The Dead were a formative band for the National. Getting to play with Bob felt like entering a portal into their mystical, musical landscape – though he was always completely present • Alexis Petridis: ‘Bob Weir was a songwriting powerhouse for the Grateful Dead – and the chief custodian of their legacy’ It’s hard to believe that Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead who carried the torch for the band’s music after Jerry Garcia passed in 1995, is gone. He had the vibrant, playful energy, constant curiosity and adventurous disposition of someone who seemed as if they would just always be around. Bobby, as he was affectionately known to fans, helped start the legendary band as a teenager in the mid-1960s and co-wrote and sang many of their most famous songs, including Sugar Magnolia and Truckin’. Much more than that, he kept the Grateful Dead’s spirit and music alive more recently in various forms including RatDog, the Other Ones and Dead & Company. For so many of us, the Grateful Dead was much more than the music we grew up with; it was an endlessly fascinating culture that spanned generations and an integral part of the fabric and foundation of the American musical vernacular. Bobby’s highly creative and unusual way of playing rhythm guitar was an essential counterpoint to Jerry’s inimitable lead playing. Together they defined the core of the band’s sound which was documented throughout its exhaustive touring history by a live taping and bootleg-sharing culture which they embraced. Continue reading...