The Dead to walk JPJ stage

Get that freak flag out of storage for original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart will bring their group, The Dead, to John Paul Jones Arena on April 15.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 23, for the first new tour of The Dead since its “Wave The Flag” tour in 2004. The tour will include 19 shows in 16 cities.

The original Grateful Dead members will be joined by keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes.

The group first formed in 1965 as the Grateful Dead with the late Jerry Garcia on lead guitar. The band was legendary for its innovative live performances, and its encouragement of fans - including allowing fans to tape shows and share them with friends - helped build a loyal fan base, known as Dead Heads. The Grateful Dead was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The band merged bluegrass, country, electric rock and jazz to create a trademark sound. Many fans followed the band for entire tours, and listeners’ bootlegs introduced plenty of new fans.

Seeds of the idea for the new tour began when Hart, Lesh and Weir performed in a “Dead Heads for Obama” show at the Warfield in San Francisco. Last year, Kreutzmann and Hart performed in a post-inauguration event for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Since an October “Change Rocks” concert and rally in State College, Pa., speculation has swirled about the possibility of the band going back out on the road.

Learn more at http://www.dead.net or http://www.Dead.Net/Dead09.

Ticket prices have not been announced. For information, visit http://www.johnpauljonesarena.com or call (888) JPJ-TIXS (575-8497).