THAT'S IT FOR THE OTHER ONES

After much thought and soul-searching, I've decided that this is good news:

With a Valentine's Day benefit concert at San Francisco's Warfield Theatre, the Other Ones will abandon their name in favor of one somewhat closer to their roots: the Dead. The surviving members of the Grateful Dead -- drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Phil Lesh, guitarist Bob Weir -- said in a statement that they made the decision "after some deep soul searching and out of our love and respect for what we had created together."

The band said that after its initial reunion shows last summer at Wisconsin's Alpine Valley, "we were all profoundly affected by a sense of awe and connection that none of us had felt since we played with Jerry," referring to the late guitarist/vocalist Jerry Garcia. "It was a magical occurrence that no one could have anticipated, yet one we all want to embrace. To us, this was the Grateful Dead -- without Jerry. We had stopped being the 'Other Ones' and were on our way to becoming something new but at the same time very familiar."

Shortly after Garcia's 1995 death, the surviving members retired the name Grateful Dead, but now acknowledge that its spirit has lived on in the years since. "Therefore, with the greatest possible respect to our collective history, we have decided to keep the name 'Grateful Dead' retired in honor of Jerry's memory, and call ourselves: 'the Dead.'"

Wow, I didn't hear about that benefit show. Ah well.

Do I have any reservations about this? Maybe just a little bit, and for one reason alone: They were the Grateful Dead, until they were without their spiritual leader. Now they're "The Dead". Other reunion groups, sans-leader, with original names include: The Heads (ugh), and The Doors (quadruple ugh!). Why will The Dead be cool instead? Because the spirit has lived on! Everyone wants to call them The Dead! Everyone already does! No one wants to call that Ian Asbury-monstrosity "The Doors".

The Dead live on. Ten years ago, Kurt Cobain wore a tshirt which read "Kill the Grateful Dead". Kurt, I love you, but you're dead, and they're not.