In lieu of the coronavirus, we have decided to postpone our “special” April First news stories. While this sounds like an April Fool’s news story in its own right, alas, it is not. Our April Fool’s tradition goes back to 2001 but while we’re looking forward to sharing our “groundbreaking reports,” this will happen later in the year.

We apologize to April Fool’s enthusiasts. However, we don’t wish to run any stories that might be misinterpreted, if only briefly. This has occurred multiple times in the past with some of our April First news, including last year’s “Phish Announces Fire Fest” report.

Sixteen years earlier, in 2003, one of our stories was titled “Bonnaroo NO Announced” (which played off the Bonnaroo NE event, an actual festival that was eventually cancelled). In that article, NO stood for North of Osaka, which prompted a series of frantic emails from Japan.

Our 2018 story that detailed how Widespread Panic was set to release a Light Fuse Get Away box set with real fireworks for Record Store Day, included a reference to Phantom Fireworks, which prompted a response from the explosives company, leading us to remove the post and publish the following:

“The recent story posted on 4-1-18 that reported the band ‘Widespread Panic’ had ‘teamed up’ with Phantom Fireworks was an April Fool’s joke. While no such relationship exists, Phantom Fireworks is a fan of Widespread Panic and wishes the band continued success. Phantom Fireworks is the nation’s leading consumer fireworks retailer and sells outstanding and safe fireworks.”

By contrast, we’re proud to report that our 2009 news “The Dead Announce Movie Series on Lifetime Network” (which appeared two days after Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Warren Haynes performed an acoustic version of “Friend of the Devil” on The Viewyes this really happened) did not prompt a cease and desist from the network…

The Dead Announce Movie Series on Lifetime Network

Following their appearance on The View earlier this week, the members of the Dead have announced a film production deal that will appeal to their emerging new demographic. On the heels of the recent Nora Roberts Lifetime Movie Series, The Dead will brand a number of films on the Lifetime Network with narrative arcs that complement the group’s canon of songs.

The first such effort, Brokedown Palace, set in the Kansas frontier of the 1850s, stars Warren Haynes as a burly woodsman who begins an unlikely romance with a prim schoolmarm (Phil Lesh) while rebuilding a log cabin decimated by storm. This will be followed by It Must have Been The Roses, a love triangle set in a floral shop, starring Bob Weir, LeAnn Rimes and Joy Behar. Also in the works is Black Peter about the tragic impact of venereal disease on a perfect suburban couple.