Somewhere at the hazy crossroads of reggae and psychedelic rock, where the air is thick with skunky inspiration and the echoes of jam-band anthems never quite fade, you’ll find Grateful Dub.
It’s not just a tribute—it’s a full-fledged experience, a high-voltage collision of the Grateful Dead’s timeless catalog and the deep, rolling basslines of dub reggae.
And at the heart of this Frankenstein’s monster of groove? None other than Brett Wilson and his band, Roots of Creation.
Wilson, a New Hampshire-bred guitarist and frontman with the soul of a road warrior and the mind of a mad scientist, has been leading Roots of Creation through the trenches of jam, reggae, and festival culture for years. They’ve cut their teeth on the live circuit, playing with the ferocity of a punk band while keeping the melodies loose enough to float.
Then came the brainwave: take the legendary songbook of the Grateful Dead and baptize it in deep, hypnotic dub. The result? Grateful Dub, an album and live experience that’s part homage, part reinvention. Wilson and company don’t just regurgitate Dead tunes—they reimagine them, twisting Jerry Garcia’s wandering guitar lines into reverb-soaked dreamscapes, layering harmonies over sun-drenched skank rhythms, and turning songs like “Fire on the Mountain” and “Ripple” into hypnotic, smoke-laced anthems.
Deadheads and reggae fans alike are dancing in the same swirling sea of tie-dye, blissed out and nodding in approval. This isn’t just a tribute—it’s a transformation, a reincarnation, and a must-see live experience. The Dead live on, skanking their way into eternity, and Grateful Dub is leading the charge.
