Communal Listening: John Mayer Announces Weekly Grateful Dead Meet Up on His SiriusXM Station
Photo: Bill Kelly
The songs of the Grateful Dead will take over the Life with John Mayer airwaves on a weekly format, at 9 p.m. E.T./6 p.m. P.T. on SiriusXM channel 4. Mayer shared a note on social media announcing the new Sunday-specific two-hour program, which will give the host space to share his favorite recordings from the original band and his Dead & Company days, along with pertinent commentary that suits the flow of music. The new offering comes as Mayer sorts with his own feelings and thoughts following the death of his Grateful Dead mentor and friend, Bobby Weir.
Ahead of the official details and listening instructions, Mayer reflected on Weir’s absence and his own instinct to forge a space where fellow fans could join in the power of communal listening. He wrote: “In the days after we lost Bobby Weir, I tried listening to Grateful Dead music as a way to be soothed. I found it harder than I’d thought. I felt as if I was listening alone, like the mainframe that connects all who listen at any given time had gone offline. (It turns out that a presence like Bobby’s makes for an immeasurable absence.) After talking with friends who felt the same, I knew I wanted to start [a] Grateful Dead Listening Party.”
He continued, “I’ll be playing two hours of my favorite Grateful Dead and Dead & Company recordings, talking a little about each one. It’s a way for those who have felt lost to ‘meet up’ and listen to the music together. It’s not live, but I’ll be tuning in. Sometimes the least you can do is also the most you can do… we shall find a way forward.”
Life with John Mayer’s Grateful Dead Listening Party begins Sunday at 9 p.m. E.T./6 p.m. P.T., on SiriusXM channel 4.
For more information, visit the Life with John Mayer profile on siriusxm.com.
Scroll down to view Mayer’s post outlining the new segment.
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