7 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos: Dead & Company's second night in S.F. unites generations of Deadheads
If the first night of Dead & Company's Golden Gate Park residency celebrated legacy, the second night showcased its endurance — across generations, families and time itself.
What became unmistakably clear on Saturday, Aug. 2, was how deeply intergenerational the Grateful Dead 's following has become. Some 60,000 fans once again packed the Polo Field for the second of three concerts marking the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary.
Teenagers danced beside their parents. Grandparents clapped along with toddlers. Some attendees had seen guitarist Jerry Garcia perform live with the band in the 1960s. Others were born years after he died in 1995.
'My parents are a total big influence for all the good music I listen to,' said Siren Talbot, 19, of Grass Valley, who attended the show with her parents. 'It's definitely a reflection of just spending time together and listening and hanging out in the backyard.'
Long before the band took the stage, the field buzzed with activity. Veteran Deadheads roamed the edges of the crowd handing out homemade stickers and swapping stories. Others stretched out on picnic blankets under the evening sky.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie took the stage to introduce the first set shortly after 6:15 p.m. — and to acknowledge the moment's emotional weight.
'Listen, what you all have brought to our city over the last week and here tonight — you've brought joy, you've brought energy, you've brought love,' Lurie, clad in a tie-dye T-shirt, told the crowd. 'It's just what San Francisco needed.'
Then, with his hand over his heart and the crowd roaring, he added: 'I am the mayor of the greatest city in the world, and it is my privilege to welcome Dead & Company.'
Up front, the energy was high — swirling, packed and kinetic — as fans rushed to grab refreshments just as the music began.
The band — featuring Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, alongside guitarist and vocalist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, and drummer Jay Lane — was more vibrant and cohesive than it had been on opening night.
They kicked off with a tight, groove-heavy take on 'In the Midnight Hour,' setting a festive tone before launching into a rollicking 'Bertha' and a twangy 'Jack Straw' featuring a sunny tease of the Allman Brothers' 'Blue Sky.'
A soulful 'Dear Mr. Fantasy' melted into the coda of 'Hey Jude,' followed by a punchy 'Passenger' and the crowd-pleasing 'Brown-Eyed Women.'
The first set closed on a high, emotional note with a powerful rendition of 'Morning Dew,' featuring a guest appearance by country singer and opening act Sturgill Simpson.
The second set leaned fully into the Dead's psychedelic roots. 'Uncle John's Band' opened with an unexpected jam on 'The Other One,' leading into the classic 'Help > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower' suite, complete with playful teases of 'Ghostbusters' and 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.'
Grahame Lesh retuned to join the band for 'St. Stephen,' which nodded to 'The Eleven' before giving way to a hypnotic 'Drums' and 'Space' sequence, laced with a tease of Pink Floyd's 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond.'
Momentum continued to build with 'Spanish Jam' and a stirring 'Days Between,' before the band launched into a late-set 'Truckin',' featuring a jazzy nod to Miles Davis' 'All Blues.' The evening wrapped with a raucous 'Cold Rain and Snow' and a tender, harmony-laced 'Brokedown Palace.'
Between sets, the stage screens lit up with archival interviews from Grateful Dead members, grounding the present-day crowd in the band's original spirit.
Late bassist Phil Lesh described Dead shows as places to 'test your limits' and 'experience a little danger' in a warm, welcoming space.
'The Grateful Dead show is a perfect place to do that,' he said.
Reflecting on the venue, Weir added simply: 'It just feels right to go back to the park there and play for folks and just have a musical ball.'
That spirit — of gathering, improvising, and sharing — was alive and well among the thousands who came not just for the music, but for the sense of belonging it brings.
'My dad and my mom have been taking me to Dead & Company shows since I was 3,' said Coral Mines, 16, from Trinity County. 'It's so life-changing to have that experience when you grow up. The music is peaceful. It's just such a vibe.'
Eric Dugoni, 28, of Napa, said he's been to nearly 20 shows with his father.
'Last night was actually the first one without him,' Dugoni said. 'He would've been here, but he's hiking in Canada with his siblings. Still, I wore his old shirt. We've always connected through the music.'
Some, like Ever Epshaw, now bring their own children.
'Last night I was with my daughter. She's 22, and he's 14,' said Epshaw, in his 50s. 'There were grandparents dancing everywhere — people with their kids, little kids, everyone just having fun.'
Dead & Company may have concluded its so-called 'final tour' in 2023, but if this weekend is any indication, the music — and the culture built around it — shows no signs of fading.
'I wish more of my friends would come with me,' Mines said.
Chronicle staff writer Anna Connors contributed to this report.
Dead & Company – Golden Gate Park Setlist
Grateful Dead 60th Anniversary Show – Friday, Aug. 2, 2025
Set 1
'In the Midnight Hour' (Wilson Pickett cover)
'Bertha' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Jack Straw' (Grateful Dead cover) (with 'Blue Sky' tease)
'Dear Mr. Fantasy' (Traffic cover)
'Hey Jude' (The Beatles cover) (coda only)
'Passenger' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Brown-Eyed Women' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Morning Dew' (Bonnie Dobson cover) (with Sturgill Simpson)
Set 2
'Uncle John's Band' (Grateful Dead cover) (with 'The Other One' jam)
'Help on the Way' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Slipknot!' (Grateful Dead cover) (with 'Ghostbusters' teases)
'Franklin's Tower' (Grateful Dead cover) (with 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds' tease)
'St. Stephen' (Grateful Dead cover) (with Grahame Lesh and 'The Eleven' tease)
'Drums' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Space' (Grateful Dead cover) (with 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' tease)
'Spanish Jam' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Days Between' (Grateful Dead cover)
'Truckin'' (Grateful Dead cover) (with 'All Blues' tease)
'Cold Rain and Snow' (traditional cover)
