Photo Credit: Rachel Ward

Sam Grisman Project will use a pair of historic instruments during their forthcoming stop at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, Calif., on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. During the impending concert, the band, whose performances primarily lean acoustic, will oscillate between electric and acoustic tunes with the arrival of Jerry Garica’s TB500 #12 and Phil Lesh’s  Alembic bass, known as “Mission Control.” 

According to the band’s post on social media [see below], they will offer two sets of music using historical instrumentation. Sam commented, “Although playing acoustic music through condenser microphones has been our primary focus in SGP for quite some time, when the opportunity presents itself, we love to plug in and rock out! There’s no better excuse to go electric than to get to visit with some true relics that participated in some watershed moments in Grateful Dead history.”

After thanking the guitar owner/ lender, Jason Scheuner, Grisman touched on the guitars’ background, writing, “We will have the pleasure of playing two instruments that were a quintessential part of The Dead’s sound in ‘77 – Jerry Garcia’s TB500 #12, and Phil Lesh’s legendary Alembic bass, ‘Mission Control.’ I grew up in a house full of old mandolins, guitars, and banjos and I have always had an appreciation for the history of these instruments and the stories that they seem to tell us.”

“Not to geek out too hard on everybody, but these two instruments were played during the live debut of possibly my favorite Garcia/Hunter song, ‘Terrapin Station’ on 2/26/77, and on the entirety of the album Terrapin Station, and the TB500 was used most of the album Cats Under The Stars. The sounds of these instruments are truly engrained in my musical subconscious, and it is a profound honor to get to reunite them on stage to play some of my favorite music,” He added.

During the forthcoming San Diego stand, Grisman will be joined by Chris “Hollywood” English, Victor Furtado, and Max Flansburg. Notably, at the band’s mid-November stand at Portland, Ore.’s Aladdin Theater, they welcomed their “Terrapin” era, performing the sprawling Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia composition for the first time to the elation of the sold-out crowd that soused in the beloved musical journey. Watch a pro-shot video of SGP’s “Terrapin” debut below. 

In tandem with the news that SGP will receive some historical help, the band also announced the release of their Relix vinyl. This two-sided set includes acoustic takes on material by Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, and Paul McCartney, in addition to originals from Flansburg and Roy Williams. Order now.

Tickets for the band’s San Diego stand are on sale now, in addition to West Coast Winter Tour Dates, which pick up on Feb. 10 in Phoenix, Ariz. Learn more at www.samgrismanproject.net.