Stu is BACK.
Deadheads have officially descended upon Cancun, Mexico for a few days of great music and good times. Dubbed Dead Ahead Festival, the all-inclusive party at the Moon Palace Resort features Grateful Dead’s Bobby Weir and Mickey Hart, along with Dead & Company and/or Bob Weir & Wolf Bros memebers Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Don Was and Jay Lane. The festival also features special performances from Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi, as well as Goose’s Rick Mitarotonda, and country music’s own Margo Price, Sturgill Simpson, and more.
Not bad, eh?
The festival got underway yesterday and ol’ Sturgill Simpson graced the stage for a stripped-down performance of “Breakers Roar,” featuring the fellas of Orebolo (AKA Goose), and damn if it isn’t great to see Sturgill Simpson on stage again. Not to mention, this little quartet sounds GOOD.
Of course, the man suffered a significant vocal chord injury following the release of his 2021 The Ballad Of Dood & Juanita album, and aside from that studio release with Diplo, we’ve only seen him a time or two ever since. Back in September, he joined Margo Price on stage at Farm Aid for a full throttle performance of “Life Of Sin.”
“Breakers Roar” is a cut from Stu’s 2016, Grammy winning album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth.
Stu was also on hand to join Bob Weir for a “shred-tastic” performance of “Big River.”
Originally written and recorded by Johnny Cash in 1958, it became a staple in Grateful Dead’s set over the years, and is found on many of the band’s live albums. It has also been recorded by Hank Williams Jr., Bob Dylan, The Highwaymen, The Infamous Stringdusters, and many more.
And… the original, live from the Grand Ole Opry in 1962:
