Posted by John J. Moser at 01:02:00 AM on February 14, 2010

Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia’s 1995 death not only brought an end to the band, but threatened the friendship of original members guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Phil Lesh as they wrangled over their future.

But getting together for another tour as The Dead last year, the two now have formed Furthur — the spelling is from the destination on 1960s LSD guru Ken Kesey’s bus – with member of Weir’s band Ratdog and the singer from a Dead tribute band.

On Monday the group plays Bethlehem’s Stabler Arena, where The Grateful Dead set a then-record Stabler attendance of 6,500 in 1981 and where Lesh attracted 5,000 for a solo show in 2002.

Weir spoke about the group in a recent telephone call from his bus in Asheville, N.C. Here’s a transcript:

Weir (left) and Lesh

Give me a quick rundown on how Furthur came together. How did you guys decide to do a band in this way?

“Well, after last year’s Dead tour, Phil and I sort of rediscovered our relationship, and wanted to continue on in a somewhat new direction. And so we talked it and decided, ‘OK, the way to do that would be to start a band, but, you know. We wanted to look into some new players just to show what that would be like. And so that’s what we did.”

When you say rediscovered your relationship – was there a point when you were not close after Jerry’s death?

“Yeah, you know, we fought like cats and dogs for a while. Had different notions about how things should proceed. But during The Dead tour, we discovered that our musical relationship superseded that.”

And what do you find with Further that you didn’t find with The Dead? Or what is the difference?

“Well, basically, a fresh approach. And it’s a cleaner slate. The idea is to take this stuff – you know, once we find the center of this band, which is happening, the idea is to take this stuff, this music, in directions that old habits would otherwise deny us. You get two guys with those old habits, surrounded by four other guys who don’t have those old habits, and the chances of finding new approaches to the songs and stuff like that just get better.” (Continued)

FURTHUR, featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, 7 p.m. Monday, Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem; Tickets $52.50; 610-758-6611, www.ticketmaster.com, www.stablerarena.com.

I looked online and saw some set lists for the first couple of shows you’ve done on this most recent leg, and it just astounds me at how broad-ranged they are, and how you guys play entirely different sets. I was wondering how you figure out what you’re going to play each night?

“Um, any conceivable way right now. The Dead had sort of a – I don’t want to say a formula, ‘causes that’s, you know … but yeah, it was a formula. We had a basic taper to our shows that Jerry and I worked out over the years. And for the time being, for the most part, we’re not doing that now. That’s what we’re not doing. What we are doing, I can’t really tell you.”

I was going to ask – out of the millions of songs that you guys know collectively, how do you figure out what ones you’re going to play?

“The ones you’re most passionate for.”

Weir

Really?

“We play what we want to play.”

So how do you come up with a set list? Do you just sit down and say, ‘We’re going to play this tonight.’ Have you rehearsed like 200 songs and just decide ‘These are the ones for the night’?

“Well, we rehearsed most of 210, and, yeah, whatever seems right. Whatever falls together. Whatever makes sense.”

I see you guys play a good amount of Dylan songs – and I see you do it with Ratdog, too. I was wondering what your level of interest or influence is from Dylan? What do you have so many of his songs in your repertoire?

“Um, well, you know, Jerry and I both used to do lots of Dylan songs because we loved them – that’s that. [Laughs] Not much mystery there.”

Let me ask a little bit more about the band itself. So how did you pick John Kadlecik from the Grateful Dead cover band Darkstar Orchestra to sing in Further?

“We went through the various options and listened to a lot of guys, and John seemed like a good idea on a number of levels. First off, he knew most of the material. And so it would require a whole lot less of the back-breaking rehearsals that it takes to teach somebody a whole book. I don’t know if Phil or I have that in us to do again. But, fortunately, there are a number of players who know our stuff, know our book. And of those folks, given that we play with a number of them, it was time to check out a couple more. And we started playing with John and it just, it clicked – the guy’s great.”

I imagine you’re fairly familiar with Dark Star Orchestra, right?

“Kinda, yeah, I played with them a couple of times.”

How long do you expect Furthur to go on? And let me also ask what this means for Ratdog and Phil Lesh & Friends & The Dead? Are all those configurations gone? Will they re-appear? Weir and Lesh with The Other Ones in 1998

“Well, Furthur’s going to be around for a while, I expect. It’s working well. And so all those other configurations are going to be fighting for time, ‘cause right now, this is our hot hand. Ratdog for me, I just got done doing a couple weeks in Jamaica with Ratdog. And that’s cooking, but I can bring that out whenever, and I will. But right now this is what I’m doing, so this is where my interests and intent are.”

I read a quote – and I honestly don’t know how old this is – but I think it was very early on, when Further was coming together, you made some mention of being on stage, and jus the whole vibe, that you could almost feel Jerry there. Is that still the way it feels to you?

“Yeah, absolutely.”

And you expect that, if he were looking down on this in some way that he would think that this is a good thing?

“I would expect so, yeah.”

Hey, I have to ask this: How is Phil’s health these days?

“He looks fine to me. There are some times he’s a little slower -- some days he’s a little slower than others. But he’s doing pretty well.”

And haven’t you lost weight over the last year or so?

“Yeah, I made an effort to do that. Comes a time in your life where you either have to decide to just let it go or shape up, and I chose the latter.”

Is there ever a part of you that does not want to do the Dead gig, or the Dead material anymore?

“Well, you know, I reasonably had a notion that I’m going to do a country record. And when I get home, I’m going to get started putting that together. It may take a year or so, but I’ve always wanted to do it, and I just got to get around to it. And that’s what I’m going to do.”

Are there any contemporary jam bands that you think have the stuff that The Grateful Dead had? Is there anybody that you see out there that you admire?

“Yeah, I’m a big fan of Wilco’s, for instance. I don’t so much care for their records as I love what they do live. Having played on the same bill with them a couple of times, I was dazzled. Aside from that, really, I don’t listen to a lot of current, contemporary music. And so I’m not the one to ask.”

I have to ask this: You guys, in different forms, have played a venue called Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. I wonder whether you have an affinity for the venue, or it is a convenient stop?

“Well, it’s a great-sounding room. A band can’t fail to have a good night there.”

Those are the questions I had prepared. Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you’d want to see in my story?

“Personally, I can say this – I don’t say it from on stage, but since we’re talking – If you’re not registered to vote, you should. And once having done that, you should hold politicians’ feet to the fire. Don’t let them drift.”

You reminded me of a question. In 2008, members of The Dead played two “Deadheads for Obama” and “Change Rocks” concerts, and on Jan. 20, 2009, you played two sets in Washington, D.C., at the Mid-Atlantic Inaugural ball for President Barack Obama. How surreal is it for you to actually have played a show on the president’s behalf? Rather than be the counter-culture, you now are the culture. Or maybe the counter-culture is the culture now.

“You know, nothing surprises me anymore. It just seemed kind of natural after awhile. People for whatever reason have been taking us seriously for a while now, and Washington seems to have caught that drift. Whether or not they should be is another story. [Laughs] But nonetheless, as I say, nothing surprises me anymore.”

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