Last night, Grateful Dead/Dead & Company guitarist Bob Weir was once again the surprise guest at Music Heals International’s annual benefit concert. Held at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California, the show featured performances from the MHI All-Stars featuring Lebo (Dan Lebowitz) & Friends as well as Lukas Nelson and Tato Melgar and more.
Proceeds from Tuesday’s 8th annual Music Heals International concert went towards the Rob Wasserman Memorial Fund, a fund established in honor of the late bassist. Rob Wasserman was a longtime Bob Weir collaborator including time in RatDog, a group also represented last night by saxophonist Dave Ellis.
The MHI All-Stars/Lebo & Friends opened the evening with a performance that included Dan’s ALO bandmates drummer Ezra Lipp and bassist Steve Adams along with Mookie Siegel, Elliott Peck, Paul Beaubrun, Jamie Clark and Grant Harrington. Attendee Paul Wozniak reported the power went out at the end of the ensemble’s set. The emergency lights came on, a brief auction was held and unplugged performances came from Lebo and Peck as well as Lukas Nelson and Promise Of The Real percussionist Tato Melgar.
Weir emerged and the power went back on as the guitarist joined Lukas Nelson and Tato Melgar for songs including Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain,” Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me” and the Grateful Dead classic “Loose Lucy.” Finally, musicians from the lineup, including Ellis and DJ Logic played in various formations for the last set of the evening. Bob Weir was on hand for covers of The Temptations’ “Standing On Shaky Ground,” The Band’s “The Weight” and Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” to end the night.
Watch fan-shot video footage from Tuesday’s benefit concert below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWpvS0Bs5gu/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWpyItVl8V_/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWpn-rwsBx3/
https://www.facebook.com/BobMinkin/videos/200819848895093/
