Grateful Dead alums plan first tour in 5 years

Mickey Hart, left, and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead talk before a news conference at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in this August 2008 file photo.

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Story Published: Jan 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM PST

Story Updated: Jan 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM PST

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - It looks like the old Dead are gettin' on.

Surviving members of the Grateful Dead say they'll regroup for a 19-city tour, their first since 2004, beginning April 12 in Greensboro, N.C.

The group, which now just calls itself The Dead, announced its plans Thursday.

Original band members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann have toured sporadically since the 1995 death of guitarist Jerry Garcia, but struggled to get along personally and artistically. They told Rolling Stone in November that they've worked out their differences, aided by a successful October benefit concert in Pennsylvania for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Warren Haynes joins the Dead on lead guitar, and Jeff Chimenti will play keyboards.

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