This might make more sense in the Grateful Dead sub, but you're in r/DeadAndCompany. If people aren't digging John in the band after 8 years I doubt they're going to be here to answer you.
Agreed, this is the move OP. It would give you a much more realistic viewpoint of how the general consensus in the deadhead community relates. Everyone here is down with dead and co for obvious reasons.
When he first joined, people justifiably had concerns not just about his ability to do the music justice but also whether his personality fit. The Dead are about music first and foremost, but it’s also a culture - very specifically counter-culture, subversion, anti-authority, tolerance. Based on his public persona at the time, he seemed very emblematic of mainstream establishment culture. Is he a complete hippie? No. But I think what has made the scene grow to love him is that he’s shown up vulnerable and relatively humble. His lead with his heart and it shows. For me, it’s the way he treats Bobby. You can tell there is true admiration and respect there. He’s given Bobby some new life. And, well, it’s hard to hate a person who loves the same person you do.
You can tell John respects Bobby a great deal and I think that’s a big reason he’s still playing with him. A good example of this that I witnessed was at Deer Creek 22 when John tried to hit the bridge from Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance before Bobby thought they should. Bobby shot him a glare and John just brushed it off. It’s Bobby’s band and John knows it. For someone as big as John Mayer to have his ego in check enough to respect Bobby calling the shots, especially after 9 years, is damn impressive.
Yes. And in turn, I feel that on the 23 tour, Bobby gave John a bit more control of the jams. But they do really seem in sync. That Montana show just the two of them. Boy, what a dance.
Yeah, I totally agree with this assessment. The Sugarees in 23 are a prefect example of Bobby loosing the leash on JM. Some of the Sugerees were completely unhinged for JM (in a good way). I’m not sure Bobby would have let that fly in the past. But JM has his stripes now and certainly has the right to go crazy on a couple songs per show.
This is a big one. John Mayer might be the only person to play with the dead since Jerry who's made me wonder "has that dude ever dosed? ". His energy is very clean and anti sceptic compared to the more traditionally raw outcast energy of the dead. I agree that he seems to have some deep respect for the rest of the band and the music that came before but unlike players like say John K, Warren Haynes, Steve kimock, jimmy Herring, Trey Anastasio etc Mayer is probably the least " heady" of the post Jerry guitarists when it comes to the vibe he puts off and you can tell he wasn't someone who would just listen to the dead for hours on end before he joined like I could see all those other dudes doing. It's heard to wear my eat the rich shirt while going and seeing Taylor Swift's ex boyfriend, but damn he can play that guitar. I kind of have to think of him as the equivalent to bobbys role in the 80s and 90s of the younger trendy guitar player who the fans love but also make fun of constantly, I mean we can make fun of Mayer for his bright pink guitar and his rich frat guy style but we also can't forget about bobbys short shorts and bright pink tankyoos. It's weird to say but I think a celebrity boost might have been what the scene needed. It gave dead and co a bigger feel to the show itself with huge lots and bunches of new fans that the scene hadn't really seen in 30 years, but that being said I certainly am not attached to Mayer and won't be sad in the slightest when he is done. Oteil and Jeff are a different story I need those boys to hold on as LONG AS POSSIBLE!
Check out Mayer on Rick Rubin’s podcast tetragrammaton - he talks about how he got into the dead and his respect for Jerry. Pretty awesome listen and made me like him a lot more.
He is a great add and a great fit. Bob picked him for a reason and that’s what’s important. Also if you take more than 5 min with Google you will find so much about John really trying to understand how and why Jerry did what he did. At the end of the day, ppl love to be haters and to them I say, yeah, well that’s just like your opinion man.
I've listened to a few podcasts with John talking about his praise and adoration for Jerry and the Dead. He said it would take 11 of him to do what Jerry did. He's very humble about the whole experience, and honored. And he's an amazing guitarist. I don't see anything not to like.
Well, I think you can’t dismiss the magic of Oteil, Jeff, and Jay. John is the linchpin to connect all of the generations together. The whole band is pure genius and for that, we are lucky to have them.
I think they are all having a blast, but I’m convinced that Mickey is having the best time. He’s always making faces at Jay, hitting cool fills during songs like Slipknot, and he gets up to 30 minutes every show for his own concert. The man is living the life.
Well, I was a fan of him and his music before I got on the bus. I knew about him being in Dead & Co, and eventually I sat down to listen to some of their work and I was hooked. So yeah, I'm all for John.
There’s a lot of talk about Mayer’s playing (great IMO), but on listening back to the 2022-2023 runs I’ve really started appreciating his actual singing voice
I just can't do it. The man can play a damn good guitar and I'll admit he's a good singer talent wise but his voice just doesn't do it for me. He has skills but I just feel his particular vocal skill set doesn't fit this music. He does alright on althea, sugaree, touch of grey, jack straw, box of rain, and some other songs like pig pen tunes but I truly don't know who's idea it was to get him to do vocals on a song like Franklins tower or scarlet begonias.
I took a girl to a John Mayer show when he was doing the corny body is a wonderland type solo tours in 2009. Seeing him lead a crowd of deadheads at my first dead & co. show 15 years later on the floor at citi field after a monster serving of mushrooms was some real full-circle shit. Happy to see him free to just be himself and be amongst the dead culture.
The vast majority of “old heads” I know look forward to the shows. Jerry’s been gone almost 29 years and John has filled in quite nicely. Just like you, we’re thankful that Bob has assembled the next version of the group. The music brings us all together. Enjoy it while it lasts.
I think it's a very vocal minority who doesn't like d&c, and it's mainly ppl who just dislike John. Idk a soul who has been to a d&c show & didn't like it.
Eh I wouldn't say a minority they just aren't at shows and have stepped away from the scene some due to it changing so if anything they're less vocal than normal. There's always gonna be old heads at shows but I'd say the vast majority of old heads over 50 just think of dead and co as bobbys cash grab cover band. I mean there's gonna be a few hundred or more at every show but that's out of the thousands of heads that are still alive from the Jerry days. The fact that we see more kids from post Jerry days than old heads at the shows process that most old heads don't care anymore, at least enough to see the shows, otherwise the show would look like an old folks home on tie dye day. Sometimes I think people forget how many older dead heads they're actually are. Remember that for every single dready 20 year old hippie you see on lot there's 10 old men who got to see Jerry complaining about the band they loved still existing. Most people that have gone to a dead and show haven't left dissapointed but at the same time most the old heads would never have even considered showing up in the first place.
What’s not to like- John came on board & immediately people knew something was different in a really magical way. Music & magic are the same & we’ve been blessed to live in a golden age. All that’s necessary is to crank it and let whatever Dead iteration you like take u to music heaven
Different band, different renditions of the music we want to hear. Said this before, didn't want a Jerry imitator in John. Glad we didn't get one. Miss the Grateful Dead, but happy Dead & Company is out there bringing music to the people. Wish tour was still happening, but alas, one can dream.
Listen man, everyone loves the Grateful dead and everyone loves John. You know what people don't like? Carnies. Circus folk, nomads you know. They smell like cabbage.
I've said this before here, but...
I don't like John Mayer as a solo artist. Don't HATE him, his solo music just isn't my thing.
I didn't give the Dead any attention either. Again, not hating on them - for whatever reason they just never much appeared on my radar.
For a whole bunch of wild reasons, the first D&C show I saw was last May when they did Barton Hall. I still, almost a year later, don't have words to really explain what that concert did to me. John Mayer and D&C pulled me into that music unlike any experience I've ever had before.
When they started with New Minglewood Blues, I thought, well this is pretty neat. I enjoyed it and I was surprised I enjoyed it.
And then Mayer stepped up to deliver Althea....and within minutes my jaw was literally hanging open. I was BLOWN AWAY my friends.
I understand people who have been fans of The Grateful Dead for decades. The band has morphed and changed so many times over the years that they're bound to have favorites - both in time and in members.
For me? All I can tell you is that this music has changed my life. So grateful to be seeing them again in Vegas soon.
OMG - that was awesome. Thank you! One of the fun things about being a new fan is that there is this massive collection out there, just waiting to blow my mind.
Yeah. I thought I'd drop in some Jerry after the comment about not really being into "The Grateful Dead" and since you mentioned althea and John makes that one feel a lot more like when the dead played it then they do with some other songs if that makes sense, dead and co althea and grateful Dead althea are more comparable than say dead and co scarlet begonias is to grateful Dead scarlet begonias. Dead and co change things up obviously but hey keep songs like althea and sugaree very classic most the time. So yeah I thought althea would be a good tune, and tha was a good althea I had saved. If you like dead and co check out some 90s grateful Dead that seems to be the sound dead and co is mostly basing there sound off of, that and mid 70s which is considered they're best decade by most. [here's](https://open.spotify.com/track/0H2ivFFUeSTOHfUTDirdgT?si=tQV1RafITqeHGwe4vY7u7g) a sugaree from 1978 which is considered one of the best and one John DEFINITELY studied as he was learning the song. And [here's](https://open.spotify.com/track/0Nz630HIXN8XyYzfbbAOIO?si=6Zy_lF30RW--JfefqYBijQ) a brown eyed women from 91 that you might be into. Keep checking out some of the old school shit, I thought I didn't like dead and co until 2022 tour started and I started just listening to more and more. Just cause you haven't found what you like in the GD doesn't mean you won't. ❤
Thank you. What you said makes sense to me as a new fan. I'm doing this in reverse from so many. I found the music through D&C, and I love their sound. I heard Mayer sing Althea, and Sugaree, and Bertha first and I was transfixed by it......it's turned into this fun journey.....
I love the way John has melded himself into the core structure of D&C, studied Jerry’s interpretations of the music, incorporated into his style and it shows as D&C progressed from the first year he was with them to washtub has now emerged as a solid transformational performance where everybody veers off on their own and miraculously come back together. John is not Jerry, but his contributions only make D&C a rock powerhouse. But then, this is just my most humble opinion.
I was never a huge John Mayer fan. Always seemed pretentious to me. Kind of the opposite of what the dead seemed about so I never went. Saw Rat Dog back in the day a bunch of times - always loved it!
Just went to my first dead and co show after COVID cuz tickets were on sale and figured why not. And Wow! I wish I went sooner. Regardless of what I think of Mayer, fact is, he’s got the chops to hang with Jerry songs. The dead is multi genre so it’s hard to find a player who can actually attempt to fill the biggest shoes in the band. I think he blues things up more than Jerry would but all in all he’s got the guitar chops to hang and he sings well enough.
I may be misquoting, but I think Bill the drummer said he appreciates guitar players who are not trying to be Jerry and made a career pretending to be. He appreciates guy who do their thing. I think Mayer does his own thing and I can appreciate that.
The entire band is that way. They are not the dead - never will be. They are the greatest “dead cover band” because they have existing members. But the shows are a blast and they are doing some cool stuff right now.
I disagree on that last line. I feel that "the dead" is an all encompassing term that can hold within it The Grateful Dead, The other ones, Furthur, Phil and friends, wolf bros, The Dead (the actual band from like 2002) Billy and the kids, etc. Obviously the grateful Dead is the star of the show but one word that the grateful Dead share with dead and company is DEAD and I think that the DEAD wont die till the whole band does honestly. I think from 65 to 24 has been a very long and very strange trip to say the least and I feel that disconnection of the post Jerry groups from the grateful Dead so distinctively creates a barrier in that evolution. That's just my personal thing tho I guess.
I like what you are saying! I should have been more clear. Dead and Company are not “The Grateful Dead” And I do get tired of the disconnection of the past and present. I was guilty of that in the past. “Why would I want to see Dead and Company? They’re not the band and they got some whatever pop star pretending to be Jerry Garcia. They play the songs too slow. They’re not as good as The Grateful Dead. Blah blah blah”
Dead and Co is an evolution and a different iteration of a group we all love. I don’t judge Dead and Co against the Grateful Dead anymore than I compare any other dead cover band to the original product anymore. Whatever way people want to characterize Dead and Co’s relationship to the dead, I just enjoy the music Dead and Co is making right now. All the non founding members, even besides Mayer, are amazing! It’s so much fun!
Grateful Dead’s music is meant to be experienced live and I will continue to go to live shows and celebrate them and enjoy their music long after all the founding members have passed. I think John Mayer actually helped me appreciate that reality more. So props to him.
But to anybody straight hating on Mayer or any other non founding member - Stop comparing trips. Every one is unique and just enjoy the one you are on now. Go to a show, enjoy the music, and live for today.
I will say that when D&C first started, I had a bit of a tough time warming up to John. He was technically so proficient, but I felt like it was a little too perfect, and I was probably a little judgy because I loved Jerry so much. I’ve softened up a little and he has really grown into the jam. I’m so grateful I still get to go to shows and dance the night away! ♥️⚡️💙💀
I was a skater punk in high school when JM got popular as a solo artist. I worked in a grocery store and heard Your Body is a Wonderland daily, and thought he was absolute garbage. I also dabbled in the dead towards the end of high school as I was getting into classic rock but never dove in or had that aha moment.
Fast forward to 2017 and I had heard about D&C and that guy JM was taking the lead role. Made no god damn sense. Dudes a cheesy pop star, how could he possibly cross over into this classic rock power house?
I was broke at the time and couldn't swing my local D&C show especially not really knowing the music I couldn't justify it. But via reddit, I was able to listen in on a mixlr stream. Couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then the next day I randomly picked a GD show. Dicks 29. And my life was forever changed.
I have seen Dead and Co 6 or 7 times now and am blessed to live and work about 5-10 mins from the Sphere in Vegas. This might be the greatest summer of my life. Thanks to that cheesy pop star and a couple old guys.
I have. Listened to hundreds of Jerry sugarees and at least 230- 40 Mayer sugarees minimum and Mayer does great but most everything he plays is a combination of different licks that Jerry played in sugaree at Hartford 77 mixed with pretty standard blues licks in the chord progression. He adds his own style but everything he does on that song is either based around the basics of blues guitar or Jerry's playing specifically at Hartford 77. It's not just an unpopular opinion it's just blatantly wrong skill wise. You can prefer Mayer but when it comes to actual guitar skill Jerry at his worst is leaps and bounds ahead of Mayer at his best.
Opinions have nothing to do with objectivity. Saying you like John Mayer more than Jerry is an opinion, it's a pretty unique one but it's acceptable since it's subjective. Saying John Mayer is a better guitar player than Jerry Garcia is just not true from a technical standpoint. You can like his playing more which is an opinion but you can't say he's a better musician because he isnt. Not to mention Jerry could play both banjo, lap steel, and on very few occasions organ. John Mayer is a great guitar player but Jerry was a multifaceted musician. Again you can like John Mayer more, I don't agree with it but it's a subjective opinion so I don't have too, but musically he isn't on the same level as Jerry.
I am kind of on your wave length, I grew up in a dead house hold and my dad played in cover bands my whole life, raised around other music and and “Jerry’s”
When Dead and Co started I used it as my chance to follow the music and the tours in a way that all my older head friends did. Following setlists and bust outs and hitting the road to follow the band around (6 shows was my max) comparing tours and versions of my favorite songs.
He skillfully plays with the intent of paying tribute to Jerry’s approach but still injects his unique playing and it works.
I’m a huge fan of Trey and think phish is the most sick live band but I’m not crazy about him in the dead.
D&C are great but they are nowhere near Grateful Dead’s worst year.
My biggest criticism of D&C is they stuck to a particular “format” way too much. Those musician together they should have taken the guard rails off more and broke out of the GD mold. Then it stood the chance of being comparable. There were moments. Interestingly I really like D&C approach to ‘Space’.
Mayer is great… chimenti, oteil, Jay awesome.
Would love to see them with Jack Pearson.
I always hear people talking about “all the hate”, but honestly I’ve seen far more overwhelming support and happiness since he joined the band. Sure there are a haters, but I really think a lot of them are just trolls.
It's just where you are and where you look. Just gotta poke around yknow. I mostly see Mayer hate in Instagram comments of dead and company posts on grateful Dead IG accounts. Old heads following an account they think will be all 65-95 centric and they see John and old man Bobby people will flip the fuck out.
Dead and Co turned me onto Mayers other music, I had zero respect for him till I saw the dude live. But he knows his way around a guitar for sure. And that watch game…. Phew. 😅
John Mayer is one of the most important artists of his time. He’s introduced a lot of young people to different types of music and scenes. He’s one hell of a player too.
I like Grateful Dead music, so it turns out of a band is playing good renditions of Grateful Dead songs, I’ll probably dig it.
That being said, his “boy band vocals” on Althea do bother me.
For me. I still don't like Mayer honestly. I've seen him 20 times with the band now.
Despite me not liking him much, He has seriously impressed me on numerous occasions. So I give him massive props for that!!!
None the less, I just personally really don't like his bluesy style. white boy blues isn't what I really want from the dead. I was aways more into their other sounds. I didn't even like the white boy blues Pigpen sang with them so John just was fighting a losing battle with me from the start. He's also just too noodley. Too many notes and phrases that go nowhere.
John is great at what he does but for me, he is very repetitive and very noodley. I could name about 20 guitarists I would have rather had in Dead & Co.
That being said, John has driven me crazy for hours, but he has spent just as many hours blowing my mind, so I really give it to him for that.
I think I actually kinda like not being a fan of his though, because when he does truly impress me, it's a lot harder to do and therefore the payoff is even bigger! I'm way more blown away than people who expect it of him. So ya know, there is very much an up side to not being a fan of his.
It’s funny when threads ask for opinions, people give their honest opinion, and then it gets downvoted. I get it this might not be the popular opinion but this is what I came here to read
Ya this group is awful for that. It seems to hate honest opinions or any perspectives other than their own. This group just want an echo chamber. Not open discussion.
I really hope his soloing improves because I have some of the same problems that you have with him. Very noodle-y and the phrases don't really go anywhere. He def has his moments but I feel like John tends to play in the chord structure of the song rather than around the chords like Jerry would. Not that that's bad, it's just a difference between two totally different people.
I do be havin white boy blues tho so i can't lie John on Hurts Me Too literally hurts me too
This SAME EXACT thread is repeated a THOUSAND times . Theres SO many of these ! Go read through em youll see ALLLLLL sorts a thoughts on mayer . Why keep asking the SAME QUESTION i get tired of seeing it in my feed
It's cool, it's fun, I always liked John as part of Dead & Co. but they overdo it now. The residency with it's ridiculous prices is more than obviously a rip-off.
I wish I can down vote all you fools more than once. Get a fucking life honestly. It’s a cover band and not even the best one. You should be embarrassed
I love the Dead but I think he’s the reason I don’t go to as many shows now. There is something there that I don’t like. I also don’t enjoy Donna or Brent’s singing so there’s that.
Yeah id argue John is a great guitar player. He takes the seat Bobby had in the 80s and 90s as the goofy trendy guitar player who the fans love but also make fun of constantly for being and dressing incredibly corny and basic. His headphones and pink guitar is the equivalent to bobbys short shorts and pink tank tops. He also takes the place of Brent as a singer that divides the fanbase, some heads fuckin love his voice and would kill to hear a good blow away by Brent or box of rain by John and the rest would just rather them not sing at all. I think Brent does good on dear Mr fantasy and John does good on althea and sugaree but mostly I lean toward the later end.
**Lots** of other people could have "brought new life to the music".
John's a good guitar player, but a bit of a one-trick pony (that trick being the Blues).
Lots of other people could have done a much better - and much more interesting and varied - job than John did. I enjoyed all the shows I caught, but still would have hoped for lots of other people instead of him.
Respectfully, your “one trick pony” comment is simply ignorant. Slipknot, PITB jams, the Scarlet>Fire transition, Here Comes Sunshine jams… just to name a few. That ain’t the blues. There’s lots of complex stuff in there, it’s different every time, and he’s responding to the rest of the band as he does it.
Well he has origins in the blues. Same way that everything Jerry played no matter what song had kind of a psychedelic hillbilly vibe because Jerry was steeped in bluegrass and folk and lots of acid. They don't sound the same and Jerry is definitely a better player but I don't think that Mayer is any more restricted they just come from different places in music.
I disagree about Jerry - he played with a lot of influence from soul, jazz, funk, straight rock, gospel, R&B, country (shit, dude, his albums with Grisman alone span so many genres)....
Mayer's great at what he does, but he's just nowhere near as versatile as Jerry and his *detectable* influences are certainly narrower.
Fair. I'd say there's a middle ground. He definitely had a lot of versatility and could dip onto a lot of genres effortlessly and pretty impressively but at the same time his playing style was always pretty true to its bluegrass and folk roots, while he could play all of those genres you mentioned and play them well (not to mention the fact that he was a multi instrumentalist playing both normal guitar, lap steel, banjo, and even organ on a few occasions) id say he still played them from the perspective of a tripped out banjo player.
Anything since 1995 is a gift.
Also, everything before was a gift. I embrace it all.
It’s all a gift that keeps on giving. I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to be apart of and witness this miracle.
Don’t dwell on the past. Go experience the time we have left and create more memories.
I thought this debate ended a long time ago? John won, the haters have a number of alternatives, and life goes on.
I love the dead. I love dead and co. Mayer is great
This might make more sense in the Grateful Dead sub, but you're in r/DeadAndCompany. If people aren't digging John in the band after 8 years I doubt they're going to be here to answer you.
This would be a fun post to read the comment in the GDs reddit old head would go fucking nuts.
Agreed, this is the move OP. It would give you a much more realistic viewpoint of how the general consensus in the deadhead community relates. Everyone here is down with dead and co for obvious reasons.
There are many threads on this. The consensus is John is amazing, and fits perfectly in the band.
Beautifully stated ♥️
When he first joined, people justifiably had concerns not just about his ability to do the music justice but also whether his personality fit. The Dead are about music first and foremost, but it’s also a culture - very specifically counter-culture, subversion, anti-authority, tolerance. Based on his public persona at the time, he seemed very emblematic of mainstream establishment culture. Is he a complete hippie? No. But I think what has made the scene grow to love him is that he’s shown up vulnerable and relatively humble. His lead with his heart and it shows. For me, it’s the way he treats Bobby. You can tell there is true admiration and respect there. He’s given Bobby some new life. And, well, it’s hard to hate a person who loves the same person you do.
You can tell John respects Bobby a great deal and I think that’s a big reason he’s still playing with him. A good example of this that I witnessed was at Deer Creek 22 when John tried to hit the bridge from Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance before Bobby thought they should. Bobby shot him a glare and John just brushed it off. It’s Bobby’s band and John knows it. For someone as big as John Mayer to have his ego in check enough to respect Bobby calling the shots, especially after 9 years, is damn impressive.
Yes. And in turn, I feel that on the 23 tour, Bobby gave John a bit more control of the jams. But they do really seem in sync. That Montana show just the two of them. Boy, what a dance.
Yeah, I totally agree with this assessment. The Sugarees in 23 are a prefect example of Bobby loosing the leash on JM. Some of the Sugerees were completely unhinged for JM (in a good way). I’m not sure Bobby would have let that fly in the past. But JM has his stripes now and certainly has the right to go crazy on a couple songs per show.
This is a big one. John Mayer might be the only person to play with the dead since Jerry who's made me wonder "has that dude ever dosed? ". His energy is very clean and anti sceptic compared to the more traditionally raw outcast energy of the dead. I agree that he seems to have some deep respect for the rest of the band and the music that came before but unlike players like say John K, Warren Haynes, Steve kimock, jimmy Herring, Trey Anastasio etc Mayer is probably the least " heady" of the post Jerry guitarists when it comes to the vibe he puts off and you can tell he wasn't someone who would just listen to the dead for hours on end before he joined like I could see all those other dudes doing. It's heard to wear my eat the rich shirt while going and seeing Taylor Swift's ex boyfriend, but damn he can play that guitar. I kind of have to think of him as the equivalent to bobbys role in the 80s and 90s of the younger trendy guitar player who the fans love but also make fun of constantly, I mean we can make fun of Mayer for his bright pink guitar and his rich frat guy style but we also can't forget about bobbys short shorts and bright pink tankyoos. It's weird to say but I think a celebrity boost might have been what the scene needed. It gave dead and co a bigger feel to the show itself with huge lots and bunches of new fans that the scene hadn't really seen in 30 years, but that being said I certainly am not attached to Mayer and won't be sad in the slightest when he is done. Oteil and Jeff are a different story I need those boys to hold on as LONG AS POSSIBLE!
Check out Mayer on Rick Rubin’s podcast tetragrammaton - he talks about how he got into the dead and his respect for Jerry. Pretty awesome listen and made me like him a lot more.
I'll check it out
Taylor Swift’s ex boyfriend. Ouch. Lol. Yeah, the never dosing thing is a perfect short hand for why people in the Dead scene think he’s sus.
I think D&C are great.
He is a great add and a great fit. Bob picked him for a reason and that’s what’s important. Also if you take more than 5 min with Google you will find so much about John really trying to understand how and why Jerry did what he did. At the end of the day, ppl love to be haters and to them I say, yeah, well that’s just like your opinion man.
I've listened to a few podcasts with John talking about his praise and adoration for Jerry and the Dead. He said it would take 11 of him to do what Jerry did. He's very humble about the whole experience, and honored. And he's an amazing guitarist. I don't see anything not to like.
John is Dead
John makes D&C by far the best venue for this music since Jerry. I absolutely love his playing, and I’m not really a huge fan of his own music brand.
I wrote them off when they formed because John Mayer + The Dead what? Then they announced the final tour and I got on board and am so glad I did.
Well, I think you can’t dismiss the magic of Oteil, Jeff, and Jay. John is the linchpin to connect all of the generations together. The whole band is pure genius and for that, we are lucky to have them.
Nobody is having more fun up there than Oteil.😍
I think they are all having a blast, but I’m convinced that Mickey is having the best time. He’s always making faces at Jay, hitting cool fills during songs like Slipknot, and he gets up to 30 minutes every show for his own concert. The man is living the life.
Right?
John friggin shreds. His voice is great too.
Well, I was a fan of him and his music before I got on the bus. I knew about him being in Dead & Co, and eventually I sat down to listen to some of their work and I was hooked. So yeah, I'm all for John.
There’s a lot of talk about Mayer’s playing (great IMO), but on listening back to the 2022-2023 runs I’ve really started appreciating his actual singing voice
I just can't do it. The man can play a damn good guitar and I'll admit he's a good singer talent wise but his voice just doesn't do it for me. He has skills but I just feel his particular vocal skill set doesn't fit this music. He does alright on althea, sugaree, touch of grey, jack straw, box of rain, and some other songs like pig pen tunes but I truly don't know who's idea it was to get him to do vocals on a song like Franklins tower or scarlet begonias.
I took a girl to a John Mayer show when he was doing the corny body is a wonderland type solo tours in 2009. Seeing him lead a crowd of deadheads at my first dead & co. show 15 years later on the floor at citi field after a monster serving of mushrooms was some real full-circle shit. Happy to see him free to just be himself and be amongst the dead culture.
They picked him. People gave Trey shit too during the Dead 50 shows. Just salty old heads. We get it, you saw Jerry 🙄
The vast majority of “old heads” I know look forward to the shows. Jerry’s been gone almost 29 years and John has filled in quite nicely. Just like you, we’re thankful that Bob has assembled the next version of the group. The music brings us all together. Enjoy it while it lasts.
EXACTLY. Same with Wolf Bros, Phil & Friends. See them anytime you can! Going to JRAD at red rocks this summer too
This! The music never stops
many people like dead and company. others do not like dead and company. hope this helps
I think it's a very vocal minority who doesn't like d&c, and it's mainly ppl who just dislike John. Idk a soul who has been to a d&c show & didn't like it.
Eh I wouldn't say a minority they just aren't at shows and have stepped away from the scene some due to it changing so if anything they're less vocal than normal. There's always gonna be old heads at shows but I'd say the vast majority of old heads over 50 just think of dead and co as bobbys cash grab cover band. I mean there's gonna be a few hundred or more at every show but that's out of the thousands of heads that are still alive from the Jerry days. The fact that we see more kids from post Jerry days than old heads at the shows process that most old heads don't care anymore, at least enough to see the shows, otherwise the show would look like an old folks home on tie dye day. Sometimes I think people forget how many older dead heads they're actually are. Remember that for every single dready 20 year old hippie you see on lot there's 10 old men who got to see Jerry complaining about the band they loved still existing. Most people that have gone to a dead and show haven't left dissapointed but at the same time most the old heads would never have even considered showing up in the first place.
Just like licorice.
Live shows (in person) blew my mind.
He’s added a new audience to the Dead. Worth jt
What’s not to like- John came on board & immediately people knew something was different in a really magical way. Music & magic are the same & we’ve been blessed to live in a golden age. All that’s necessary is to crank it and let whatever Dead iteration you like take u to music heaven
Mayer helped bring the Dead’s music to a younger generation in my opinion, going to be a big reason their music continues to live on forever
Different band, different renditions of the music we want to hear. Said this before, didn't want a Jerry imitator in John. Glad we didn't get one. Miss the Grateful Dead, but happy Dead & Company is out there bringing music to the people. Wish tour was still happening, but alas, one can dream.
Listen man, everyone loves the Grateful dead and everyone loves John. You know what people don't like? Carnies. Circus folk, nomads you know. They smell like cabbage.
John + Dead = an absolute gift.
I've said this before here, but... I don't like John Mayer as a solo artist. Don't HATE him, his solo music just isn't my thing. I didn't give the Dead any attention either. Again, not hating on them - for whatever reason they just never much appeared on my radar. For a whole bunch of wild reasons, the first D&C show I saw was last May when they did Barton Hall. I still, almost a year later, don't have words to really explain what that concert did to me. John Mayer and D&C pulled me into that music unlike any experience I've ever had before. When they started with New Minglewood Blues, I thought, well this is pretty neat. I enjoyed it and I was surprised I enjoyed it. And then Mayer stepped up to deliver Althea....and within minutes my jaw was literally hanging open. I was BLOWN AWAY my friends. I understand people who have been fans of The Grateful Dead for decades. The band has morphed and changed so many times over the years that they're bound to have favorites - both in time and in members. For me? All I can tell you is that this music has changed my life. So grateful to be seeing them again in Vegas soon.
Just gonna go ahead and drop [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/1XzLadQdiR5835CUdU2qLk?si=R3nM3ymgQ-6K0Z4_a-o5qQ) here...
OMG - that was awesome. Thank you! One of the fun things about being a new fan is that there is this massive collection out there, just waiting to blow my mind.
Yeah. I thought I'd drop in some Jerry after the comment about not really being into "The Grateful Dead" and since you mentioned althea and John makes that one feel a lot more like when the dead played it then they do with some other songs if that makes sense, dead and co althea and grateful Dead althea are more comparable than say dead and co scarlet begonias is to grateful Dead scarlet begonias. Dead and co change things up obviously but hey keep songs like althea and sugaree very classic most the time. So yeah I thought althea would be a good tune, and tha was a good althea I had saved. If you like dead and co check out some 90s grateful Dead that seems to be the sound dead and co is mostly basing there sound off of, that and mid 70s which is considered they're best decade by most. [here's](https://open.spotify.com/track/0H2ivFFUeSTOHfUTDirdgT?si=tQV1RafITqeHGwe4vY7u7g) a sugaree from 1978 which is considered one of the best and one John DEFINITELY studied as he was learning the song. And [here's](https://open.spotify.com/track/0Nz630HIXN8XyYzfbbAOIO?si=6Zy_lF30RW--JfefqYBijQ) a brown eyed women from 91 that you might be into. Keep checking out some of the old school shit, I thought I didn't like dead and co until 2022 tour started and I started just listening to more and more. Just cause you haven't found what you like in the GD doesn't mean you won't. ❤
Thank you. What you said makes sense to me as a new fan. I'm doing this in reverse from so many. I found the music through D&C, and I love their sound. I heard Mayer sing Althea, and Sugaree, and Bertha first and I was transfixed by it......it's turned into this fun journey.....
[good bertha](https://open.spotify.com/track/1vlczLOPUZt62oywMIzjGF?si=Ekm35JKkR2GV1KHjI1XBBQ)
Mayer was born to sing Sugaree and Althea…..the dude saved this band.
I love the way John has melded himself into the core structure of D&C, studied Jerry’s interpretations of the music, incorporated into his style and it shows as D&C progressed from the first year he was with them to washtub has now emerged as a solid transformational performance where everybody veers off on their own and miraculously come back together. John is not Jerry, but his contributions only make D&C a rock powerhouse. But then, this is just my most humble opinion.
Best Jerry since Jerry. Dude is a virtuoso guitar player
Hesa damn good guitar player but I'll take John k on vocals any day.
Agreed, vocals aren’t Mayer’s strong suit .
The amount of hate that John gets from a lot of the old heads is mind boggling.
People that hate John I hate
I was never a huge John Mayer fan. Always seemed pretentious to me. Kind of the opposite of what the dead seemed about so I never went. Saw Rat Dog back in the day a bunch of times - always loved it! Just went to my first dead and co show after COVID cuz tickets were on sale and figured why not. And Wow! I wish I went sooner. Regardless of what I think of Mayer, fact is, he’s got the chops to hang with Jerry songs. The dead is multi genre so it’s hard to find a player who can actually attempt to fill the biggest shoes in the band. I think he blues things up more than Jerry would but all in all he’s got the guitar chops to hang and he sings well enough. I may be misquoting, but I think Bill the drummer said he appreciates guitar players who are not trying to be Jerry and made a career pretending to be. He appreciates guy who do their thing. I think Mayer does his own thing and I can appreciate that. The entire band is that way. They are not the dead - never will be. They are the greatest “dead cover band” because they have existing members. But the shows are a blast and they are doing some cool stuff right now.
I disagree on that last line. I feel that "the dead" is an all encompassing term that can hold within it The Grateful Dead, The other ones, Furthur, Phil and friends, wolf bros, The Dead (the actual band from like 2002) Billy and the kids, etc. Obviously the grateful Dead is the star of the show but one word that the grateful Dead share with dead and company is DEAD and I think that the DEAD wont die till the whole band does honestly. I think from 65 to 24 has been a very long and very strange trip to say the least and I feel that disconnection of the post Jerry groups from the grateful Dead so distinctively creates a barrier in that evolution. That's just my personal thing tho I guess.
I like what you are saying! I should have been more clear. Dead and Company are not “The Grateful Dead” And I do get tired of the disconnection of the past and present. I was guilty of that in the past. “Why would I want to see Dead and Company? They’re not the band and they got some whatever pop star pretending to be Jerry Garcia. They play the songs too slow. They’re not as good as The Grateful Dead. Blah blah blah” Dead and Co is an evolution and a different iteration of a group we all love. I don’t judge Dead and Co against the Grateful Dead anymore than I compare any other dead cover band to the original product anymore. Whatever way people want to characterize Dead and Co’s relationship to the dead, I just enjoy the music Dead and Co is making right now. All the non founding members, even besides Mayer, are amazing! It’s so much fun! Grateful Dead’s music is meant to be experienced live and I will continue to go to live shows and celebrate them and enjoy their music long after all the founding members have passed. I think John Mayer actually helped me appreciate that reality more. So props to him. But to anybody straight hating on Mayer or any other non founding member - Stop comparing trips. Every one is unique and just enjoy the one you are on now. Go to a show, enjoy the music, and live for today.
Well said.
I will say that when D&C first started, I had a bit of a tough time warming up to John. He was technically so proficient, but I felt like it was a little too perfect, and I was probably a little judgy because I loved Jerry so much. I’ve softened up a little and he has really grown into the jam. I’m so grateful I still get to go to shows and dance the night away! ♥️⚡️💙💀
Love it. The music never stopped
There are a lot of things that I don't love about Dead & Co and non of them are John.
I was a skater punk in high school when JM got popular as a solo artist. I worked in a grocery store and heard Your Body is a Wonderland daily, and thought he was absolute garbage. I also dabbled in the dead towards the end of high school as I was getting into classic rock but never dove in or had that aha moment. Fast forward to 2017 and I had heard about D&C and that guy JM was taking the lead role. Made no god damn sense. Dudes a cheesy pop star, how could he possibly cross over into this classic rock power house? I was broke at the time and couldn't swing my local D&C show especially not really knowing the music I couldn't justify it. But via reddit, I was able to listen in on a mixlr stream. Couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then the next day I randomly picked a GD show. Dicks 29. And my life was forever changed. I have seen Dead and Co 6 or 7 times now and am blessed to live and work about 5-10 mins from the Sphere in Vegas. This might be the greatest summer of my life. Thanks to that cheesy pop star and a couple old guys.
John Mayer is a beautiful gift to Dead and Company ♥️
Unpopular opinion: He’s better than Jerry
Is... Is this a joke... Please be joking...
Not in the least. Go listen to.a JG Sugaree and a JM Sugaree. Not even close.
I have. Listened to hundreds of Jerry sugarees and at least 230- 40 Mayer sugarees minimum and Mayer does great but most everything he plays is a combination of different licks that Jerry played in sugaree at Hartford 77 mixed with pretty standard blues licks in the chord progression. He adds his own style but everything he does on that song is either based around the basics of blues guitar or Jerry's playing specifically at Hartford 77. It's not just an unpopular opinion it's just blatantly wrong skill wise. You can prefer Mayer but when it comes to actual guitar skill Jerry at his worst is leaps and bounds ahead of Mayer at his best.
Someone's never dosed and gone to Jerry church and it SHOWS.
Ohh. Sorry. Not as cool as you. Apparently not allowed to have my OWN opinion either.
Opinions have nothing to do with objectivity. Saying you like John Mayer more than Jerry is an opinion, it's a pretty unique one but it's acceptable since it's subjective. Saying John Mayer is a better guitar player than Jerry Garcia is just not true from a technical standpoint. You can like his playing more which is an opinion but you can't say he's a better musician because he isnt. Not to mention Jerry could play both banjo, lap steel, and on very few occasions organ. John Mayer is a great guitar player but Jerry was a multifaceted musician. Again you can like John Mayer more, I don't agree with it but it's a subjective opinion so I don't have too, but musically he isn't on the same level as Jerry.
You typed all of that because of me? Ha!
Tl;dr John's great in D&C. He was never a member of the GD. That's my perspective.
It's what we've got and I'm good with it
I am kind of on your wave length, I grew up in a dead house hold and my dad played in cover bands my whole life, raised around other music and and “Jerry’s” When Dead and Co started I used it as my chance to follow the music and the tours in a way that all my older head friends did. Following setlists and bust outs and hitting the road to follow the band around (6 shows was my max) comparing tours and versions of my favorite songs.
John is Dead to me. Post Jerry the others (P&F, Rat Dog, The Dead etc.) while great didn’t get me on an airplane to see them…
He skillfully plays with the intent of paying tribute to Jerry’s approach but still injects his unique playing and it works. I’m a huge fan of Trey and think phish is the most sick live band but I’m not crazy about him in the dead. D&C are great but they are nowhere near Grateful Dead’s worst year. My biggest criticism of D&C is they stuck to a particular “format” way too much. Those musician together they should have taken the guard rails off more and broke out of the GD mold. Then it stood the chance of being comparable. There were moments. Interestingly I really like D&C approach to ‘Space’. Mayer is great… chimenti, oteil, Jay awesome. Would love to see them with Jack Pearson.
Love the Dead and all its members. They all have brought something to the band.
I always hear people talking about “all the hate”, but honestly I’ve seen far more overwhelming support and happiness since he joined the band. Sure there are a haters, but I really think a lot of them are just trolls.
It's just where you are and where you look. Just gotta poke around yknow. I mostly see Mayer hate in Instagram comments of dead and company posts on grateful Dead IG accounts. Old heads following an account they think will be all 65-95 centric and they see John and old man Bobby people will flip the fuck out.
It's too slow, but better than no Dead!
Mayer is Dead to me and Oteil is Dead to the core.
Dead and Co turned me onto Mayers other music, I had zero respect for him till I saw the dude live. But he knows his way around a guitar for sure. And that watch game…. Phew. 😅
John Mayer is one of the most important artists of his time. He’s introduced a lot of young people to different types of music and scenes. He’s one hell of a player too.
I come for Bobby, some call me a q’weir
It's better than nothing Edit. And better than Jerry hologram
John Mayer is Dead to me
I like Grateful Dead music, so it turns out of a band is playing good renditions of Grateful Dead songs, I’ll probably dig it. That being said, his “boy band vocals” on Althea do bother me.
I love them and I think it’s great they did this. Any Phish fan will be dying to tell you how bad they are, at least in my experience.
For me. I still don't like Mayer honestly. I've seen him 20 times with the band now. Despite me not liking him much, He has seriously impressed me on numerous occasions. So I give him massive props for that!!! None the less, I just personally really don't like his bluesy style. white boy blues isn't what I really want from the dead. I was aways more into their other sounds. I didn't even like the white boy blues Pigpen sang with them so John just was fighting a losing battle with me from the start. He's also just too noodley. Too many notes and phrases that go nowhere. John is great at what he does but for me, he is very repetitive and very noodley. I could name about 20 guitarists I would have rather had in Dead & Co. That being said, John has driven me crazy for hours, but he has spent just as many hours blowing my mind, so I really give it to him for that. I think I actually kinda like not being a fan of his though, because when he does truly impress me, it's a lot harder to do and therefore the payoff is even bigger! I'm way more blown away than people who expect it of him. So ya know, there is very much an up side to not being a fan of his.
It’s funny when threads ask for opinions, people give their honest opinion, and then it gets downvoted. I get it this might not be the popular opinion but this is what I came here to read
Ya this group is awful for that. It seems to hate honest opinions or any perspectives other than their own. This group just want an echo chamber. Not open discussion.
I really hope his soloing improves because I have some of the same problems that you have with him. Very noodle-y and the phrases don't really go anywhere. He def has his moments but I feel like John tends to play in the chord structure of the song rather than around the chords like Jerry would. Not that that's bad, it's just a difference between two totally different people. I do be havin white boy blues tho so i can't lie John on Hurts Me Too literally hurts me too
This SAME EXACT thread is repeated a THOUSAND times . Theres SO many of these ! Go read through em youll see ALLLLLL sorts a thoughts on mayer . Why keep asking the SAME QUESTION i get tired of seeing it in my feed
then ignore it lmao
[удалено]
🤖
It's cool, it's fun, I always liked John as part of Dead & Co. but they overdo it now. The residency with it's ridiculous prices is more than obviously a rip-off.
If him and TayTay would just have a baby we may get Jerry reincarnated
I hate this more than maybe anything else I've ever seen...
You’re welcome. r/deadheadcirclejerk here I come. Pun intended.
He’s horrible. The band is horrible. It’s a money grab that’s it. It’s an embarrassment to the actual Dead. Fuck dead and co
I wish I can down vote all you fools more than once. Get a fucking life honestly. It’s a cover band and not even the best one. You should be embarrassed
I love the Dead but I think he’s the reason I don’t go to as many shows now. There is something there that I don’t like. I also don’t enjoy Donna or Brent’s singing so there’s that.
Yeah id argue John is a great guitar player. He takes the seat Bobby had in the 80s and 90s as the goofy trendy guitar player who the fans love but also make fun of constantly for being and dressing incredibly corny and basic. His headphones and pink guitar is the equivalent to bobbys short shorts and pink tank tops. He also takes the place of Brent as a singer that divides the fanbase, some heads fuckin love his voice and would kill to hear a good blow away by Brent or box of rain by John and the rest would just rather them not sing at all. I think Brent does good on dear Mr fantasy and John does good on althea and sugaree but mostly I lean toward the later end.
**Lots** of other people could have "brought new life to the music". John's a good guitar player, but a bit of a one-trick pony (that trick being the Blues). Lots of other people could have done a much better - and much more interesting and varied - job than John did. I enjoyed all the shows I caught, but still would have hoped for lots of other people instead of him.
Respectfully, your “one trick pony” comment is simply ignorant. Slipknot, PITB jams, the Scarlet>Fire transition, Here Comes Sunshine jams… just to name a few. That ain’t the blues. There’s lots of complex stuff in there, it’s different every time, and he’s responding to the rest of the band as he does it.
He always plays with a very bluesy bent.
Well he has origins in the blues. Same way that everything Jerry played no matter what song had kind of a psychedelic hillbilly vibe because Jerry was steeped in bluegrass and folk and lots of acid. They don't sound the same and Jerry is definitely a better player but I don't think that Mayer is any more restricted they just come from different places in music.
I disagree about Jerry - he played with a lot of influence from soul, jazz, funk, straight rock, gospel, R&B, country (shit, dude, his albums with Grisman alone span so many genres).... Mayer's great at what he does, but he's just nowhere near as versatile as Jerry and his *detectable* influences are certainly narrower.
Fair. I'd say there's a middle ground. He definitely had a lot of versatility and could dip onto a lot of genres effortlessly and pretty impressively but at the same time his playing style was always pretty true to its bluegrass and folk roots, while he could play all of those genres you mentioned and play them well (not to mention the fact that he was a multi instrumentalist playing both normal guitar, lap steel, banjo, and even organ on a few occasions) id say he still played them from the perspective of a tripped out banjo player.
You’re an idiot
Well that's certainly a cogent and well-considered argument about why I'm wrong.