We’ve all been busted on Bourbon in one way or another.
Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead were arrested in New Orleans on Jan. 31, 1970 alongside their personal LSD chef, Owsley Stanley. The arrest came after the band performed on back-to-back nights with Fleetwood Mac and The Flock for the opening of The Warehouse, a legendary rock venue on Tchoupitoulas St. that was demolished in 1989. The Dead immortalized the arrest in “Truckin” with the lyric “Busted down on Bourbon Street / Set up like a bowling pin.”
On Friday, Feb. 23, on the eve of Dead & Company’s return to Smoothie King Center (the band cancelled abruptly on New Orleans in December when current touring member John Mayer came down with appendicitis), a stacked squad of local musicians will commemorate to Garcia and The Dead at The Joy Theater (1200 Canal St.).
“Busted on Bourbon: Iko Allstars–A New Orleans Dead Tribute” has just added John “Papa” Gros and Brian Stoltz to a lineup that already features Billy Iuso, Reggie Scanlan, CR Gruver, Michael Fouquier, Johnny Vidacovich and Papa Mali. The night will feature two sets, the first of which will be a nod to The Warehouse shows and the subsequent arrest. If you love The Dead, there’s no better way to kick off their arrival than heading to The Joy and watching the Iko Allstars pay their respects.
Tickets to “Busted on Bourbon” are available now via The Joy’s website, starting at $20. Dead & Company tickets are also available via TicketMaster, starting at $47.