Grahame Lesh Announces Touring Update, Extends Gratitude to Dead & Company and More
Photo: Dave Vann
This past weekend, Grahame Lesh pulled double duty. The son of the founding member of the Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, served as the bandleader for the three-night Heart of Town concert series at San Francisco’s Pier 48, leading a roster of over 60 jam scene elites through material from the original band’s lionized catalog. He also participated in nightly sit-ins with Dead & Company at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park, bringing out his dad’s Big Brown bass and conjuring its historic tone during the second set of each concert. Following the events, Lesh took to social media to share photos, thanks and an update on his forthcoming live appearances.
“I didn’t expect that this would be my first post after performing in front of tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people last weekend, but life is weird. I’ll write something soon about Heart of Town (Stephen Stills!!!) and of course the amazing kindness that Bob, Mickey, John, Jeff, Jay, and especially Oteil showed to me & my family in having me up to play my Dad’s basses with Dead & Company this weekend to celebrate the 60th,” Lesh began, nodding to the weekend’s events.
Lesh’s initial mention of Stills alluded to his Thursday, July 31, assistance on songs like the Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band,” “Althea,” Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic “Teach Your Children,” and Buffalo Springfield’s protest anthem, “For What It’s Worth.” The second generation torchbearer of Grateful Dead music continued by extending thanks to the Dead & Company team for their kindness, and invitation to sit-in during “Box of Rain” and “Playing in the Band” [August 1], “St. Stephen” [August 2], and Robbie Robertson’s original turned Dead cover, “Broken Arrow” and “Cumberland Blues,” at the third and final concert [August 3].
He used the remainder of his message to provide touring updates, citing a “family situation” as the catalyst for pulling out of forthcoming concerts that will take place outside of the Bay Area. “This Friday, August 8, I’ll miss the Grahame Lesh & Friends ft. Jackie Greene show at the Hamilton in DC. That is now going to be a Jackie Greene & Friends gig featuring Jackie leading “Grahame Less & Friends” (thanks for that, @brashap) through a kickass set at the Hamilton.”
Lesh continued, “Saturday, August 9, GLAF was going to rock the Buchanan Commons in Buchanan, Michigan. That (free!) show will be postponed to next summer. Date TBD!” Additionally, he will miss the Terrapin Family Band set at Park City Song Summit, and Terrapin Roadshow in Truckee, Calif., on Sunday, August 17.
In conclusion, he offered: “I’m very sorry to have to do this, but family comes first! I know a bunch of you are new followers from this weekend and may have been excited to see what kind of musical stuff I get up [to] when I’m not trading ‘Cumberland Blues’ bass riffs with Oteil, but there will be time for that in the future! Stay tuned.”
Scroll down to view Lesh’s post via Instagram. For more information, visit www.grahamelesh.com.
