The Grateful Dead had their "last hurrah" earlier in the year with their "Fare Thee Well Tour," featuring Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, but not quite all of them are not quite done playing with one another under some type of Dead moniker.

This October, Dead & Company will launch a Fall/Winter run spanning most of the nation including Halloween night at Madison Square Garden. While any sensible "Head" should be wary of the term "super-group," this one would probably qualify for the category if it wasn't so tired.

It's something different: John Mayer, Allman Brothers and Aquarium Rescue Unit bassist Oteil Burbridge, and Ratdog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti will join Dead members Bob Weir, Micky Hart and Bill Kreutzmann to round out the new band. 

Sweet! We're pumped.

Like we said, it's something different. There has been no shortage of Dead-themed bands featuring an original member or two since their demise in 1995. 

Perhaps the most prolific is Phil Lesh & Friends, led by Dead bassist Lesh featuring a revolving door of amazing musicians re-imagining The Grateful Dead's material each night. 

But the best part about Phil & Friends isn't Phil, which is why we're excited for Dead & Company. Dead Heads have had a little time to discuss their lofty (or not so much so) expectations of the new outfit. 

It's clear one of the best things to be excited about is the lack of Phil Lesh in a Dead-type setting. Phil's great and we love him, but Oteil brings a way different and more lucid approach to the bass. He knows how to rest, a perfect opposite to Lesh's verbosity. 

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Jeff Chimenti was most recently in the news for being busted for pot (bummer) on the road. We wish him the best and are fully confident he'll be solid and on point with Dead & Company. His tenure in Bob Weir's Ratdog is evidence enough that he'll do just fine.

But John Mayer is the wildcard here. 

Mayer's musicianship and therefore reputation has undergone something of a metamorphosis over recent years. 

In his younger years, he was perceived as much of a heart-throb as a cheesy guitarist. But with the explosive blusey amazingness of The John Mayer Trio, we're damn stoked for his contribution to Dead & Company.

The new band is offering a breath of fresh air to the classic rock and jam band communities. After "Fare Thee Well" with Anastasio, it's going to be nice to see what John Mayer is going to do with the lead guitar in this setting. 

Check them out at Madison Square Garden 10/31 & 11/1, tickets went on sale Friday, August 28th. Hurry!

Dead & Company Fall / Winter Tour Dates
10/29: Albany, NY - Times Union Center
10/31: New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden
11/1: New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden
11/5: Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
11/6: Washington, DC - Verizon Center
11/10: Worcester, MA - DCU Center
11/11: Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center
11/13: Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
11/14: Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
11/17: Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena
11/18: Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
11/20: St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
11/21: Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
11/24: Broomfield, CO - 1st Bank Arena
11/25: Broomfield, CO - 1st Bank Arena
11/27: Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/28: Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
12/27: San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/28: San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/30: Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
12/31: Los Angeles, CA - The Forum

Check out 10 Dopest 90s Music Videos Ever Set in NYC.

[Feature Image Courtesy: Instagram]