RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

Turns out, Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia hasn't let his death last year hold him back. You can still hear him in the mellow sounds of the Furthur Festival, a touring concert extravaganza that will visit 31 cities this summer. Furthur--a reference to the destination posted on Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters bus--features former Dead guitarist Bob Weir's countrified-blues group Ratdog as well as former Dead drummer Mickey Hart's percussive world-beat ensemble Mystery Box. (The lineup also includes Hot Tuna and Los Lobos.) Crowds at the shows range from teens to 60-year-olds, but most are under 30. Weir makes clear his new band is not trying to raise the Dead, but "if [fans] came to hear Jerry, if they use their imagination, they might."

Deadheads still yearn for the band they loved (so do concert promoters, because the group was regularly one of the industry's top-grossing acts). Fortunately, Furthur isn't the only venue to slake this thirst. Many Deadheads are following some of the Dead's spiritual heirs, like the group Phish, the Dave Matthews Band or the H.O.R.D.E. tour. And there's new--or sorta new--Dead merchandise due soon and often: mandolinist David Grisman, who recorded several sessions with Garcia, plans to release a CD every August for the next few years featuring portions of those recordings. First up: a traditional folk album. In the late fall the BBC will air a special on the making of two of the Dead's best-loved albums, Anthem of the Sun and American Beauty; both albums are reportedly being remastered by Warner Bros. Meanwhile, Arista is preparing a double CD of the band's greatest hits.

While Weir and Hart tour, former Dead bassist Phil Lesh is mixing a three-CD album of concerts taped in 1990. Lesh also says there are 12 new Dead songs, available in either rehearsal or incomplete studio versions, which may be released soon. A reunion of the remaining members is always a possibility. Says Lesh: "We will play together in some form, but nobody knows when." Except, perhaps, for Jerry. --C.J.F. Reported by Greg Fulton/Atlanta and Jeffrey Ressner/Los Angeles

With reporting by GREG FULTON/ATLANTA AND JEFFREY RESSNER/LOS ANGELES