Never ones to let the death of legendary frontman Jerry Garcia get in the way of a good tour, the surviving members of The Grateful Dead are to reunite for a 19 city tour. The tour will kick off on 12 April 2009 in Greensboro.

The group is now going by the slightly shorter name, the Dead, presumably out of respect for their deceased bandmate.

The tour has come about in the wake of the band playing at a benefit for Barrack Obama in Pennsylvania last October. Apparently the remaining members of the band managed to resolve their differences for that performance and discuss reforming for another tour.

Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann – the surviving original members – will be joined for the tour by Warren Haynes on lead guitar and Jeff Chimenti will play keyboards.

Tickets go on sale on 23rd January.