The Grateful Dead carved a pathway of possibility that inspired creative music and culture, bringing happiness and an expansion of consciousness that has had real benefits for humanity. Their river of influence has continued beyond their human forms, creating hundreds of thousands of streams that continue on, flowing with the same but new unique energies.

One of those offshoots is Definitely Dead, a Grateful Dead tribute act that formed in Woodlake, CA. Comprised of musicians who are friends and share a deep passion for the music of the Grateful Dead, Definitely Dead seeks to recreate the magic of their live shows for both old Deadheads and the new generation of fans. Their goal is to remain faithful to exploring and recreating the sound and spirit of the Grateful Dead’s collective improvisational experience, while also adding their own unique style and interpretation to the music.

"We try to stay true to the original arrangements somewhat and the improvisational nature of the songs," says one of Definitely Dead's guitarists Marshall Kipp, "But at the same time, we also allow space for the music to happen and listen for the abundant unknown possibilities that exist with new opportunities for collective improvisational sounds. It has been an extremely satisfying experiment that brings joy to the band that we are determined to share with the fans.”

Playing the music of the Grateful Dead is pure fun and joy for the members of Definitely Dead. They want to share that joy and fun with the audience and have the shared energy play the band.

"There's something about this music that just speaks to us on a deep level," says bassist Brian Beal. "It's not just about the music itself, but the team band spirit that works! How we share what good times we can be a part of co-creating with the most incredible fans you can imagine possible is embarrassingly exciting!”

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Indeed, the Grateful Dead and their music have always been about more than just the notes and lyrics on the page. It's about the sense of camaraderie and connection that they have experienced in the community of deadheads and the friendships they’ve made along the way. Definitely Dead’s drummer, Don Boomer, was a drummer in the 60s from Los Angeles who lived next door to Jim Morrison and was in a band called The Seeds. Don’s music career was launched with a hit song called "You're Pushing Too Hard," and his passion for music has persisted for over a half-century. Don met Marshall in Visalia, California in the mid-80s and has been involved in music sound development, technology, performance, and has brought his knowledge of electronics and shared these with the band that has enabled them to achieve a high level of sonic quality that the Grateful Dead were so passionate about.

Marshall Kipp, or "MK" as he is known to his fans, had always been drawn to music and the live music scene. The bands he saw in his youth had a profound impact on him, and the Grateful Dead had always inspired him to pursue a career in music. However, life took a different turn when his band broke up, and he found himself at a crossroads. In 1976, the band moved to Washington state, shortly after which it broke up. Marshall hitchhiked from WA to Maryland to go home for Christmas. His parents asked him what he was going to do with his life, and after a short pause, he said, "I think I would like to drive a tractor-trailer." While his parents were happy to see him get a real job, the loving parents that they were helped their son get a truck in 1977, and he started trucking across America. Coincidentally, he knew that the Grateful Dead were playing around 60 nights a year during that time and thought, "Aha! I'll get loads in their direction so I can follow the Grateful Dead." And so he did, just that!

"The Dead have been the soundtrack of my life," he said. He has never stopped playing music to this day. In 1984, MK started a refrigerated trucking operation called ATS (Advanced Transportation Services Inc.) that delivers perishable products to most of the major grocery chain stores and food service companies in America to this day.

In the fall of 2022, while over for a jam session, Brian Beal, a friend and bass player from the Tulare County Symphony, suggested MK start a Grateful Dead tribute band. The lightning bolt sparked the creation of the Definitely Dead Band. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and he would not pass it up. "I need a miracle, where will I find someone to play Jerry Garcia's parts?" The universe and its unexplained ways brought people together through the spirit and connection of the Grateful Dead's music, which is simply unexplainable. MK mentioned this to Kim Holzem, a great friend while attending a JRAD show at the Frost at Stanford. Kim says, "Marshall, I want you to meet my friend Tim, who plays music," who then introduced him to Keith Hamm, who became the amazing lead guitarist for Definitely Dead. Friends, love, and the spirit of everything is possible put the band together. The Definitely Dead Band was born.

The Definitely Dead Band is a fun band, as you will find. The first time these five musicians played together, they invited Travis Waters from Film Owl Productions to shoot live videos of them playing a few classic Grateful Dead tunes. Their next thought was, "Let's see if Deadheads appreciate the music of this group of people." After putting the first four times playing together videos up on the Definitely Dead Band Facebook page, the band was thunderstruck by the positive response, the amount of views, comments, and feedback, and grateful for the folks choosing to follow them. The band's authentic engagement with their newfound fans on social media inspired more innovation and the drive to move forward and take this music to perform live. They then pursued getting the authentic Grateful Dead electronic equipment to do it right live on the road. They are both committed to delivering this music in its true collective improvisational form, with high fidelity and visuals, to fans who come to their shows to experience the magic and the band's love and passion for this music.

For all those who want to play music professionally or pursue some challenging dream but life has taken them in a different direction, our hope is that this story will inspire them to never give up on their dreams! Thank you to The Grateful Dead and Deadheads for this opportunity to share this dream with audiences across the country.

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