To kick off Volume 2 of our Road Trips series, dead.net is taking you back to the ground-breaking shows in September 1990 at Madison Square Garden. The 2-disc set puts you front and center for 2-plus hours of inspired interplay as the band explores new directions.

I hope the folks in Greensboro, NC and Florida got the same treatment we got from RatDog here in Philadelphia before ending their Fall Tour.  Two weeks after our country rejoiced and welcomed a new sign of hope in the free world with the election of Barack Obama, Ratdog brought the house down. The stage was full of election remnants.

Bob Weir & RatDog & Phil Lesh & Friends to Co-Headline each night. Jackie Greene to support each night.

Pre-sales through GDTS Too and Musictoday shall start accepting postmarks for GDTS Too and be initialized for internet sales via Musictoday, starting on Thursday, October 16. Musictoday to start at Noon EST. Pre-sales for GDTS and Musictoday shall conclude on Friday, October 31 at 6:00 PM EST.

Bobby is 61 years young today.  Thank you for keeping it going after all these years. We love you, Mr Weir!

Recently Grateful Web's Alex Borosody had the opportunity to talk with Matt Butler, the musician and conductor behind the Everyone Orchestra, who we also discovered can add, "great orator" to his list of talents. Never one to shy away from leadership, you could say Matt conducted the interview, as he energetically and expressively weaved eloquent science and philosophy.

The Pennsylvania Campaign for Change has just announced a Monday, October 13 concert fundraiser to benefit Obama for America featuring many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and other American music icons. Additionally, the show will be a very large voter outreach opportunity for the Pennsylvania Obama campaign, which has already built the largest volunteer-based campaign in Pennsylvania's history. The campaign has more than 70 field offices and thousands of volunteers preparing for an unprecedented Get Out the Vote operation.

Two magical, complete performances from Fall '79, the basis for Road Trips, Vol. 1 No.1. These Spectrum shows, 11/5/79 & 11/6/79, are now available in both FLAC and MP3; documenting the band in the midst of their sparkling three-week eastern swing and capturing the raw excitement of the first tours with keyboardist Brent Mydland.

I'm over my wishy-washy indecision about which show to review up next for y'all.

Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart announced today that they will join together again on October 13^th to headline a benefit concert for the Presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama, at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA. Also appearing will be the Allman Brothers Band, plus opening act to be determined.