The band’s all packed and gone / Was it ever here at all?

Saturday night, Phil Lesh and Friends closed out their three-night Colorado run with a final stop at the picturesque Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado. Following two magical nights in Dillon and Vail, the group concluded the transcendental trifecta to a sold-out crowd under a near full moon, clear skies, and perfect temperatures.

The gestalt theory of "the whole is more than the sum of its parts,” was in evidence in Sonoma County, California, on May 22, as the so-called Tree of Life Band delivered a dandy of a benefit show. The group was a one-time conglomerate in support of the Tree of Life Fund, which supports children and young adults living with profound developmental disabilities.

"When it came to 1973 Dead, I was always drawn to the big second-set jams, 'Dark Star' or 'The Other One,' and all of the places those songs could go that year. One week during my initial stint with the Dead, Dick was spending a lot of time listening to 9/8/73, and he could not stop raving about it. He was very intent on pointing out that despite the absence of the 'Big Two' from 1973, every song, every solo, every moment was out-of-this-world excellent. He played me the first set, giving a play-by-play of each song and what made it special.

Faithful listeners, join us once again as we travel deep into the Grateful Dead multiverse with Season Three of THE GOOD OL' GRATEFUL DEADCAST.

KBCO Studio C will release 18 new songs exclusively performed live on 97.3 KBCO starting at 6am, December 5th at nine select Colorado Whole Foods Market Front Range locations. The last KBCO Studio C session was on March 5th, 2020 because COVID-19 put an end to touring and bands visiting KBCO Studio C.

We’re on the ninth week of Pickathon’s A Concert A Day and we’re rolling right into June with a ton of momentum thanks to all the donations that have been pouring in for MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund! We’ve got a special lineup this week as well, with Americana eclecticists Rising Appalachia who just laid down a great Tiny Desk Concert at NPR.

As the wheels of the Grateful Dead keep turning, two of its founding members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, have found themselves traveling on different paths. Weir is currently a member of the supergroup Dead & Company with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, frequent collaborator Jeff Chimenti, and two other Grateful Dead members Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart. Phil Lesh on the other hand operates the Dead-themed venue Terrapin Crossroads and performs with an ever-rotating cast of musicians in Phil Lesh and Friends.

Steve Forbert’s latest cover and accompanying video of the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain” is a timely release considering our shared experience surrounding COVID-19. This monumental song originated with one of the Dead’s founding members, Phil Lesh, composing the music, while Robert ‘Bob’ Hunter wrote the lyrics. Lesh came to identify the song with his dying father. He would practice singing as he drove to the hospital and later the nursing home. Death surrounds us.

The story behind one of the most technically decorated and carefully crafted bass instruments in music history is one of true Grateful Dead lore.