Warren Haynes Talks Grateful Dead 50 & Trey Anastasio

No living guitarist has played more with the Grateful Dead‘s “core four” of Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh than guitarist Warren Haynes. The Gov’t Mule front man was a member of the last few incarnations of The Dead, before the “core four” selected Trey Anastasio to fill the lead guitar role for Fare Thee Well performances in Santa Clara and Chicago. Haynes discussed the shows and the Trey choice in a new interview with Radio.com.

[Photo by Jay Blakesberg]

Warren is happy the “core four” reunited for the shows. “Well, I’m glad that they are doing final shows,” Haynes said. “I thought it was important for them to do something for the 50th anniversary. I — probably like everyone else — wish it had been a little bit more.” Haynes has not only been a member of post-Jerry versions of The Dead, but he’s frequently performed as member of Phil Lesh & Friends. “Phil and I continue to work together,” Warren commented. “Which I still enjoy very much. But I think the door is also open for all those guys to do whatever they want to do and have fun. It’s good to see that they still all love playing music and being on stage. that’s what it’s all about: maintaining that lifelong passion.”

What advice does Warren Haynes have for the Phish guitarist? “Well, I think any time somebody steps into that sort of position, what’s required of you is that you inject your own personality into the performance. And if you’re the right person for the job — which Trey is — that’s what the band expects of you and that’s what the audience expects of you. And whatever minority of the audience doesn’t want that, I think they are just that: a small minority of the audience. I was very lucky when I joined the Allman Brothers Band: no one wanted me to play more like Duane Allman. Or less like Duane Allman. It was, ‘You be yourself.’”

Haynes also answered the big question about whether he was asked to play Fare Thee Well before Trey. “It’s not something we talked about, but I’ve got a lot of my own stuff going on at the moment. I’m curious to see the whole thing, I’m glad Bruce Hornsby is doing it. I wish I could be there to see it, I’m sure it will be great.”

Kreutzmann, Hart, Lesh, Weir, Anastasio, Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti bring Fare Thee Well -Celebrating 50 Years Of Grateful Dead to Chicago’s Soldier Field from Friday to Sunday.

Watch a YouTube playlist of our Grateful Dead 50 tribute, the Songs Of Their Own video series: