Photo: Bahram Foroughi

On Thursday evening, Grahame Lesh and Daniel Donato took the stage at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, N.Y. The concert marked the first in a three-night series of performances that drew on the confluences of the Grateful Dead songbook – originals, covers, and material associated with the band’s 30-year history, delivered acoustically by the duo. 

Prior to last night’s ignition, the pair had coalesced as part of Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Clubhouse experience, which boasted the  “Darkstarathon” concept, equal parts history lesson and an instructional pass of the material, back in 2024. During the opening of Garcia’s Chicago, Grahame Lesh & Friends welcomed Donato, who helped capture the essence of select Dead oddities and stretch them into cosmic territory. 

Another crossover occurred during a San Francisco stop on Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country’s Horizons Winter Tour when the four-piece enlisted Lesh and fellow Bay Area mainstay and Grateful Dead torchbearer Reed Mathis to join on select numbers. 

During their latest team-up at Bearsville, the pair crafted a two-set experience that lingered on a variety of choice pieces beginning with a Donato-sung “Race Is On,” before passing vocal duties to Lesh on “The Ballad of Casey Jones.” The pair delivered a rendition of “Cumberland Blues,” which ran into “Jack-A-Roe,” followed by a reprise of the former. Bobby Weir’s Blue Mountain cut, “Only a River,” rose ahead of another waterway mention, “Big River.” “I Know You Rider” capped set one. 

The latter half of the concert kicked off with “Mason’s Children” merged with “Jack Straw” and Jerry Garcia’s collaboratively penned “The Mountain Song.” “Weathervane” broke the mold of Dead-related tunes, reignited during follow-up “Wharf Rat,” and a final batch of picks: “Peggy-O,” “Shady Grove,” “Playing in the Band” and a callback to “Mason’s Children.” 

Before retiring for the night, the duo positioned “Casey Jones” in the only encore slot. Tickets remain on sale for tonight and tomorrow’s concerts at Bearsville. 

Photographer Bahram Foroughi was on location and shared his photos from the night.

…

Grahame Lesh & Daniel Donato 

Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, N.Y.

June 11, 2026

Set I: Race Is On 2 Ballad Of Casey Jones > 3 Cumberland Blues > 4 Jack-A-Roe > 2 Cumberland Blues (Reprise) 4 Only A River 3 Big River 4 I Know You Rider 4

Set II: Mason’s Children > 4 Jack Straw > 4 The Mountain Song > 3 Weathervane > 2 Wharf Rat > 3 Peggy-O > 2 Shady Grove > 2 Playing In The Band > 3 Mason’s Children (Reprise) 4

Enc.: Casey Jones 4

Notes:

[1] Daniel And Grahame Lesh On Acoustic Guitar (Show)

[2] Daniel On Lead Vocals (Song)

[3] Grahame Lesh On Lead Vocals (Song)

[4] Daniel And Grahame Lesh Share Lead Vocals (Song)

Setlist and annotations via danielbase.com