26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Phil Lesh's son to host S.F. concert series to honor Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary
A major Grateful Dead 60th anniversary celebration is set to take over San Francisco's Pier 48 this summer, with Grahame Lesh — son of the band's late founding bassist Phil Lesh — leading the charge.
The three-night concert series called the Heart of Town is set to run July 31-Aug. 2 in honor of the influential jam band founded in the Bay Area in the 1960s. Fronted by Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995, the band was known for its improvisational style and became emblematic of the era's counterculture movement.
Organized by musical group Grahame Lesh & Friends, the event boasts special guests such as Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of the Los Angeles folk rock band Dawes, Nashville country singer Daniel Donato, Salinas singer-songwriter Jackie Greene and longtime member of the Jerry Garcia Band, Melvin Seals.
Ticket presales begin at 10 a.m. Friday, June 27, with general sales starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 30.
Three-day and single-day passes will be available, as well as a Terrapin Station Experience VIP pass that includes a dedicated entry lane, viewing area, merchandise and more.
'I'm so thrilled to be among the countless Deadheads flocking to beautiful San Francisco to celebrate 60 years of the Grateful Dead,' Lesh said in a statement. 'I know that San Francisco will be filled with that music all weekend (and) I'm honored to contribute to that with all of my friends.'
The series will overlap with Dead & Company's sold-out three-show run at the Golden Gate Park Polo Fields, scheduled for Aug. 1-3. Those concerts will feature surviving Dead members, guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, playing alongside John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and other musicians of the spinoff band.
This will be the first local gig for Dead & Company since Lesh died in October 2024.
The Heart of Town's first show kicks off at 8 p.m., but subsequent concerts that coincide with Dead & Company's event will start at 11 p.m. to allow Deadheads coming from Golden Gate Park enough time to travel across town to Pier 48.
Other artists slated to appear at the Heart of Town shows include Louisville jazz musician John Medeski, Santa Ana saxophonist Karl Denson and New York indie rock singer Karina Rykman.
The event series is being presented by the San Francisco Giants and Relix Media Group, and produced by Terrapin Station Entertainment and Dayglo Presents.
'The Grateful Dead were birthed in San Francisco 60 years ago, and The Heart of Town is about honoring that legacy — bringing people together through music and the spirit of the city where it all began,' Dayglo Presents Founder Peter Shapiro said in a statement. 'Having Grahame leading the charge with so many incredible musicians makes it magic — it's the next generation carrying the torch and keeping the music alive.'
A portion of proceeds will support the Rex Foundation, a nonprofit established in 1983 by 'members of the Grateful Dead and friends' to provide community support to those in the arts, sciences and education.
This summer's Grateful Dead festivities commemorate the band's 1965 debut as the Warlocks.
Deadheads outside of the Bay Area can also celebrate the band's legacy in theaters, once the newly-announced remaster of the 'The Grateful Dead Movie' hits the big screen. The band's 1977 concert film is scheduled to make its IMAX debut on Aug. 13, with a wide release set for the following day.
