Last night, Dec. 27, Phil Lesh & Friends took the stage at The Warfield in San Francisco to mark the 100th birthday of the famed venue. For the occasion, Lesh, along with a team of collaborators, including his son Grahame Lesh, Goose’s Rick Mitarotonda, Jennifer Hartswick, James Casey, Natalie Cressman, Holly Bowling, and John Molo dipped into the Grateful Dead’s storied songbook and delivered two sets of music which emphasized the significance of the Golden City band.

The Tuesday evening show began with the Workingman’s Dead classic, “Cumberland Blues,” before the band followed up with fan favorite “Bertha.” In continuation of the initial frame, they added a crowd-wailing “Tennessee Jed,” which landed prior to the Robert Hunter-penned “Loser.” Then, a lively take on “Brown-Eyed Woman” kept the audience on their feet. As the set progressed, the musicians added a song from The Mars Hotel,  “Pride of Cucamonga.” For the last number of the night’s opening frame, Lesh & Friends covered Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue,” a song that commonly appeared on Grateful Dead setlist.

For the night’s second set, the group worked into “New Speedway Boogie,” led by Mitarotonda. The group jammed from one song to the next, emphasizing the magnitude of their musicianship with an epic conclusion to the opening number, which featured harmonization of the ending lyrics: “one way or another.” Next, the group softly moved into the “Wheel” before following up with “Cassidy.” As the night progressed, Lesh and his friends worked in “Eyes of the World” before following with “Dark Star,” which was accompanied by a noteworthy jam. The band reemerged from its sonic depths to take on Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady” before ending the set with a hair-raising “Brokedown Palace.”

The evening’s encore consisted of band introductions and Lesh’s donor rap, which beckoned back to his 1998 liver transplant. After which, they performed one final song, a locationally fitting and stunning rendition of “Mission in the Rain.” After concluding the night’s last number, Lesh and his collaborators left the acclaimed stage. In continuation of their two-night run, the musicians will return to The Warfield for their final stand in celebration of the venue’s centennial birthday.

For those interested in streaming tonight’s sold-out concert, purchase options are available through fans.live.

Watch the start of the band’s second set below. 

Phil Lesh & Friends 

The Warfield – San Francisco

Dec. 27, 2022 

Set I: Cumberland Blues, Bertha, Tennessee Jed, Loser, Brown-Eyed Women, Pride of Cucamonga, It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan cover)

Set II: New Speedway Boogie, The Wheel, Cassidy, Eyes of the World, Let It Grow, Dark Star, Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin cover), Brokedown Palace 

Enc.: Band Intro/ Donor Rap, Mission in the Rain