Dead & Co Invite Sturgill Simpson, Billy Strings & Phil Lesh’s Son Onstage For 60th Anniversary Shows

According to brooklynvegan.com, this past weekend, Dead & Co celebrated 60 years of the Grateful Dead with three big hometown shows at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson, and the Trey Anastasio Band opened Friday, Saturday and Sunday night’s shows, each joined Dead & Co during their set as well.

On August 1, Strings came out towards the end of Dead & Co’s set for “Wharf Rat.” Earlier in the evening, the band welcomed another special guest, Grahame Lesh, son of late Dead co-founder Phil Lesh. He joined Dead & Co on “Box of Rain,” with Grahame playing his father’s Big Brown bass and “Playing in the Band.”

For August 2, Sturgill joined Dead & Co for a rendition of “Morning Dew,” which he previously performed with Bobby Weir and his Dead Ahead band at their Riviera Cancún, Mexico Dead Ahead festival in January. Grahame also came out again to play bass on “St. Stephen.”

Trey joined Dead & Co for their second set on August 3, on “Scarlet Begonias,” “Fire on the Mountain” and Grahame joined them for the next song.“Broken Arrow.” Friday also saw the block long Harrington St christened Jerry Garcia Street. Jerry’s daughter, Trixie Garcia, attended the dedication and said, “I hope that you all get chance to enjoy the music, dance, hug, smile,” KCRA reports. “Cherish what’s valuable, what’s significant in life.”

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna