Dead & Company: Make Your Own Opinions on John Mayer sitting in for Jerry

With Dead & Company finally wrapping up their shows for 2018, and the festival season starting to slow down we have seen and heard some amazing sets from Dead & Company and have been able to form some strong opinions of this new iteration of the Grateful Dead. I had the unique opportunity to work on the production side of LOCKN’ Music Festival, which featured the final sets of Dead & Company of 2018, which opened my eyes to a lot of what goes on behind the scenes of a Dead show. Two articles quoting John Mayer and Chris Robinson, make commentary on Mayer’s performance since he took on the massive roll of lead that Jerry Garcia left behind.

Chris Robinson, of the Black Crowes, makes it very clear that having Mayer be one of the front men for Dead & Co. was not a wise choice. Robinson brings this up in his interview with Howard Stern, saying. “Donald Trump is president, John Mayer’s in the Grateful Dead and my brother is a Black Crowes tribute band.” He goes on to talk about the misuse of the legacy that the Grateful Dead left behind, and how it has become a money grab for those who are putting on the shows. Later in the interview, Chris even says, “Everything that Jerry ever talked about or stood for – John Mayer is the antithesis.” There is not much love coming from Chris Robinson when it comes to John Mayer playing with Dead & Co., and it doesn’t seem like Mayer will be getting Chris’ stamp of approval any time soon.

John Mayer also comments on his time with the Dead &Co., and feeling the legacy that Jerry left behind over 20 years ago. Mayer shares how he wishes that he was going to a Grateful Dead show, and was going to be able to listen to Jerry Garcia and the rest of the band from the crowd. He also made a statement in the fall saying that he is, “only here as an interpreter of a master. This band has developed a soul all its own, but I play in constant emotional, psychological and musical deference to Jerry Garcia.” Mayer then closes with lyrics from “Terrapin Station”:   “The storyteller makes no choice/ Soon you will not hear his voice/ His job is to shed light/ And not to master.”

Based on these articles, and the time that I have spent watching and listening to both the Grateful Dead and Dead & Co., it is very clear that Jerry Garcia and John Mayer are two different but skilled guitar players, each unique with their own take on what they play. It is important to remember that Chris Robinson is not the judge of who is a good stand-in for Jerry. Make your own opinions about what you as a listener like about John. I would suggest that you give Dead & Company a listen, there is a lot of content that they have put out in the past few years of playing together, so take it all in. Also, go see a show! The Grateful Dead (Dead & Co. included), is and will always be about the live experience, it is what makes them unique, and in order to properly judge an artist, seeing them live should definitely be a priority. Most importantly, just enjoy the artistry that is coming out right now. While John Mayer is not Jerry, he is still a phenomenal guitar player and artist.

We don’t need the approval of Chris Robinson to like John Mayer having a role in the Dead, its ultimately up to the community that revolves around the band to accept him, which in recent tours, he has been widely accepted by new and old deadheads.

My name is Carter Page, I am currently a senior at NorthwesternUniversity, and a production assistant for G4D Productions. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to work in a number of music festivals like LOCKN Music Festival and Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival Tour, and have learned from some of the best people in production. The Grateful Dead is what brought me into the music industry, and will always be a very influential band and community in my life.

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