The String Cheese Incident honored Phil Lesh yesterday while performing at Live Oak, FL’s Suwannee Hulaween yesterday. At the start of their second set, the group busted out the American Beauty classic “Ripple” as a nod to the bassist. The String Cheese Incident have covered “Ripple” a handful of times dating back to 2000. Before this weekend, the ensemble had not performed the tune since a June 28, 2019 appearance at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, OR.

The members of The String Cheese Incident first backed Lesh in 1999 during an early Phil & Friends run on the Summer Sessions tour. The musicians have crossed paths in different contexts in the years since and Michael Kang appears on Lesh’s lone studio album, There and Back Again. Lesh was supposed to join String Cheese at Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks in 2022, though he had to cancel his appearance after contracting COVID. Billy Strings filled in at the gig.

Bob Weir will joined The String Cheese Incident for a show at Suwannee Hulaween on Sunday.