Bill Kreutzmann drops Instagram video campaign with Reed Mathis, Adam MacDougall, Jason Hann and more

Photo credit: Michael Weintrob

Bill Kreutzmann hid Easter eggs. The Grateful Dead’s original Backbeat alluded to the creation of an event and used his Instagram platform to explore a possible lineup and location. The first clue appeared on the drummer’s social media on Saturday, October 12, in the form of a garage jam clip with the caption, “I went to the garage to grab something and couldn’t help myself.” Last Week a fortune cookie told me I would start doing what I love again. How did it know?”

Kreutzmann’s Easter Egg-style approach to producing content hinting at an upcoming meeting continued on Tuesday, October 15, with a series of artist-created videos suggesting details of something to come. The five-part video sequence begins with Eggy’s Jake Brownstein swinging his arms and walking down the street while the Grateful Dead’s “The Music Never Stops” plays in the background. Continuing the fortune cookie motif, the guitarist tramples the crunchy treat, revealing its future, before the recording fades and fades to black.

Next, Reed Mathis, an original attendee of the Billy & the Kids Kauai concerts (circa 2021), cracks a cookie. At the same time, a layered “Bertha” groove complements the scene and the bassist continues to announce, “Woah, I guess we’re leaving.” Adam MacDougall enters next, stunned by the immediate appearance of the aforementioned sweet treat. He calls out: “Tell me, where does this come from? Fortune cookie, yes? Let’s see what you’ve got. Well, well, well, well, well, well…” He says, “At least I have the right shirt,” referring to his palms and the floral-patterned shirt.

Daniel Donato strummed his acoustic guitar, using his acting skills, opened a fortune cookie and murmured, “Lucky number… Eleven.” After mentioning the Alive/Dead staple, Donato adds more context, referencing a possible island location using the fortune cookie as a guide: “Wow. I’ll see my favorite state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a…Very soon. This is exciting.”

Concluding the video series, String Cheese Incident percussionist Jason Hann hits the bongo before cracking open his own cookie and providing more information about the location: “You’ll frolic in the autumnal bliss of a land called Hanalei… Hanalei? Well, you can’t spell Hanalei without Han. That sounds like my kind of adventure. Let’s go!”

Watch the video series below. Further information and current information can be found at www.billkreutzmann.com.