Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh performed on Thursday night in the Grate Room at his Terrapin Crossroads venue in San Rafael, California. Guitarists Stu Allen and Lebo (Dan Lebowitz), multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby and drummer John Molo once again joined Lesh for a two set performance.
Lesh announced last August that he needed minor back surgery and he canceled his remaining performances scheduled in 2019. The 79-year-old returned to performing publicly last December when he played a short unannounced set at Marin County Mart in Larkspur, California. Lesh officially returned to performing with an appearance at Terrapin Crossroads’ Beach Park on New Year’s Day made up of two Phil & Friends sets that featured the same lineup as Thursday.
The first set at the Grate Room kicked off with Allen leading “U.S. Blues.” Lebo then sang “Althea” which was followed by Allen taking charge of “Bertha.” More Grateful Dead staples continued as Lebo moved to lap steel guitar for a Lesh-sung “Bird Song” that developed a short jam that grew into the set-closing “I Know You Rider.”
Set two contained more Dead favorites, launched by a Lebo-led “Scarlet Begonias.” There would be no “Fire On The Mountain” out of the ensuing jam as a full stop came ahead of “St. Stephen.” Next came “Help On The Way” and it was paired with its usual companions “Slipknot!” and “Franklin’s Tower.” Lebo was back on lap steel guitar for “Comes A Time,” which was sung by Allen. The second set and the show concluded with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.”
Lesh returns to the Grate Room with a similar lineup (Grahame Lesh in place of Lebo) next Tuesday, January 7. The elder Lesh will celebrate his 80th birthday with three newly rescheduled shows at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York on March 14 – 16. Watch Phil in action last night in the Grate Room at TXR below:
Videos
Set One (via Deadheadland)
Phil Lesh and FriendsGrate Room,Terrapin CrossroadsThursday January 2, 2020set 1
Posted by Deadheadland on Thursday, January 2, 2020
Set Two (via Deadheadland)
Phil Lesh and FriendsGrate Room, Terrapin CrossroadsSan Rafael CaliforniaThursday January 2, 2020set II
Posted by Deadheadland on Thursday, January 2, 2020
St. Stephen Via Ted Silverman
Help > Slip > Franklin’s Via Ted Silverman
Setlist
Phil Lesh & Friends at Grate Room, Terrapin Crossroads
Set 1
- U.S. Blues
- Althea
- Bertha
- Bird Song
- I Know You Rider
Set 2
- Scarlet Begonias
- St. Stephen
- Help on the Way
- Slipknot!
- Franklin’s Tower
- Comes a Time
