a The picture is blurry A photo taken at a Dead & Company party in Virginia earlier this month caused a social media stir. Viewed 2.8 million times as of this writing, a gray-haired man in a collared shirt and baseball cap appears among a crowd of fans watching the Grateful Dead spinoff perform in Bristow. Why all this interest? According to the journalist Jake ShermanDeadhead, pictured, is Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Powell confirmed this Wednesday during a House Committee on Financial Services hearing, which veered slightly off topic, CNBC.
Although Powell was on Capitol Hill to testify about efforts to tackle inflation, Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickell mustered the courage to ask about Powell’s musical interests. (After all, “You just have to walk around.”) noting that he is a deadbeat himself, who passed up the chance to see Jerry Garcia in concert in 1995, Nickell said he was “excited” to hear that Powell had attended the latter show. “did you love her?” Nickel asked. Powell replied, “It was great. What can I say? It was great.” “I’ve been a fan of the Grateful Dead for 50 years.” “I like people who love the grateful dead,” Nickell replied, as Powell raised his fists in the air.
Not only does Powell love listening to the band—he reportedly attended their first Grateful Dead concert in Washington, D.C., in 1973—but he also enjoys playing the band’s tunes on guitar, Barron reported, per Forbes. The outlet also reports that Powell’s sister Monica played a role in the formation of Dead & Company, having first introduced bassist Oteil Burbridge, an old friend, to the music of the Grateful Dead. Dead & Company is currently on its final tour. (Meanwhile, a Grateful Dead biopic is in the works.)
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