Grateful Dead Members, More Booked for Jerry Garcia Tribute Show
UPDATE: Grace Potter, Peter Frampton and Allen Toussaint have been added to the Dear Jerry show.
Before the Grateful Dead reunite for their three-night farewell stand in Chicago this July, its four surviving members — Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh — and a number of special guests will pay tribute to Jerry Garcia at a special gig at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on May 14th.
Dubbed “Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music of Jerry Garcia,” the show will feature performances from Lesh’s outfit Communion, Kreutzmann’s Billy and the Kids, Bruce Hornsby, Eric Church, Buddy Miller, David Grisman, Greensky Bluegrass, Moe., Los Lobos, O.A.R., Railroad Earth, Widespread Panic, the Disco Biscuits, Yonder Mountain String Band, Trampled By Turtles, Jimmy Cliff, Jorma Kaukonen, Stu Allen, Grahame Lesh, Ross James, Alex Koford and Jason Crosby. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Famed musician Don Was will serve as the show’s music director and lead the official backing band. The “Dear Jerry” concert will also be filmed, with plans to release a movie digitally and through traditional outlets in the future.
“Jerry gave his heart, soul, and music to his band mates, fellow musicians, and to millions of fans around the world,” Keith Wortman, the show’s creator and executive producer, said in a statement. “Whether playing in the Grateful Dead, his acoustic and bluegrass bands or his beloved Jerry Garcia Band, his songs made us happy just to be alive.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 13th at noon ET via Ticketfly. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Merriweather Post Pavilion box office or at the 9:30 Club box office in Washington D.C.
A few months after “Dear Jerry,” the Dead will celebrate their 50th anniversary by playing their final three shows together at Chicago’s Soldier Field from July 3rd to 5th. For these “Fare Thee Well” shows, Lesh, Weir, Kreutzmann and Hart will be joined by Hornsby on piano, Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.