Living Earth has been performing their "interpretation" of the Grateful Dead here on Earth for over 15 years. Guitarist/vocalist Bob Stirner claims this means the band is as "old as dirt." But in all seriousness adds, "It used to be about glory, but what's carried us this long is our absolute love for this kind

Their 15-year stint began in 1984, with a record deal coming their way in 1988 with Relix records (of Relix magazine fame). The band enjoyed the high-life in the late '80s/early '90s as one of the East Coast's best jam bands, touring from North Carolina to New Hampshire. According to Stirner, Living Earth "took a deep breath" and a break from each other in 1996, and reformed in 1999.

Stirner says the band - encompassed of Mike Sansossa on vocals, Matt Ginsburg on drums and vocals, and Jerry Marks on bass and vocals - respects each other a lot more since the blessed reunion. "Being in a band is like a deep relationship, much akin to marriage," says Stirner. "We're essentially better musicians since the reformation."

Better musicians who don't just cover the Grateful Dead, but "interpret" their work. "Covering the Dead is like saying you're covering Miles Davis or John Coltraine," claims Stirner. "The instrumental is so free-form." He says much of Living Earth's sound is reminiscent of the 1971 to 1974 Dead era, with improv elements inserted like "absent flows."