Photo: Jay Blakesberg

Hours before Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field opened its gates to welcome thousands of eager Deadheads in celebration of 60 years of Grateful Dead music, Grahame Lesh—son of founding bassist Phil Lesh—was gathering a devoted following of his own across town at Pier 48 in San Francisco. The occasion marked the opening night of the three-part Heart of Town series, a sold-out night that spotlighted some of the jam scene’s most inspired players as they delivered deep cuts and cherished covers from the Dead’s broad and storied catalog.

The walls were adorned with handpicked images of the Dead, selected by another son of the original lineup, videographer, Justin Kreutzmann. Lesh led the initial roster through “Uncle John’s Band,” harmonizing with Midnight North bandmate Elliot Peck, fellow vocalist Nicki Bluhm, and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith. At the same time, Sam Grisman procured the electric bass slot, and John Molo and Griffin Goldsmith shared duties on double drums. Considering the Dead’s history performing the song, it represented a 1969 setlist edition and a staple of the live repertoire, with 345 performances according to setlist.FM, and was therefore a welcome start to the occasion. 

Stephen Stills came in partway and lent a guitar solo, ripping chords beside a visibly pleased Lesh. Grisman followed with unescorted plucks striking a deep and spacey tone like the late Phil Lesh, before the group let out the final chorus. Notably, “Uncle John’s Band” was a part of CSN’s live repertoire. Watch a clip here. For their second entry, the group produced the wisdom-soaked, “Teach Your Children.” Stills took the lead on the tune that Jerry Garcia notoriously added pedal steel to in exchange for harmony lessons back in 1970.

“Althea” assumed the third slot, with Lesh telling Robert Hunter’s tales and Stills complementing the Go To Heaven classic, finding gaps and bestowing his own 60 years of experience on the next generation of torchbearers. Stills began the following number, strumming the entry to Buffalo Springfield’s protest anthem “For What It’s Worth.” “Young people speaking their minds/ So much resistance on the line” struck a particular chord with the vivacious audience. Harmonies were especially lifted, soaring before going silent out of respect for Stills’ vibrations, before waving goodbye and exiting the stage. 

Eric Krasno joined the lineup at an opportune time, striking a playfulness to Garcia on the opening of the Taylor Goldsmith-sung “The Music Never Stopped.” Bluhm, who positively stunned, conjured a 70s-era comparison to Donna Jean Godcheaux’s panache. During instrumental explorations, Holly Bowling added sparkle like stars lighting trails to the unknown. A tight pop back to earth brought out the best in the string players before they called it quits. 

Pete Sears swapped with Grisman, slapping the bass during “China Cat Sunflower.” At the same time, Krasno sang some of Hunter’s finest work, giving a respectful reference to the Aoxomoxoa feature. At one point, Krasno, Lesh, and Taylor Goldsmith shredded in a triangle formation before Sears flexed a comparison to Phil. They built a bridge to point B, “I Know You Rider,” connecting the Dead’s beloved original and the traditional. True to the night’s honorees, the band took liberties, instrumental moments that struck each player’s improvisational backbone. 

Grisman flipped positions with Sears, while a newcomer to the stage, guitarist Garrett Deloian (Jerry’s Middle Finger) gave Taylor Goldsmith respite during the Maggie Rose-preached “Row Jimmy.” She was joined in harmony by her sisters in song, Bluhm and Peck, who, upon finishing their parts, handed the spotlight to Deloian, paying homage to Garcia with tonal reference. Bowling’s contributions were especially welcomed, nodding to a particular brand of Keith Godcheaux-era Dead. 

Deloian traded places with moe.’s Al Schnier, meanwhile, Rose remained on stage, helping lead “Sugaree,” parsing segments between herself and Krasno. Lyrics turned to banter between guitars, literally replacing “know me” with a pickup of representative chords. Next, Roger McNamee arrived and referenced Grahame’s late and impactful father, who sent out “Dire Wolf” to the entire Lesh family. He sang the number with his Moonalice bandmate, Sears, back on bass, and Alex Koford on drums [for the first time during the night] and passing pulses with Molo. 

“Alligator” represented a deeper dive into the Dead catalog, with Deloian leading guitar and singing the track that the original band shelved back in ‘71. The band’s burst into “Turn on Your Love Light” summoned Andy Frasco to center stage, grooving, singing, and shining brightness on the Pigpen-associated favorite. Bowling’s son brought added meaning to the evening’s family representation, smiling on stage with his starter guitar before the concert paused at halftime. 

On the other side of setbreak, Garcia’s Old & in the Way collaborator, and Grisman’s present-day touring mate, Peter Rowan, took the stage along with some of set one’s original lineup– and newcomer to the roster, The String Cheese Incident’s Bill Nershi–leading his own “Midnight Moonlight.” Rowan extemporized the outro before picking up another favorite from the salad days of his early ‘70s experiences with Garcia and Sam’s dad, David “Dawg” Grisman, on “Panama Red.” 

For their next offering, Nershi led “Friend of the Devil,” before a breeze blew in “Cold, Rain and Snow.” The longtime piece of the Dead’s repertoire was the ideal jam vehicle to center the fast finger work of the staged players, some acoustic and others electric. “Cats Under the Stars” marked a pivotal moment for Melvin Seals’ arrival, who helped bring JGB gospel to life alongside John Kadlecik, who in turn, kept Garcia’s songbook a prominent feature of the night with “Mission in the Rain,” as time ticked closer to the late guitarist’s August 1st birthday. 

Seals moved from the bench, giving Ivan Neville his chance to highlight Robbie Robertson’s original, a 1993 addition to the Grateful Dead’s songbook, “Broken Arrow.” Next, Neville’s Dumpstafunk brother, Tony Hall, and a stage full of greats from the jam web highlighted “Scarlet Begonias,” which bloomed into its pair, “Fire on the Mountain.” Hall encouraged fan participation, getting the crowd to sing at full capacity. 

A highlight of the night was the group’s delivery of “Shakedown Street,” which referenced the event’s Heart of Town title, and was led by Hall, who used his expertise to entice with added funk. The song marked the end of the second set and generated a pause before a perfectly placed Vintage Dead feature and Wilson Pickett original, “Midnight Hour.” Frasco fed the lines, at one point finding a seat next to Bowling for an exchange of keys. For their send-off, the band kept the elements of “Midnight Hour” intact, layering “Ripple” over the electric course of instrumentals for a spectacular finish. 

Tonight, Friday, August 1, Dead & Company will open up night one of their three-part concert series. Following the event, Lesh and even more jam greats will return to Pier 48 for an 11 p.m. kick-off. The exact schedule applies to Saturday’s Heart of Town Finale. Tickets remain on sale.

Following Friday and Saturday’s Heart of Town concerts, the performances will air on nugs.net, beginning Tuesday, August 5 at 8 p.m. E.T., while the ensemble’s August 2 performance will stream starting on Wednesday, August 6 at 8 p.m. E.T.  All streams will remain on-demand through August 14. 

Scroll down to view photos from the event:

Jay Blakesberg:

Dave Vann: