So… Dead & Company & Friends played three shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco last weekend. We were supposed to be there, but we scheduled a beach trip that we couldn’t cancel for the sake of the boys. I hate we missed it, and as I’m sure you can imagine, I was watching Instagram, Nugs, and my text messages from Soldiers who attended…this is what I saw:
The opening night started under the trademark San Francisco fog, a fitting scene for commemorating what would have been Jerry Garcia’s 83rd birthday. While the first set moved at a slower pace, with renditions of Tennessee Jed and Althea appearing to sway the crowd early on, the show truly came alive when guest performer Billy Strings joined the stage. His version of Wharf Rat was the highlight of the entire weekend. The night closed with an encore of Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, accompanied by tribute visuals of Garcia, sending fans off with reverence and emotion. It was a slow build that culminated in a deeply memorable evening.
The middle and final nights, Saturday and Sunday, looked like a rising crescendo of energy and connection. On night two, opening guest Sturgill Simpson (performing as “Johnny Blue Skies”) brought soulful intensity to Morning Dew, while Phil Lesh’s son, Grahame Lesh, infused Box of Rain and Playing in the Band with meaningful legacy and improvisational depth. The rarely played, but tender rendition of Days Between and the iconic Truckin’ were capped by a haunting Brokedown Palace.
Night three elevated the weekend further with Trey Anastasio joining onstage. What’s interesting about this is that Trey played Dead 50 in Chicago. His tenure didn’t last, but maybe this is the other book-end of this version of Dead & Company. Trey’s standout moments were Scarlet Begonias → Fire on the Mountain. The soulful Touch of Grey finale was a nice touch.
Across all three nights, each evening’s setlist felt curated with intention, the guest appearances poignant, and the crowd’s intergenerational energy palpable, reinforcing not only the musical legacy of the Grateful Dead but the enduring communal spirit it inspired. Much more about the music vs. the members.
My take: I think we’re going to see more of Dead & Company, but the lineup will look different. I hope Bobby sticks around, but this could be a great stop for him to ‘get off the bus’ and hand the rhythm reins over. Who will that be? Well – there were some good options in San Francisco…
The setlists:
Friday, August 1, 2025
Set 1
Feel Like a Stranger
Dancing in the Street (Martha Reeves & the Vandellas cover)
Tennessee Jed
Mississippi Half‑Step Uptown Toodeloo
Big River (Johnny Cash cover)
Althea
Set 2
Box of Rain (with Grahame Lesh on Phil Lesh’s bass, vocals)
Playing in the Band (with Grahame Lesh; includes elements of Miles Davis’ “All Blues”)
Estimated Prophet → Eyes of the World (features an Oteil bass solo) →
Terrapin Station →
Drums → Space →
Wharf Rat (with Billy Strings, includes elements of “The Other One”) →
Not Fade Away (The Crickets cover)
Encore
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Set 1
In the Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett cover)
Bertha → Jack Straw (includes “Blue Sky” tease)
Dear Mr. Fantasy (Traffic cover) → Hey Jude (The Beatles coda)
Passenger
Brown‑Eyed Women
Morning Dew (with Sturgill Simpson on lead vocals)
Set 2
Uncle John’s Band (with “The Other One” jam)
Help on the Way → Slipknot! (includes “Ghostbusters” tease) →
Franklin’s Tower (includes “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” tease)
St. Stephen (with Grahame Lesh, includes “The Eleven” jam)
Drums → Space (includes tease of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”)
Spanish Jam →
Days Between →
Truckin’ (with a nod to Miles Davis’ “All Blues” during intro jam) →
Cold Rain and Snow
Encore:
Brokedown Palace
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Set 1
Good Times (Sam Cooke cover)
China Cat Sunflower → I Know You Rider
They Love Each Other
Shakedown Street (includes teases of Phish’s “Ghost” and The Commodores’ “Brick House”)
Deal
Set 2
Scarlet Begonias (with Trey Anastasio, teases of “Manteca” and “Good Lovin’”) →
Fire on the Mountain (with Trey Anastasio)
Broken Arrow (Robbie Robertson cover; with Grahame Lesh on Phil Lesh’s bass)
Hell in a Bucket
Cumberland Blues (with Grahame Lesh)
Drums → Space (includes elements of “My Funny Valentine”)
Standing on the Moon →
Sugaree →
Sugar Magnolia (without full “Sunshine Daydream”)
Encore:
Touch of Grey
Were you there? What did you think?
Image: Red Clay Soldier @shootermcgarymv sporting a good looking hat…
