After warming up with some storytelling in November, Phil Lesh played his first gig after undergoing back surgery on Dec. 13.
News of Lesh’s back issues emerged in August 2019, with Lesh cancelling a batch of festival dates and eventually postponing his traditional Phil-O-Ween run at The Capitol Theatre.
“I’m feeling really good, but the doctors recommend that I take more time to recover from the surgery,” Lesh explained in October.
On Dec. 13, Lesh strapped on his bass once again and performed with his son Grahame as well as Stu Allen to celebrate the Bay Area’s new Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) train. Local congressman Jared Huffman also jumped in for a cover of “The Weight.”
Later, Grahame shared a photo of the Grateful Dead bassist tinkering with his rig, proving his commitment to getting back onstage.
Naturally, Lesh is set to celebrate his 80th birthday this summer by headlining the LOCKN’ Festival.
Watch Lesh’s full Dec. 13 performance via Deadheadland below:
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