ATHENS, Ohio -- Mickey Hart, former drummer for the Grateful Dead, will perform in concert with Bembe Orisha Thursday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. at Ohio University's Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.

Hart is best known "for his nearly three decades as an integral part of an extraordinary expedition into the soul and spirit of music, disguised as the rock and roll band the Grateful Dead." As half of the percussion tandem known as the Rhythm Devils, Hart and Bill Kreutzmann transcended the conventions of rock drumming introducing audiences to percussion instruments from around the world.

Recently, Hart was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress where he heads up the subcommittee on the digitization and preservation of the center's vast collections.

Tickets are $23.50 in advance and $26 at the door and are on sale at the auditorium box office. Call (740) 593-1780 to purchase tickets. The concert is sponsored by Peacock Productions and the University Program Council.