Bob Weir's Gamelan: “One Instrument With A Lot of Players”

"Though he is the youngest member of the Grateful Dead’s classic lineup, Bob Weir has gradually aged into a stately role as unofficial voice of the Dead Universe. So it makes sense that since Jerry Garcia’s passing 13 years ago, Weir’s longtime band RatDog has evolved from a primarily blues-and-roots-based collaboration with Rob Wasserman to viable keepers of the Grateful Dead torch, gradually digging deeper into The Dead’s canon and, more importantly, developing a unique style of group improvisation. Weir has also continued to collaborate with many satellite members of the Grateful Dead cosmos, from old friends to Levon Helm to more recent companions like Warren Haynes, with whom RatDog has spent much of the summer on the road. Below, Weir waxes poetic on his summer tour with the Allman Brothers Band, current fascination with Wilco and why Obama is America’s “last, best chance.”"

Click here for the full article on jambands.com.