When it was announced in early March that Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh will play “Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music Of Jerry Garcia” tribute show on May 14th at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD on May 14th, it sounded too good to be true for Dead Heads. It was just weeks earlier that demand dominated supply of the mail order series and onsale period for the “Fare Thee Well” shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Add the core four to the likes of Eric Church, Bruce Hornsby, David Grisman, Buddy Miller, moe., Greensky Bluegrass, Los Lobos, O.A.R., Railroad Earth, Widespread Panic, the Disco Biscuits, Yonder Mountain String Band, Trampled By Turtles, Jimmy Cliff and Jorma Kaukonen and well you get an A level tribute show for the ages.
And so it happened Thursday night, as the show featured a mix of full band performances and solo artists fronting a house band featuring Don Was, guitarist Audley Freed, guitarist Buddy Miler, drummer Raymond Weber, keyboardist Matt Rollings and backing vocalists the McCrary Sisters. Everyone got their say in but due to time constraints unfortunately Railroad Earth and Greensky Bluegrass got cut from the show, which they were supposed to deliver “Terrapin Station” and Eyes of the World” respectively. The highlights were many and captured the setlists and some videos to recap the memorable night, which will undoubtedly not touch Santa Clara and Chicago for historical footnotes, but will serve as a fitting farewell and tribute to the east coast that served such a stronghold for the Grateful Dead
Set One:
Communion with Phil Lesh: The Wheel > Uncle John’s Band, Standing On The Moon, Liberty
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Allen Toussaint with House Band: Get Out Of My Life Woman
David Grisman with House Band & Sam Bush: Shady Grove
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Peter Frampton with House Band & Bill Kreutzmann: (I’m A) Roadrunner
Buddy Miller with House Band: Deal
Jorma Kaukonen with House Band: Sugaree
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Jimmy Cliff with House Band: The Harder They Come
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Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Dave Schools, Bill Kreutzmann & Jimmy Cliff with House Band: Attics Of My Life intro > Fire On The Mountain
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Set Two
Billy & The Kids: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower
Disco Biscuits with Bill Kreutzmann & Tom Hamilton: Scarlet Begonias > I Know You Rider > Scarlet Begonias
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moe.: Loser
O.A.R.: St. Stephen
Set Three
Los Lobos with Bob Weir: Not Fade Away > Bertha
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Trampled By Turtles: Brown-Eyed Women
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Yonder Mountain String Band: Shakedown Street
Bob Weir with House Band: Days Between
Grace Potter, Bob Weir, Matt Burr & House Band: Friend Of The Devil
Eric Church with House Band: Tennessee Jed
@MartySmithESPN RT“@TwinkleeT: Tennessee Jed! #DearJerry pic.twitter.com/bG4hVVZNQF” your guy rockin with the hippies
— jonlerner (@jonlerner) May 15, 2015
Widespread Panic: Morning Dew
Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart: Touch Of Grey
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Many Musicians: Ripple
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