Billy Strings and Les Claypool were the guests of honor at Monday’s Bob Weir & Wolf Bros show at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, CA. Monday’s show came as the finale of a two-night stand for the Grateful Dead guitarist at Sweetwater, with the concert honoring the memory of Rob Lawson, Bobby’s close friend and longtime driver who passed away on November 1st.
After Sunday’s debut-filled show featuring a guest spot from Matt Jaffe, Bobby and his Bros—Don Was (bass), Jay Lane (drums), and Jeff Chimenti (keys)—played it fairly straight for set one on Monday. The show opened with a “The Music Never Stopped” >”Easy Answers” > “Music Never Stopped” sandwich. Set one continued with “Cassidy” and “Ramble On Rose” before Weir welcomed his first guest of the night, Matty Michna.
The Bay Area guitarist previously appeared with Weir during his April 24th, 2021 livestream from TRI Studios, where he debuted “Big Sandy Creek” featuring lyrics by Robert Hunter. Michna joined in on a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson‘s “Good Morning Little School” as well as the Dead’s “Tennessee Jed” before departing, though audiences hadn’t seen the last of him quite yet. The first set then closed with “Jack Straw”.
Related: Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros Revisit The Rockies With ‘Live In Colorado’ [Stream/Video]
Returning for the second set, Weir and company kicked things off with The Beatles‘ “Blackbird”. This was followed with “Scarlet Begonias” into “Eyes of the World”, the latter of which saw the re-emergence of Michna. Matty stuck around for a telling of “Big Sandy Creek” and Marvin Gaye‘s “What’s Going On?”—another song he helped Bob debut on 4/24/21—and finally a reprisal of “Eyes of the World”.
The changing of the guards commenced as Michna departed and Billy Strings joined Weir and Wolf Bros onstage. Armed with what appeared to be one of Bob’s Fender Stratocasters, the bluegrass phenom lent his hand on the eternal pairing of “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider”. Strings then left the stage, but not for good.
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, Billy Strings – “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” – 2/28/22
[Video: Andy Logan]
Weir commanded the spotlight once again with “Stella Blue”, followed by an exuberant “Sugar Magnolia”. Strings returned to the stage with his new budding bromance Les Claypool in tow for another Beatles cover, the psychedelic masterpiece “Tomorrow Never Knows”. The show then came to a close with a tear-jerking “Brokedown Palace”.
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, Billy Strings, Les Claypool – “Tomorrow Never Knows” (The Beatles) – 2/28/22
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For a full list of upcoming Bob Weir tour dates, head here.
Setlist: Bob Weir & Wolf Bros | Sweetwater Music Hall | Mill Valley, CA | 2/28/22
Set One: The Music Never Stopped > Easy Answers > The Music Never Stopped, Cassidy, Ramble On Rose, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Sonny Boy Williamson) [1], Tennessee Jed [1], Jack Straw
Set Two: Blackbird (Beatles), Scarlet Begonias > Eyes of the World [1] > Big Sandy Creek (Robert Hunter) [1] > What’s Goin’ On? (Marvin Gaye) [1] > Eyes of the World [1], China Cat Sunflower [2] > I Know You Rider [2], Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia, Tomorrow Never Knows (Beatles) [3], Brokedown Palace [2]
[1] w/ Matty Michna
[2] w/ Billy Strings
[3] w/ Billy Strings, Les Claypool
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