it was a helluva weekend for us and the Detroit Deadheads we got to play for.  See you at Otus on Friday 6-25-2021 for Dave's teaching retirement show! 

6-18-2021 Rock N Rides Royal Oak, MI 
Box of Rain*, Mama Tried>Cumberland Blues, Tennessee Jed*, Shakedown Street, Saint of Circumstance, Ripple#
*=First time played
#=unfinished

6-19-2021 Dave & Matt Acoustic Otus Supply, Ferndale, MI
Sugar Magnolia>Scarlet Begonias>El Paso, Jack A Roe, Terrapin Station, Tangled Up In Blue

Come on out to see some live Grateful Dead at Rock N Rides Royal Oak tonight.  We take the stage in the headliner spot at 9pm.  See you then!

​http://www.royaloakblockparty.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RocknRidesRO
https://www.rocknridesro.com/
 https://www.rocknridesro.com/music

Joseph Waldecker is not just the skins man for Raising The Dead, he also tubthumps for the great Nina & The Buffalo Riders.  Yesterday, they had a party for the release of their 3rd EP at the Tangent Gallery, and brought Act Casual, The Giving Moon, and Raising The Dead along for the ride.  

It was HOT and Sunny, but a beautiful day for music at the Tangent.  RTD took the stage at 4 and delivered an 80-minute set featuring stand-out versions of every song.  Of note is the inclusion of 2 Phil Lesh rarities, Pride of Cucamonga and Unbroken Chain, both led by Bassman Bill.  We encourage you to check out the whole show, and come out to see us next weekend at Rock n Rides in Royal Oak, headlining Friday night at 9. 

Oh, one more thing - Warren Nelson brought his 360-degree camera and shot the show with amazing detail and some mind-bending footage of fans from the back of the garden to the front.  Check out his video of Stranger!

6-12-2021 Tangent Gallery 

Pride of Cucamonga
Feel Like A Stranger
Throwing Stones>
Not Fade Away>
New Speedway Boogie
Uncle John's Band
Unbroken Chain
​Tangled Up In Blue

The original idea was for Raising The Dead's Matt Cole and Hell in a Bucket's Alex Gauthier to do a set inspired by Holly Bowling and Tom Hamilton.  That expanded to adding drums (Joe), bass (Bill), rhythm guitar (Dave), vocals (Laurie), and what resulted was what we called "Raising Hell."  And we did. 

The warm up gig for Chicago's Terrapin Flyer happened under the big top at Otus, and we made sure to coordinate setlists with TF.  The results, as you can see and hear, were pretty awesome.  Check it out, and return to Otus when we do on June 25, or at the Tangent Gallery on 6/12, or at Rock N Rides in Royal Oak on 6/18. 

Raising Hell, 6-6-2021 Otus Supply, Ferndale, MI 
The Music Never Stopped
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Ramble On Rose
Throwing Stones
Hell in a Bucket
Scarlet Begonias>
Althea>
Fire On The Mountain

It was a warm, wet Sunday, but the action under the tent was super hot!  An all-day triple bill opened the 2021 summer season at the new tent at Otus Supply in Ferndale.  Half Way There performed first, filling the air with the rhythms of reggae music.  Kids Under The Carpet brought the jams next, playing their tribute to current jam band kings Phish.  At about 7:15, Raising The Dead took the stage for two sets of Grateful Dead.  Joe reminded the band that this show was just the *fourth* time the complete lineup of RTD (Bill, Matt, Max, Laurie, Dave, and Joe) had gigged together!  We'd played many more shows than that since our lineup solidified, but COVID, Joe's touring, and other issues meant we'd played quite a few gigs with less than the full lineup.  We made up for it with an energetic, fun show that kept the fans dancing all night long. 

The videos below are audience sound recordings rather than soundboard, but you can get a real sense for the energy of the crowd.  Must-hear highlights include Crazy Fingers into the super energetic Good Lovin, Half Step sandwiched around The Weight, and "Dark Deal Star." 

Our next gig will be on June 18 in Royal Oak - stay tuned for details! 

Set I
Estimated Prophet >Loser, Friend of the Devil*, Sugaree, Crazy Fingers >Good Lovin
Set II
Terrapin Station, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > The Weight* > Half-Step Coda > Deal > Dark Star > Deal > Bertha > China Cat Sunflower > Iko Iko > I Know You Rider
*first time played

The gig was scheduled, and it kind of started as a joke in the band group chat.  Joe was still on tour with Nina & The Buffalo Riders in New Orleans.  He'd just fly in, right?  Well, we decided to make it happen after all, especially because the gig was on the 1 year anniversary of the passing of Joe's dad, affectionately known as Pops.  And then we invited Joe's brother and fellow former People Mover guitar man James Waldecker to join us on stage.  The result was some excellent Dead-flavored rock and roll.  Check out the St. Stephen Special - sandwiching Not Fade Away and Ramble On Rose into the Stephen>William Tell>Eleven triptych. 

The live stream was hosted by TheFunkShop.com, and is available for streaming still.  While the in-person audience was only 10, the show had almost 2k live views and over 450 comments, and we're loving the size of the audience we're finding online.  Stay tuned for summer gig announcements, coming soon!  We can't wait to see y'all in person. 

Oh, and one more thing - Max has sat out the last couple of gigs, but no worries, he'll be back this summer!

Otus Supply 3.25.2021
Cold Rain & Snow, Saint of Circumstance>Looks Like Rain, Brown Eyed Women, Cassidy*, Deep Elum Blues*, St. Stephen*> Not Fade Away*> St. Stephen*> William Tell Bridge*> Ramble on Rose*> The Eleven*> Morning Dew*
E: Touch of Grey
* w/ James Waldecker on guitar