Bob Weir and Phil Lesh will take their post-Grateful Dead performing bands out on the road for a few tour dates together. Weir's Ratdog will be playing behind their debut release, Evening Moods, while Lesh will again be touring with his Phil Lesh and Friends outfit that includes guitarists Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring, bassist Rob Barraco, and drummer John Molo.

The outing isn't so much a joint tour, as Ratdog have merely joined up for seven dates (Okalahoma City; Maryland Heights, Mo.; Clarkston, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; Mansfield, Mass.; Hartford, Conn.; and Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) on Lesh's twenty-six-date summer outing. Willie Nelson, Junior Brown, Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, the Disco Biscuits, the String Cheese Incident, Galactic, Hot Tuna, the Allman Brothers Band, the Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi have been tapped as openers for other dates on Lesh's tour.

The dates are the first Ratdog has played with Lesh, who toured last summer with Bob Dylan.

Phil Lesh tour dates:

6/27: Los Angeles, Greek Theater
6/29-30, 7/1: Berkeley, CA, Greek Theater
7/3: Eugene, OR, Cuthbert Amphitheater
7/4: Snoqualmie, WA, Snoqualmie Amphitheater
7/6-7: Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheater
7/9: Oklahoma City, OK, Zoo Amphitheater
7/10: Maryland Heights, MO, Riverport Amphitheater
7/11: Bonner Springs, KS, Sandstone Amphitheater
7/12: Somerset, WI, River's Edge Amphitheater
7/14: East Troy, WI, Alpine Valley
7/15: Noblesville, IN, Deer Creek
7/17: Clarkston, MI, Pine Knob Music Theater
7/18: Columbus, OH, Polaris Amphitheater
7/20: Mansfield, MA, Tweeter Center
7/21: Hartford, CT, Meadows Music Theater
7/22: Saratoga, NY, Saratoga PAC
7/24: Canandaigua, NY, Finger Lakes PAC
7/26: Wantagh, NY, Jones Beach
7/27: Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center
7/28: Camden, NJ, Tweeter Center
7/29: Hershey, PA, Hershey Star Pavilion
7/31: Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post
8/2: Virginia Beach, VA, GTE Amphitheater
8/3: Raleigh, NC, Alltel Pavilion
8/4: Charlotte, NC, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/5: Atlanta, Lakewood Amphitheater

ANDREW DANSBY
(May 5, 2001)