Photo Credit: A Rood

On Monday, April 3, Bobby Weir and the Wolf Bros Trio kicked off a series of concerts at the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, Calif. The first night commenced a trend that saw the group welcome guest sit-ins during all three performances. On each night, Weir brought out country-rock songwriter J.D. Souther for a multi-part live songwriting workshop.  

The first night saw the group embrace the intimate venue with a stripped-down opening frame. The ensemble mixed things up during the second set, inviting Souther onstage for a surprise live songwriting session. Notably, during the initial set, Weir busted out his original “Lay My Lily Down” for the first time since 2020. Then, during the latter half of the night, Weir returned to the stage by himself. 

The musician introduced Souther to the audience and explained that they would compose a song together on the spot. Then, the musicians got down to business, with Souther on the acoustic guitar and Weir ready to jam on his Fender Stratocaster. Weir laid a foundation for the tune with a guitar loop, and Souther joined in with accompanying root chords. Souther threw in some improvised vocals, and Weir invited the Wolf Bros back onstage for the remainder of the song, which has been titled “I Know Nothing Blues.”

After the new song was complete, Souther announced he would continue sitting in for the next handful of tracks. They started things off with Weir’s 2022 track “She Knows What I’m Thinking,” followed by a debut cover of “New Kid In Town,” which Souther co-wrote for the Eagles. Then, they served up Duke Ellington’s 1995 track “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me” before Souther left the stage.

Weir and his company picked back up with a series of Dead tunes, dishing out “Scarlet Begonias,” “New Speedway Boogie,” “The Other One,” and “Black Peter,” which bled right into a set-closing rendition of The Crickets “Not Fade Away,” at which time Souther returned to the stage. Collectively, they performed Souther’s iconic Eagles collaboration “Heartache Tonight,” followed by a cover of Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me To Do” to cap the night. 

For their second night at the Guild, Weir and his team kept the special guest appearances coming, with Wolf Pack member and violinist Mads Tolling joining for most of the show. Additionally, J.D. Souther returned to the stage for several tracks during the concert’s latter frame. 

Once again, Weir and his band kicked things off with a Dead classic, serving up a lively “Friend Of The Devil” with support on fiddle from Tolling. The billed band tackled “Bertha” before Tolling returned to the stage for “Brown Eyed Woman.” Then, they followed up with a rendition of Jerry Garcia’s “Mission In The Rain” and followed with a set-closing series of tunes, including “Ramble On Rose,” “Throwing Stones” and “Let It Grow.” 

After the set break, Souther returned to the stage. He and Weir picked up their live workshop where they had left it the night before, adding some tweaks to their improvised song. As the tune progressed, other musicians began to trickle in and add their touch. Jay Lane experimented on the keys before moving to drums, Don Was contributed on the upright bass and Tolling rounded things out on the fiddle. Souther and Weir swapped lead vocals before announcing to the audience that they would continue fine-tuning the piece behind the scenes. 

Both special guests stuck around for a performance of Souther’s original track, “You’re Only Lonely,” and Tolling lent his licks for a second take of the Eagle’s “New Kid In Town.” Souther left the stage after the Eagles track, while Tolling, Weir, and The Wolf Bros kept things moving with a series of tunes. They transitioned from the Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’” into Eddy Cooley’s iconic “Fever.” Next, they played the Memphis Jugs Band’s “Viola Lee Blues,” followed by the Bob Dylan-penned “Maggie’s Farm,” before cycling back to a reprise of  “Viola Lee Blues.” Weir, the Wolf Bros, and Tolling closed the frame with two Dead tracks;  “Wharf Rat” and “Sugar Magnolia.”

Just as he had on night one, J.D. Souther returned to the stage for their encore. The musicians gave another go at “Heartache Tonight,” this time with accompaniment from Tolling. Finally, the group polished off the evening with Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights, Big City.” 

Continuing their stand in Menlo Park, Calif., Weir and his collaborators returned to the stage last night. The group’s April 5 concert featured more guest sit-ins, courtesy of Molly Tuttle, Ketch Secor, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and once again, Souther, who arrived ready for the third installment of his improvised songwriting workshop with Weir–which once again kicked off the second part of the night. 

Throughout the evening, the billed players welcomed their guests to contribute to many Dead classics and choice covers, including a first-set rendition of “West L.A. Fadeaway,” which saw Tuttle assist on guitar and Secor on fiddle. The guests stuck around for “Peggy-O” before Elliots’ arrival on an ensuing cover of Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.” Throughout the two-set display visiting musicians came and went until all the night’s guests contributed to the Wednesday night finale, a take on The Eagles, “Best of My Love.” 

After last night’s show, Weir and company will take an evening off, before returning to the fabled stage on April 7, in continuation of their five-night residency, which will wrap on April 8. For more information regarding the impending concerts, visit Weir’s official website. 

Scroll down to view the setlist from Weir, and Wolf Bro Trio’s Guild Theatre stand. 

Bob Weir & The Wolf Bros

Guild Theatre– Menlo Park, Calif. 

April 3, 2023

Set I: The Music Never Stopped ( Grateful Dead) > Easy Answers (Ross Wasserman), When I Paint My Masterpiece (Bob Dylan), Corrina ( Grateful Dead), Deal (Jerry Garcia) 

Set II: I Know Nothing Blues* (improvised song), She Knows What I’m Thinkin’*, New Kid In Town (Eagles), Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me* (Duke Ellington), Scarlet Begonias (Grateful Dead) > New Speedway Boogie (Grateful Dead), The Other One (The Grateful Dead), Black Peter (The Grateful Dead) > Not Fade Away* (The Crickets) 

Enc.: Heartache Tonight* (Eagles) > Baby What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Read) 

Notes: 

* With J.D. Souther on guitar

Bob Weir & The Wolf Bros

Guild Theatre– Menlo Park, Calif. 

April 4, 2023

Set I: Friend Of The Devil^ (Grateful Dead), Bertha (Grateful Dead), Brown-Eyed Woman^ (Grateful Dead), Mission In The Rain (Jerry Garcia), Ramble On Rose^ (Grateful Dead), Throwing Stones^ (Grateful Dead), Weather-Report Suite ^(Grateful Dead) > Let It Grow^ (Grateful Dead) 

Set II: Improvised Song*^, You’re The Only Lonely*^ (J.D Souther), New Kid In Town*^ (The Eagles), Truckin’^ (Grateful Dead), Fever^ (Eddie Cooley), Maggie’s Farm^ (Bob Dylan) >Viola Lee Blues Reprise^, Wharf Rat^ (Grateful Dead) > Sugar Magnolia^ (Grateful Dead)

Enc.: Heartache Tonight*^ (Eagles) > Bright Lights, Big City*^(Jimmy Read) 

Notes: 

* With J.D. Souther on guitar

^ With Mads Tolling on fiddle 

Bob Weir & The Wolf Bros

Guild Theatre– Menlo Park, Calif. 

April 5, 2023 

Set I: Hell in a Bucket, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, West L.A. Fadeaway+*, Peggy-O (Traditional)+*, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob Dylan)+*&, Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance 

Set II: Improvised Song$, Heartache Tonight (Eagles)+$, Althea, He’s Gone, All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan), Dear Prudence (The Beatles), Nadine (Chuck Berry), One More Saturday Night 

Enc.: Ripple+*, Best of My Life (Eagles)+*&$ 

Notes:

+ With Molly Tuttle 

* With Ketch Secor

& With Ramblin’ Jack Elliot 

$ With J.D. Souther