The original lineup also included John Kadlecik of Dark Star Orchestra on lead guitar, RatDog's Jeff Chimenti on keyboards and Jay Lane on percussion, and Joe Russo of the Benevento/Russo Duo on drums.
In addition to performing many of the songs regularly played in concert by the Dead, Furthur tried to "keep it fresh" by routinely adding new material to their setlists.
The band Vice (now known as Maiden Lane), featuring Phil's son, Grahame Lesh, opened for Furthur on September 19.
[5] They then performed for a single night on November 20 at the 200-person-capacity 19 Broadway in Fairfax, California, advertised only by a last-minute announcement, and with tickets available only at the door on a first come, first served basis.
During the New Year's Eve performances, the band introduced backing vocalists Sunshine Becker and Zoe Ellis,[9] who remained in the lineup for the remainder of the winter tour.
[12] On March 18, Lesh posted on popular fansite PhilZone.com an announcement that drummer Jay Lane had left Furthur to rejoin his prior group, Primus.
[5] Furthur began 2011 with three shows at the Odeum Colorado in February, followed shortly after with a 24-show East Coast tour beginning on March 4 in Boston and ending on April 6 in Boca Raton, Florida.
Furthur began touring in 2013 with four surprise shows at the tiny Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California on January 16, 17, 18, and 19.
The band withdrew from Bottlerock due to injuries Weir sustained after a fall on the final night of the Capitol Theatre run.
Furthur also announced a summer/autumn tour, starting at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on July 11 and ending at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on October 6.
Furthur also began their early fall tour by headlining three nights at the first Lockn' Music Festival in Arrington Virginia on September 6, 7 and 8.
This performance was to feature the original lineup consisting of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Jeff Chimenti, John Kadlecik, Jay Lane, and Joe Russo.
The Giants played the Chicago Cubs, and the national anthem was sung by Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Jeff Pehrson.
[30][31] The following year, on August 9, 2011, the Giants celebrated the 2nd annual Grateful Dead Night (on Jerry Day), playing the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The national anthem was sung by Lesh, Weir, and Giants' 3rd base coach and singer-songwriter Tim Flannery, and the 7th inning stretch was led by Mickey Hart and Bill Walton.
[38] On March 29, 2011, Phil Lesh posted a statement on the Furthur.net site community message board that he was planning to open a new live music venue in Marin County, California, in the near future.