This week's feature on Mickey Hart was just part of a one-hour-long interview we shared, drummer to drummer. Here are the rest of the questions.

On drumming:

Do you feel the “drum-brothers code” is more sacred and symbiotic than other instrument’s?

No. It's sacred to the people whose god is the creation of rhythm. Joy and love: That's the center of life, no matter what. You become a devotee of it. We deal in rhythm and noise, which is more potent as a driver of the system; neurologically speaking. We have a lot of power, physiology of the instrument and neurology of percussion.

Did you know that Buddy Rich used to yell really crazy and horrible things in anger to his bandmates on the tour bus? One day a member recorded him and it went public after that. The Seinfeld boxed set's commentary has this story and the writers actually use one rant in three separate parts as character dialogue in different scenes.

Buddy was an unhappy man but really devoted. I've seen his rants in person. He was a perfectionist.

What was it like performing at Julia Butterfly Hill's tree sit?

Amazing. First we played a concert in town to celebrate her six-month anniversary in the tree. The next day we were on the highway shoulder with a flatbed truck drumming. Hours later, 300 of us, old and young, marched in a procession up the mountain to where she was. I actually strength-trained to tackle that mountain. We played “Not Fade Away” to her 300 feet upwards. The night before, her friends gave her a radio with an input to our concert. She wound up reading a poem over our music, live in concert.

I saw Planet Drum at UCONN last year and it was like I was transported out of my body, stone sober. What does playing with [Giovanni] Hidalgo and Zakir [Hussain] do for your playing?

Giovanni and Zakir are masters of interior increments of rhythm and I play larger-time big grooves. Our styles match well and we have a blast on and off the stage which is an honor for me. Imagine how transported I feel.

Do you ever think of reviving the Diga Rhythm Band?

That's a real hassle. Can I find that many people to play all those parts? We could, but not in this country. Maybe India because no Americans can play those figures. I'm glad you asked.

On miscellaneous musings:

What happened to the Terrapin Museum plans?

It fell by the wayside, for many reasons. It was a good idea on paper, but with the grief of Garcia, building it would take all our energies. Jerry conceived of the idea a long time ago. Now we are back to music and not building this creature. It may come back someday, but in a living, breathing entity.

Can you prod Phil to finish composing his Grateful Dead symphony?

That's between you and Phil.

I interviewed Mark Karan in October “Tale of the Dog” (Nov. 6, 2008) and asked him what many Deadheads wondered about Bobby [Weir]’s short shorts. Bobby said, “It's always July under the lights.” What do you think?

I’m not interested.

On touring:

Any plans for a summer or fall tour?

No. We'll take it nice and slow with 23 dates. We'll be smiling and healthy on the way out.

What's with the lawsuits against TicketMaster, what with the reselling fiasco? Why are the ticket prices for the Dead still so expensive?

I haven't paid much attention but the price seems reasonable for an evening of music. It doesn't seem outrageous.

How do you feel about the chances of the Dead going back into the studio for new material?  I mean, you may feel different about it on tour than after.

Way out in the future, anything is possible. We all write; [Robert] Hunter is still active and ready to write, so it's just a matter of devoting time to make a better-than-decent recording which was never our forte. Record studios are sterile boxes.

Now that you're 65, do you feel you are playing more in the pocket and in syncopation with Billy?  Do you have the same stamina?  Were you ever able to hold a rhythm on psychedelics?

I'm not 65, I'm 35 going the wrong way. I'm feeling good. Yeah, I'm playing more in the pocket and it seems to still be rewarding, and I love to go outside the rhythm and embellish with ornaments.

On some funniness:

When you guys were on SNL when Al Franken and Tom Davis were there, was it true that you and Weir were going to try and get back at the union guys for something by spiking their water with LSD?

Not true.

Do the Dead roadies still have the Toilet Bowl (touch football) with venue roadies?

[There's] no toilet bowl anymore; it's done -- somebody stole it.

How do you feel about Planet Drum's Grammy legacy?

Wow, it's a real thing now; two Grammys for percussion; it makes my heart sing. It's about rhythm and being able to compete in the world’s arena; honored by peers. It's reassuring, anytime people recognize your skill and your work. The Grammy is on my shelf but doesn't mean anything because it's not about the award. The recognition is gratifying enough, especially for Zakir and all. It's rare for percussionists. To compete in world of melody and harmony, percussion is looked at as a secondary art form. Winning makes me smile

On sound:

What mics do you use for your rig?

A lot of great ones. Carotid [mics]. Meyer P.A. State of the art, as good as man can get it right. We sell sound by the pound. Translating a spirit into a sound, a reported delivery system. [A] P.A. is an instrument, we've spared no horses. We've brought this tonic payload to the people. So if you're asking if $100 is too much, I don't think so. There's lots of things behind this. The cost of going out on the road is enormous. We're doing this first rate and giving the people what they get nowhere else. It's well worth it.

What is the most difficult drum head for you to replace?

The talking drum.

In [Hart's book] “Drumming at the Edge of Magic,” you mentioned going to the Zildjian cymbal Factory in Boston and striking their gongs, whose family metallurgy dated back some 500 years. You said the family's recipe was so secret that even MIT scientists couldn't crack the recipe. Is this still the case?

I don't know. I can't imagine they haven't cracked it yet. It could be broken; it's not a nuclear secret. Lots of cymbal companies have their own flavor but there aren't a lot of great gong makers. Gongs are different.

What do you think young drummers should be listening to?

They should listen to the best in every field. Find out who moves you and listen for different reasons. Other people have to find their groove mates. Find someone to relate to that you can study with.

Speaking of relating. I mostly play Latin percussion these days, but about 9 years ago, I was playing in a huge drum circle at a festival with my djembe in New York State. We were under a party tent in the dark. Out of the woods stumbled someone who interrupted to tell me that he always recognizes when it's me playing by my singular drumming style. That was the most humbling moment of my life.

Wow, man, that's amazing. Hold on to that one, don't let it go.