Furthur (band)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Bob Weir, Phil Lesh |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, John Kadlecik, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, Joe Russo, Sunshine Becker, Jeff Pehrson |
| Products | Live performances, albums (improvisational rock/jam band music) |
Furthur was an American rock ensemble established in 2009 by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. The initial roster featured John Kadlecik from Dark Star Orchestra on lead guitar, Jeff Chimenti of RatDog handling keyboards, percussionist Jay Lane, and drummer Joe Russo from the Benevento/Russo Duo. The band's name pays homage to the legendary tour bus driven by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during the 1960s. Furthur functioned as an improvisational jam band, primarily performing selections from the Grateful Dead catalog alongside original compositions and cover songs. Following Jay Lane's departure in March 2010 to rejoin Primus, vocalists Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson were added to the lineup.
History
After the dissolution of the Grateful Dead in 1995, precipitated by Jerry Garcia's passing, former members continued their musical pursuits through groups such as RatDog, Phil Lesh and Friends, and the Dead. Post-2004's "Wave That Flag" tour, there was a four-year hiatus before the band reunited briefly to support Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign with two concerts and a performance at an inaugural ball in 2009. This reunion led to a spring tour during which Weir and Lesh decided to create Furthur, officially announcing the new band in August 2009 with Kadlecik, Chimenti, Lane, and Russo completing the lineup.
The term "Furthur" references the 1939 International Harvester bus utilized by Kesey’s Merry Pranksters on their 1964 journey to the New York World's Fair. This vehicle symbolized a cultural transition from the Beat Generation to the psychedelic era fueled by LSD, with figures like Kesey, Neal Cassady, and the Grateful Dead playing pivotal roles. Notably, the Grateful Dead served as the house band for numerous Acid Tests between 1965 and 1966.
Furthur retained much of the Grateful Dead’s signature sound while introducing less frequently played tracks such as "Alice D. Millionaire," alongside covers from artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan, in addition to original songs. This strategy helped preserve their standing within jam band circles while broadening their musical offerings.
2009
Their inaugural concerts took place from September 18 to 20, 2009, at the Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland, California. On September 19, Vice (now Maiden Lane), featuring Grahame Lesh—Phil Lesh's son—served as the opening act. A subsequent one-off show occurred on November 20 at the intimate 19 Broadway venue in Fairfax, California, promoted with minimal notice and tickets sold exclusively at the door. Following their Oakland debut, Furthur performed five shows across the Northeast (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey) in December, complemented by live rehearsals and two New Year’s Eve performances held in Mill Valley, California and San Francisco. During these New Year's events, backing vocalists Sunshine Becker and Zoe Ellis were introduced and continued with the band throughout their winter tour.
2010
Rehearsals persisted into January 2010 in Mill Valley before embarking on a tour focused mainly on the US East Coast between February 2 and March 8. The itinerary included stops in cities such as Miami, Chicago, Broomfield, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon. On March 12, they celebrated Phil Lesh’s 70th birthday with a concert in San Francisco. Shortly after, on March 18, drummer Jay Lane left to rejoin Primus (band), while Zoe Ellis departed to concentrate on her a cappella group SoVoSó. Backup vocalist Jeff Pehrson was added in May.
In February, Furthur revealed plans for summer festival appearances including the Nateva Music & Camping Festival in Oxford, Maine; the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, West Virginia; and the Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Their summer tour spanned from June 25 to July 30 with seventeen dates across locations such as Rochester, Brooklyn, Jim Thorpe (PA), Lowell (MA), Columbus (OH), Mohawk (NY), Stroudsburg (PA), Ottawa, Lewiston (NY), Philadelphia, and New York City. Memorial Day weekend saw a revival of the "Furthur Festival" at Mountain Aire in Angels Camp, California, featuring live renditions of six classic albums.
Following their August 14 performance at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival held in Golden Gate Park, Furthur embarked on their inaugural West Coast tour beginning September 16 in Eugene, Oregon and concluding September 26 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. A subsequent Midwest/East Coast tour ran from November 8 to 21 with shows ranging from Minneapolis to Madison Square Garden. The year concluded with two New Year’s concerts, marking a total of seventy-seven performances and eighteen rehearsal sessions since Furthur’s inception.
2011
Furthur commenced 2011 with a trio of performances at the Odeum Colorado during February, followed by an extensive 24-show tour along the East Coast from March 4, starting in Boston, and concluding on April 6 in Boca Raton, Florida. This itinerary featured multiple-night engagements at medium-sized venues, including five consecutive nights at the Best Buy Theater in New York, another five at the Tower Theater near Philadelphia, and three nights at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The summer leg began on June 3 at Mountain View's Shoreline Amphitheatre in California and wrapped up on July 31 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia, with a primary focus on East Coast locations.
The West Coast segment kicked off on September 23 at Eugene’s Cuthbert Amphitheatre and ended on October 8 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. A subsequent fall tour covered East Coast and Midwest cities from November 3 to 21, starting at Manchester’s Verizon Wireless Arena in New Hampshire and finishing at Indianapolis’ Old National Center. Production complications led to the cancellation of the November 15 performance scheduled for the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania; this was substituted by a same-day show at Albany’s Times Union Center in New York. The year concluded with a three-night New Year’s Eve engagement from December 29 to 31 at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
2012
The spring East Coast tour of 2012 included three venues, beginning on April 5 at Boston’s Wang Theatre and culminating with an eight-night residency at New York City’s Beacon Theatre. Among these was an April 7 concert at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut, presented by Toyota. Before this spring run, Furthur delivered two uninterrupted extended sets during the Wanee Festival held April 20–21 in Live Oak, Florida. A preparatory series took place from June 27 to 30 at Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads.
The summer itinerary covering Eastern and Midwestern regions spanned July 5–18, starting at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and concluding at Meadow Brook Music Festival in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The West Coast tour began with a three-night stint at Morrison’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and wrapped up on October 7 at Santa Barbara Bowl. Furthur maintained their tradition with a New Year’s Eve run from December 29 through 31 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
2013
Furthur opened their 2013 touring season with four surprise shows held January 16–19 at the intimate Sweetwater Music Hall located in Mill Valley, California. This was followed by a brief winter tour consisting of two venues: Denver’s Ogden Theatre on February 21 and the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado from February 22 to 24. In April, Furthur embarked on a spring tour that included ten consecutive nights between April 15 and 25 at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre in New York, along with a performance on April 27 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. An appearance scheduled for May 9 at the BottleRock Napa Valley Festival was canceled due to injuries Weir sustained during the Capitol Theatre performances.
The band announced a combined summer and autumn tour beginning July 11 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and concluding October 6 at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre. Notable appearances included playing the All Good music festival in Thornville, Ohio on July 20–21 and headlining three nights from September 6 to 8 at the inaugural Lockn' Music Festival in Arrington, Virginia. Furthur closed September with four consecutive shows from September 19 to 22 at Morrison’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, featuring guest musician Branford Marsalis.
2014
Furthur began 2014 with a series of four shows held consecutively at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico, spanning from January 20 through January 23. After completing this engagement, the group entered a scheduled break to enable Phil Lesh and Bob Weir to focus on their individual solo endeavors.
Although the original lineup of Furthur—comprising Lesh, Weir, Jeff Chimenti, John Kadlecik, Jay Lane, and Joe Russo—was slated to appear at the Lockn' Festival in Virginia on April 30, this appearance was eventually withdrawn.
The band officially ceased operations on November 4, 2014, as confirmed through their official website.
Special appearances
On August 9, 2010, the San Francisco Giants hosted a tribute evening honoring Jerry Garcia at AT&T Park. This event was sponsored by Ben & Jerry's, the Rex Foundation, and marked the 8th Annual Jerry Day. The Giants faced off against the Chicago Cubs, with the national anthem delivered by Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Jeff Pehrson. Later that year, during the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Lesh, Weir, and Pehrson performed the anthem once again on October 21 (Game 5). The following year’s event on August 9, 2011, featured the Giants’ second annual Grateful Dead Night versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Anthem performances included Lesh, Weir, and Giants’ third base coach and singer-songwriter Tim Flannery, while the 7th inning stretch was led by Mickey Hart and Bill Walton.
On June 7, 2011, Furthur delivered a live performance at Tamalpais Research Institute (TRI Studios) in San Rafael, California, a virtual music venue established by Bob Weir. The show titled "Furthur Experiments at TRI" was broadcast live in HD via pay-per-view for $19.95 and featured an uninterrupted two-and-a-half-hour set encompassing 13 tracks. TRI later re-aired this concert free of charge on December 23, 2011, under the name "The Night Before the Night Before Christmas." Furthermore, on December 25, 2011, TRI announced a complimentary RatDog reunion webcast scheduled for January 25, 2011.
On March 29, 2011, Phil Lesh revealed his intention to launch a new live music venue in Marin County, California. This venue—eventually named Terrapin Crossroads—was planned for the former Seafood Peddler location in San Rafael. Lesh described it as a refurbished structure designed to evoke the ambiance of an old barn and serve as a permanent musical hub supporting Furthur's activities when performing locally. In preparation for this initiative, Furthur held rehearsal concerts in their Palm Ballroom.
Furthur
- Bob Weir—rhythm guitar, lead vocals (9/18/2009–1/23/2014)
- Phil Lesh—bass guitar, lead vocals (9/18/2009–1/23/2014)
- John Kadlecik—lead guitar, lead vocals (9/18/2009–1/23/2014)
- Jeff Chimenti—keyboards, backing vocals (9/18/2009–1/23/2014)
- Joe Russo—drums (9/18/2009–1/23/2014)
- Jay Lane—drums, backing vocals (9/18/2009–3/12/2010)
- Sunshine Becker—backing vocals (12/27/2009–1/23/2014)
- Zoe Ellis—backing vocals (12/27/2009–3/12/2010)
- Jeff Pehrson—backing vocals (5/24/2010–1/23/2014)
Guest performers
- Steve Molitz (Particle)—keyboards (3/12/10, 3/13/10, 3/12/11)
- Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes)—guitar, vocals (3/12/10, 9/30/11)
- Jackie Greene—guitar, vocals (3/12/10, 3/13/10)
- John Molo—drums (3/12/10)
- Grahame Lesh—guitar (3/13/10)
- Larry Campbell—fiddle, guitar (5/29/10, 5/30/10, 3/27/11, 11/10/11)
- Teresa Williams—vocals (5/29/10, 5/30/10, 3/27/11, 11/10/11)
- Kenny Brooks (RatDog)—saxophone (6/26/10)
- Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, The Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends)—guitar, vocals (3/13/11, 7/15/11)
- Elvis Costello—guitar, vocals (3/27/11)
- Diana Krall—vocals (3/27/11)
- Clarence Clemons (E Street Band)—saxophone (4/6/11)
- Al Schnier (moe.)—guitar, vocals (4/6/11)
- Dickey Betts (The Allman Brothers Band)—guitar (6/30/12)
- Jonathan Wilson—guitar (10/5/12, 10/7/12)
- Lukas Nelson (Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real)—guitar (10/5/12)
- Jason Crosby (Robert Randolph and the Family Band, God Street Wine)—fiddle, organ (2/24/13)
- Andy Falco (Infamous Stringdusters)—guitar (7/20/13)
- Grace Potter (Grace Potter and the Nocturnals)—vocals (7/20/13)
- Zac Brown (Zac Brown Band)—guitar, vocals (9/6/13)
- Trey Anastasio (Phish)—guitar, vocals (9/7/13)
- Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band)—guitar, vocals (9/8/13)
- Jimmy Herring (Widespread Panic)—guitar (9/8/13)
- Branford Marsalis—saxophone (9/22/13)
- Neal Casal (CRB & HWA)—guitar/vocals Greek Theatre LA October 5, 2013
Tour personnel & crew
- Fred Cox—Road Manager
- John Warren—Tour Manager / Accountant
- Matt Busch—Co-Manager
- Robbie Taylor—Production Manager; Backline Technician for Phil Lesh
- Chris Charucki—Stage Manager
- Anthony Joseph "A.J." Santella—Backline Technician for Bob Weir & Jeff Chimenti
- Ross Lahey—Backline Technician for John Kadlecik and Joe Russo
- Preston Hoffman—Lighting Director
- Chris Coyle—Lighting Crew Chief
- Mark Hodgman—Lighting Technician
- Derek Featherstone—FOH Engineer
- Ian DuBois—Monitor Engineer
- Josh Osmond—Audio Technician
- George Bross—Merchandising Manager
- Peter Ammerall—Recording Engineer
- David Raffarin—Recording Engineer
- Mike Fisher—Lead Truck Driver
- Jeff Rogers—Truck Driver
External links
- [1] Official Grateful Dead website
- [2] Furthur Foundation official site
- [3] Furthur coverage at theotherones.net
- [4] Furthur live recordings at the Internet Archive music archive