Still Truckin'

No longer Grateful, the group now known only as "The Dead" is preparing to embark on its first tour since 2004. Over the last 13 years, since guitarist Jerry Garcia died, the four remaining members of the band have gotten together occasionally to tour, but the magic has never been the same.

After 40 years of making music, the Dead has a cult following. There's even a satellite radio station dedicated to their music. The tour will consist of 19 shows in 16 cities across the U.S., and take place in April and May. The birth of the new tour came during an October rally for Barack Obama, the first time the super group has ever endorsed a political candidate.

Phil Lesh, bass player for the band, is modest about the band's influence on music, having birthed a genre known as jam band. He was quoted by CNN as saying, "All we did was steal what jazz musicians did and apply it to rock 'n' roll. If we didn't do it, someone else would have."

The band will add Warren Haynes on guitar, and Jeff Chimenti on the keys.