Photo Credit: Marc Millman

Last night, March 4, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros arrived in Omaha, Neb., for a performance at the Orpheum Theater. The Saturday night gig featured two frames of fan favorites that beckoned to the bandleader’s Grateful Dead days. During the second half of the concert, Weir pulled out the classic “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” suite. The Blues For Allah pairing marked a debut for this unit of musicians. 

Prior to Saturday night’s second set premiere, Weir and his collaborators commenced their show with the Workingman’s Dead pick, “New Speedway Boogie,” before adding a take on “She Says” to the frame. After delivering the RatDog number, the musicians picked up “Loose Lucy” before running through Robert Hunter/Garcia’s masterpiece “Mission in the Rain.” 

The band kept spirits up with the Willie Dixon-penned “Little Red Rooster” before adding in “Cassidy” and closing out the first set on “Bird Song.” Then, following a break from the stage, the group returned and cut into “Deal.” Next, they added in the Ace favorite, “Black-Throated Wind,” followed by “Two Djinn” prior to the night’s debut.

Keeping with tradition, “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” arrived midway through the second set. The linked pieces of music showcased the player’s ability to traverse the sister songs, which Phil Lesh referenced as “one of our finest exploratory vehicles” in his 2005 memoir, Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead. Finally, to cap the momentous display, the musicians’ merged “Franklin’s Tower” into the set, followed by the political anthem: “Throwing Stones.” 

Before closing out their second set, the group visited material off The Beatles’ White Album, landing on a stunning reinterpretation of the Paul McCartney and John Lennon-penned “Dear Prudence.” Then, for the final song of the main frame, Weir and his collaborators cut into “One More Saturday Night,” which also gestured the day of the week. 

For the night’s encore, the ensemble picked up “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” a tune that was originally scribed by Bob Dylan in 1965 and found its way to Grateful Dead setlists the following year. After wrapping the tune and taking a bow, the group left the stage, ending their time in Omaha, Neb. 

After last night’s show, Weir and company make their way to Kansas City, Mo., tonight. There, they will perform at Arvest Bank Theatre. Tickets remain on sale for tonight’s show and can be purchased here. 

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist. 

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros 

Orpheum Theater – Omaha, Neb. 

March 4, 2023

Set I: New Speedway Boogie, She Says, Loose Lucy, Mission in the Rain, Little Red Rooster, Cassidy > Bird Song 

Set II: Deal, Black-Throated Wind, Two Djinn, Help On The Way+ > Slipnot!+ > Franklin’s Tower, Throwing Stones, Dear Prudence, One More Saturday Night

Enc.: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue 

Notes: 

+Debut