Dead Man Talking
Lesh on liver, living, and of course, the music
By Aria Seligmann
Eugene Weekly Published June 28, 2001

Phil Lesh was excited, having just completed a blood drive at the Red Cross in L.A. “A week day is not a notoriously great time, but we got 100 people to come in,” he says. Giving blood is one of Lesh’s latest causes,first of all, he says, because there’s always a shortage of blood, especially this time of year, but also because he’s been a recipient of donated blood twice, before his liver transplant.

That liver transplant, necessitated by his contracting hepatitis C, has given momentum to one of his other latest causes, urging people to be organ donors.

“Without organ donors I wouldn’t be here,” says Lesh. He urges everyone to become one and to tell their families that’s what they want because it’s the families who make the decisions.

Phil is feeling great these days. The virus is dormant. “I still have hepatitis C but I’m doing well,” he says. “I just had all of my tests done and they’re recommending I don’t need another biopsy for three years.” Getting the word out about organ donors and attending blood drives, hesays, is also a chance “to meet people in the community that have been supporting the Grateful Dead and everyone in it for years and years.”

Speaking of the Dead, the big buzz, of course, is that Lesh and Bobby Weir played together a few weeks ago. Phil and Friends were rehearsing for a show at Sweetwater, a tiny club down in Mill Valley, and he invited Bobby to come to the rehearsal. Rat Dog will be playing at a few shows on the tour. “I thought that it’d be weird if we did shows together with both bands and we hadn’t played together,” says Lesh. “I invited him to come down during a rehearsal to teach us some of his songs. Then we decided to do a stealth gig in front of the public.” Phil and Friends performed under the name Crusader Rabbit Stealth Band with Weir. “It felt really good to play with him. I love Bobby and have for 36 years. I love his playing and it felt really natural to be playing with him again,” says Lesh.

Weir won’t be playing with Lesh when he comes to Eugene on July 3, however. The Friends will consist of guitarists Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring, drummer John Molo and keyboardist Rob Baracco. Warren Haynes will open with a solo acoustic show.

Eugene is the only Oregon stop on the upcoming tour. “I really like the Cuthbert,” says Lesh. “I had a really, really great time there in ’99 with the Summer Sessions tour. I said then I’d like to come back.” Beyond the boundaries of the Cuthbert Amphitheater, Lesh considers Eugene to be a “hotbed of a great Deadhead community and stunningly good vibes. I just want to come and tap into that,” he says. “It always elevates the music.”

Lesh has written some new songs with former Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and he’s also a classically trained musician. While he offers the fans new tunes, he insists he doesn’t feel pressure to play Dead tunes, but in fact, wants to continue playing that music. “I will always play Grateful Dead stuff. It’s the backbone; the fundamental repertoire that I want to play. The music wants to happen. It wants to live and be performed” he says.

At the same time, Lesh says he’s encouraging everyone in the band to contribute material. “We use Grateful Dead music as a springboard to travel to new realms,” he says.

Some of the new realms for Lesh include the desire to write orchestral music and even an opera one day. In the meantime, he wants to keep the current band going. “The music keeps wanting to continue. To manifest it is part of my duty, really. I believe that’s one of the reasons I was spared.”

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