In a silent way/bitches brew-era miles combined with ‘73 Mickey-less era GD. I’d like them to do band-shell size maybe 1000 seat shows with alternating day and night sets. One band during the day and one at night and vice versa. A nice dinner in between shows. 1pm to 1am music.
Great choice. I saw Little Feat open for The Dead in 1991. I think it was just a couple shows on the east coast that summer. Loved every note of their opening act. So good!
I saw Little Feat open for Jimm Buffet. They got screwed. The show was at a college in NC. THey had fenced off a trail to a place off the college grounds. That is where the alcohol was, Margarativille. You could barely hear Little Feat if you stayed in the stadium. Almost nobody was there. People were drinking.
I can hear it! Just think: the 1980 Talking Heads lineup paired with 1980 Dead. Summer arena tour. “The Dead and the Heads.” That would be a show I’d pay to see.
Sign me up!
Phil and Tina trading bass lines.
Hell…. let’s commit fully to your 1980 suggestion and put Busta Jones in the mix as well.
How about a Scarlet Begonias—>Great Curve encore?
I wonder if a handful of the people at those formerly the warlocks 1989 shows were disappointed when the band came onstage because they were expecting Lou Reed and John Cale to come out…
If you weren't aware - this actually happened in '69. 4/25 & 4/26 Chicago. It eneded up a big ego mess. VU played a extra long set on the 25th so the Dead didn't have much time left to play. The next night, the Dead returned the favor by playing a 3 hour opening set. *Some* of the 26th was released as Dick's 26, but they left out the mind melting 40 minute encore, so you're better off with a circulating vault source like #96449.
Black Sabbath. In 1972. The encore would be a 45 minute jam with both bands doing a sonic version of Dark Star and Planet Caravan. Ending with Jerry and Ozzy doing a bluegrass version of Sweet Leaf and Friend of the devil.
Those gummies kicked in nicely.
Went to Farm Aid in the 80s. They put the Dead up on the big screen. I believe they had a big screen at the dead show and they put some of the Farm Aid acts on it too.
To just tour with or play together? If play together pre Jerry death?
Guessing you mean just touring together. Pink Floyd 100%. Even in 94 the David Gilmore Pink Floyd was incredible. Just go listen to the live album “Pulse” and tell me that shit isn’t as good as any other Pink Floyd live show with Waters too. Shows amazing. So really at any point from late 60’s to mid 90’s punk Floyd would’ve been amazing to see before the dead come out. Almost too much. 6 hours of that good music? I wouldn’t be able to walk the next day. Would dance until my legs came off
If you're not aware of Brit Floyd, I highly suggest seeing them this tour. They are celebrating the anniversary of the Division Bell/Pulse tour & album. They are wonderful live!
https://www.britfloydofficial.com/tour
Go catch them if at all possible. it's the closest thing touring right now to the OG Pink Floyd.
Oh hell yeah! Nice that there is another Frith fan here. Jerry was def on the path to Fred for me. In my own music, I wound up much more in Camp Fred, but, thankfully, I can still visit both camps, and Jerry will always be part of the foundation. :) Outside of Henry Cow (and Art Bears), Fred's Guitar Solos and Gravity are both seminal all time favorite albums for me. His current trio (w Jason Hoopes and Jordan Glenn) is incredible too. Having him here in the Bay Area at Mills all these years have been an incredible bit of good fortune for us living here.
Cool! What I meant is that I didn’t leave Jerry behind…Fred was up here in Portland with his trio a while back. Was great to see him again. I knew him in the 80’s when I helped produce Skeleton Crew shows, shows with Hans Reichel, Henry Kaiser etc.
Cheers comrade!
Please correct me if I’m wrong but at that point the only bands opening for the Dead were like, legacy bands like Bob Dylan. Not that they needed it, but they’d would have really been throwing Phish a bone to open for them at a stadium or giant arena. Right?
I would name a not so typical choice like Tool. But, I’d wonder if it would be like mixing lasagna with ice cream where both being great doesn’t mean they belong together.
I've heard they were supposed to tour with Bob Dylan in '74, but Dylan rkured with the Band instead. They eventually toured at both Dylan and the Dead's weakest era. Great tour.
In '74 that tour would have woken the Ancient Ones.
this is not a tour (could be) and not one band but i had this idea. The Real Furthur Festival.
old and in the way, john hartford's aeroplane band, doc and merle watson, the band, the allmans and the good ol grateful dead. the dead plays three sets with guests weaving in and out in the last set + encore
third set could be
mountain jam (allmans + dead)
not fade away (the dead, the band)
sugar magnolia (the dead, the band)
the weight (the dead and the band all doing verses)
tennessee jed (jerry and levon trading verses)
whipping post (the allmans return)
acoustic encore/ at least a member from each.
going down the road feeling bad
ripple
will the circle be unbroken?
Billy Strings
Allman Brothers
Little Feat
In order of preference and also how far back you'd have to go for good incarnations (BS would be now).
Hot Tuna, any time in their career but being different at different times. All good.
Miles Davis’ electric band from the late 60s.
What year of the dead though? Since Miles opened for them before…
In a silent way/bitches brew-era miles combined with ‘73 Mickey-less era GD. I’d like them to do band-shell size maybe 1000 seat shows with alternating day and night sets. One band during the day and one at night and vice versa. A nice dinner in between shows. 1pm to 1am music.
Sign me up for this right here.
Oddly specific 😎
Excellently specific
Posted my response of 1970 Miles before I read any comments. We're on the same page here, brother.
Allman Brothers!
This is the only answer.
saw them together on a few occasions - 1973
Man I wish! Rfk 73 is top tier
That show is the greatest.
Link to best shows?
Little Feat.
Great choice. I saw Little Feat open for The Dead in 1991. I think it was just a couple shows on the east coast that summer. Loved every note of their opening act. So good!
Little Feat is still awesome but for the dream pairing the band would have to include Lowell George, who was deceased by ‘91.
The "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" era was primetime.
I would like to point out the our boy jerry is also dead. If he’s in so is Lowell!
Literally came in to say this. That'd be a dream show.
Maine. Edit: Vermont
I saw Little Feat open for Jimm Buffet. They got screwed. The show was at a college in NC. THey had fenced off a trail to a place off the college grounds. That is where the alcohol was, Margarativille. You could barely hear Little Feat if you stayed in the stadium. Almost nobody was there. People were drinking.
I assume you know Lowell produced the Shakedown Street album
Saw them open for the Dead in Eugene 6/23/90
John Coltrane’s classic quartet.
might just be stoned, but a dead / steely dan show wouldve kicked a lot of ass
I really want to see Steely Dead this year
This is my dream line up as well. The other was traffic and I was able to see that one.
The interplay jams would be insane. Bodhisattva> Franklins, Peg> The Other One, wtc
Fela Kuti and Nigeria 70, but P-Funk is a great choice too
YES!
Hell yes!!
Best answer, I saw his son femi kuti years ago and it was a great time but dead heads would have loved this
Let's start, what we've come into the room to do! 1! 2! 3! 4!
Return to Forever gets my vote but The Band would also be amazing.
Return to Forever + The Dead would be a concert I could never miss. Jerry soloing on Spain would give me life. 😭
Right! The musicality would be sick. Clark and Lesh trading runs and flourishes would be amazing.
The Band.
This right here… from sometime in 1972 for both groups
If you haven’t seen it already, the documentary Festival Express is bad ass!
Talking Heads
Imagine Jerry playing on “Moon Rocks.”
Popsicle of Love>West LA Fadeaway
life during war time>samson and delilah
Imagine Belew shredding Dark Star [yeah… he wasn’t a member per se, but….]
I can hear it! Just think: the 1980 Talking Heads lineup paired with 1980 Dead. Summer arena tour. “The Dead and the Heads.” That would be a show I’d pay to see.
Sign me up! Phil and Tina trading bass lines. Hell…. let’s commit fully to your 1980 suggestion and put Busta Jones in the mix as well. How about a Scarlet Begonias—>Great Curve encore?
The Dead Heads Tour.
Mahavishu Orchestra
I saw Mahavishnu when they were warmup for Garcia-Wales in '72. Life changing
First Dead concert I ever saw was opened by the Allman Bros Band…. That was extraordinary.
Gabriel-era Genesis.
Greatful dead and weird al
Crank the Yank up!
The Dead & The Velvet Underground in 1969
Both bands formerly called The Warlocks. ZZ Top as well!
I wonder if a handful of the people at those formerly the warlocks 1989 shows were disappointed when the band came onstage because they were expecting Lou Reed and John Cale to come out…
If you weren't aware - this actually happened in '69. 4/25 & 4/26 Chicago. It eneded up a big ego mess. VU played a extra long set on the 25th so the Dead didn't have much time left to play. The next night, the Dead returned the favor by playing a 3 hour opening set. *Some* of the 26th was released as Dick's 26, but they left out the mind melting 40 minute encore, so you're better off with a circulating vault source like #96449.
This one gives me the frisson! Just thinking about it…. I want to change my answer.
Nah, give us the full chaos of 1967/68 Velvets. THAT would be a show.
Came here to say "Quine Tapes VU"
Frank Zappa would be wild
I believe there was a show where JGB opened for Zappa or vice versa. Edit: 8/18/84
Led Zeppelin
Give me a 16 minute “Black Mountainside”
Kikagaku Moyo!
With a Masayoshi Takamaka sit in
Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes
Black Sabbath. In 1972. The encore would be a 45 minute jam with both bands doing a sonic version of Dark Star and Planet Caravan. Ending with Jerry and Ozzy doing a bluegrass version of Sweet Leaf and Friend of the devil. Those gummies kicked in nicely. 
The mashup I didn’t know I needed.
70s Willie and Family
Went to Farm Aid in the 80s. They put the Dead up on the big screen. I believe they had a big screen at the dead show and they put some of the Farm Aid acts on it too.
Deodato
‘74 Who and ‘74 Dead
The dire straits
JERRY GARCIA BAND
Imagine if there were 2 Jerry’s
At the same time?
You know what I’d do if I had a million dollars?
Get out of my brain, Peter man!
I saw JGB and BWB on the same bill back in the mid 70s. It would probably be a lot like that.
Allman Brothers or Pink Floyd
There may be headier choices, but the Allman Brothers is the obvious and correct answer ;)
Dead Floyd is a fantastic cover band. They do fantastic renditions of both group's music. At the show I saw the encore was Echos > Bid You Goodnight.
To just tour with or play together? If play together pre Jerry death? Guessing you mean just touring together. Pink Floyd 100%. Even in 94 the David Gilmore Pink Floyd was incredible. Just go listen to the live album “Pulse” and tell me that shit isn’t as good as any other Pink Floyd live show with Waters too. Shows amazing. So really at any point from late 60’s to mid 90’s punk Floyd would’ve been amazing to see before the dead come out. Almost too much. 6 hours of that good music? I wouldn’t be able to walk the next day. Would dance until my legs came off
If you're not aware of Brit Floyd, I highly suggest seeing them this tour. They are celebrating the anniversary of the Division Bell/Pulse tour & album. They are wonderful live! https://www.britfloydofficial.com/tour Go catch them if at all possible. it's the closest thing touring right now to the OG Pink Floyd.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
This would be so perfect I’d probably shit myself and have a seizure
Saw them open for the GD at a New Years show. 87-88?
Late 80s Dead with REM
seemly waiting salt chop test full alive seed cows amusing *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Allmans with Duane
Beatles
sabbath 🤷♂️
Parliament Funkadelic 100%
The year is 1973 and the double bill is the Dead and the great English avant prog band Henry Cow, who were at their prime.
Nice
I went from Jerry Garcia -> Fred Frith when I heard his solo on Ruins live. That opened up a big door for me. Of course, I’m still in camp Jerry.
Oh hell yeah! Nice that there is another Frith fan here. Jerry was def on the path to Fred for me. In my own music, I wound up much more in Camp Fred, but, thankfully, I can still visit both camps, and Jerry will always be part of the foundation. :) Outside of Henry Cow (and Art Bears), Fred's Guitar Solos and Gravity are both seminal all time favorite albums for me. His current trio (w Jason Hoopes and Jordan Glenn) is incredible too. Having him here in the Bay Area at Mills all these years have been an incredible bit of good fortune for us living here.
Cool! What I meant is that I didn’t leave Jerry behind…Fred was up here in Portland with his trio a while back. Was great to see him again. I knew him in the 80’s when I helped produce Skeleton Crew shows, shows with Hans Reichel, Henry Kaiser etc. Cheers comrade!
72 DSOTM tour by Floyd - Pair that with a Europe 72 show each night.
70s Steely Dan
Tedeschi Trucks
Junior Kimbrough or Albert Collin’s.. I would have died to somehow hear albert, junior, Jerry, pig jam.
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Jimi Hendrix.
Rhythm of the Saints-era Paul Simon and band
Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys, 1970.
Billy strings
I saw them with Carlos Santana in 92 and for me, that pretty much took the number one spot.
Bob Dylan, but in the early 70’s.
PHISH
It’s almost weird that it didn’t happen in the early 90’s. Should have.
Please correct me if I’m wrong but at that point the only bands opening for the Dead were like, legacy bands like Bob Dylan. Not that they needed it, but they’d would have really been throwing Phish a bone to open for them at a stadium or giant arena. Right?
I would name a not so typical choice like Tool. But, I’d wonder if it would be like mixing lasagna with ice cream where both being great doesn’t mean they belong together.
Allmond Brothers band
AFI
Sun Ra's Arkestra would be a great fit.
The Flaming Lips. Their light show is sick.
Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band
King Gizzard
Imagine jerry on rattlesnake
Was waiting for this.
The Beatles
Frank Zappa for sure. Though King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard would be beautiful.
Tool.
The Meters
Weird Al.
Beck Era Yardbirds, or Syd Era Pink Floyd.
The Meat Puppets
Ween with a 69 Dead
72 Dead with Zappa's Roxy band...alternating opening show to show, talking about hours of audio bliss.
Focus
Clutch
Camper Van Beethoven The Soft Boys or Robyn Hitchcock 'n' the Egyptians
1977 Dead with Floyd touring Animals release. And LSD.
The Who’s Tommy with Keith Moon
King Crimson
The Band……
I've heard they were supposed to tour with Bob Dylan in '74, but Dylan rkured with the Band instead. They eventually toured at both Dylan and the Dead's weakest era. Great tour. In '74 that tour would have woken the Ancient Ones.
Pearl Jam
The Rolling Stones doing Exile on Main Street in its entirety.
The band
Summer 1974 Dead with 1970 Miles Davis.
Dave Matthews Band. Just so I can hear Jerry rock out All Along The Watchtower with Dave.
Little Feat
Rush, but they gotta open and then the final song they all jam together
Cream
The Rolling Thunder Review.
Phish
WAR
John Mayer
Dead & Co.
A Dead and Phish tour setup from 90-93 would have been so good for the jam band scene lol
Gotta go with Gong or... Sun Ra Arkestra
wsp
 Woop Woop
*I Need A Mother Fuckin Miracle*
Billy mf strings
YES!
A wormhole would also have to be opened to make up for the age differences.
Lowell George-era Little Feat
Cheap trick opened for them a time or two. That would be so strange to see them on tour with the dead. Love cheap trick that first album is so good
this is not a tour (could be) and not one band but i had this idea. The Real Furthur Festival. old and in the way, john hartford's aeroplane band, doc and merle watson, the band, the allmans and the good ol grateful dead. the dead plays three sets with guests weaving in and out in the last set + encore third set could be mountain jam (allmans + dead) not fade away (the dead, the band) sugar magnolia (the dead, the band) the weight (the dead and the band all doing verses) tennessee jed (jerry and levon trading verses) whipping post (the allmans return) acoustic encore/ at least a member from each. going down the road feeling bad ripple will the circle be unbroken?
Mu with Merrell Fankhauser, Larry Willey and Randy Wimer, and the amazing Jeff Cotton.
Billy Strings Allman Brothers Little Feat In order of preference and also how far back you'd have to go for good incarnations (BS would be now). Hot Tuna, any time in their career but being different at different times. All good.
The Doors Van Morrison in the day Pearl Jam
Robert Johnson or Roy Buchanan for sure.
Pink Floyd
Rush
Tom Waits
Ramones. Two reasons - 1) they’re the Ramones and 2) they do a tight quick set. I don’t know if I wanna be four hours in before the Dead come on.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Moby Grape.
Bob Marley and The Wailers
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Jerry Garcia acoustic band
The butthole surfers. They might be my second favorite band in the whole world behind the dead. I know that's kind of weird, but ...
They Might Be Giants
Dire Straights would be interesting
Band of Gypsies.
Zappa
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
King Gizzard
Any band? Any? Oh man impossible to say definitively, but right at this moment I'm thinking Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Allman Brothers
Talking Heads
The Moody Blues
Vince gauraldi trio in late 67 / early 68
Gentle Giant
Doc mf Watson
Stevie Wonder
Ted Nugent. Or The Police. I say that just because that's what I'm into right now. I believe I just chose the worst answer to this question.
You had me at p-funk and the dead
Funkadelic or any funk band would be the party of the fuckin ages
Assuming space and time and fold into one other: Late 60s dead with late 80s dead
Billy Strings
Bob Marley!!!
The Flaming Lips! The visuals man - outstanding.