The Phil & Friends Radio Show
Phil Lesh never played bass the way a rock bassist is supposed to. He treated the instrument as a second lead voice, weaving contrapuntal lines underneath Garcia’s guitar instead of anchoring a root note and staying out of the way. That approach is the reason Grateful Dead improvisation had somewhere to go night after night, and it is exactly what tonight’s program is built to showcase. The Phil & Friends Radio Show moves through decades of live recordings, from the earliest post-Dead reunions to the rotating, ever-changing lineups that eventually filled Terrapin Crossroads with music several nights a week. Phil never settled on one fixed band the way some of his bandmates did. He kept pulling in new voices, young players, old friends, singers who had never shared a stage with him before, and let each combination push the songs somewhere the last one hadn’t gone. That restlessness is the whole appeal of the Phil & Friends catalog, and it is why the show tonight rewards a full, uninterrupted listen rather than a highlight reel.
The TD Pavilion at the Mann hosts the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration this Friday, and the format does something the straight rock context sometimes hides. Garcia’s playing was so consistently inventive live that the compositional bones underneath it can get overlooked. Put a full orchestra behind those same songs and the harmonic structure, the melodic logic, the sheer craft in the writing, all move to the front of the mix.
The national touring circuit is moving fast this month. Dark Star Orchestra just officially announced its Fall 2026 tour, built around the 45th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s 1981 live album Reckoning. The centerpiece is a Rex Foundation benefit at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on November 21, where DSO will recreate a full three-set show from that era, complete with an acoustic opening set. The tour kicks off November 12 in Providence, Rhode Island, and winds through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic before closing with a four-night run in Florida this December.
Friday isn’t the last major date on the calendar. Forever Grateful, the exhibition built around the restored Furthur bus and Garcia’s personal BMW, opens its Golden Gate Park companion show on September 5 at the Hall of Flowers in San Francisco, with a free opening concert from Grahame Lesh & Friends at Robin Williams Meadow on September 7. The Summer Magic 1985 box set arrives September 18, twenty discs covering seven previously unreleased shows from that twentieth-anniversary tour, including a full Greek Theatre run and both Merriweather Post Pavilion nights, limited to ten thousand numbered copies. Melvin Seals & JGB headline the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York on October 23, one of the most historically resonant Dead-adjacent rooms in the Northeast. Splintered Sunlight plays a Grateful Halloween at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park on October 31. And early in 2027, San Francisco will host the launch of Eyes of the World: The Jerry Garcia Experience, a large-scale immersive exhibition built on a blueprint Garcia and Ken Kesey sketched together three decades ago, before it tours to Chicago, Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles.
Planet Drum Circle!
Planet Drum Circle is a thrilling radio show that invites its audience to join in a rhythmic celebration of the world of drums. Its engaging hosts are Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, the famous rock drummers and the founding members of the legendary band Grateful Dead. Every Sunday, Planet Drum Circle offers its listeners a one-hour ride through the universe of drums.
An old fashioned Hour A Week Good Ole ‘Planet Drum Circle’ every Sunday Morning at 11AM EST!
Every Sunday Morning at 11AM EST
The JGB Radio Show!
Celebrating Jerry Garcia’s Solo Projects with Live Music. When it comes to iconic figures in the world of music, Jerry Garcia is a name that stands out. Known primarily as the lead guitarist and vocalist of the Grateful Dead, Garcia’s influence on the music industry cannot be overstated. However, what many people may not be aware of is Garcia’s extensive solo career, which produced some incredible music that deserves recognition.
FIVE (5) Hours of Live Jerry Garcia Music from His Solo Projects Every Sunday Night!
Every Sunday Night Starting at 9PM EST
The Ace Radio Show!
The Ace Radio Show immerses you in the world of music rock legend Bob Weir, known as the Grateful Dead band’s rhythm guitar, singer, and founding member. It is a collection of the iconic musician’s solo work performances that captivated people’s hearts and minds for many years. This radio show presents Weir’s unique style of playing and singing.
The Bob Weir ‘Ace Radio Show’ features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music from his solo projects every week!
Phil & Friends Radio Show!
The Phil & Friends Radio Show is a fascinating glimpse into the musical world of legendary bassist, Phil Lesh. Lesh first gained fame as a founding member of the rock band, Grateful Dead. The program showcases his work, both solo and in collaboration with an ever-changing group of musical collaborators, as they perform an extensive repertoire of live concert recordings.
The Phil & Friends Radio Show features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music from their shows every week!
Every Tuesday Night at 9PM EST
Music Plays The Band Radio Show
The Music Plays The Band Radio Show features live music performances by Grateful Dead Cover Bands. Grateful Dead, the american rock band that made an enormous contribution to the music industry, is still loved by people all over the world. They performed thousands of concerts and developed unique music styles, but most importantly, they gathered a large group of passionate fans. It might be hard to believe that the members of the band are already gone, however, the grateful dead are still entertaining people, playing their legendary songs. In this essay, I will discuss the topic of Grateful Dead cover bands and explain why they are so important.
The Music Plays The Band Radio Show features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music every week!
Every Wednesday Night at 9PM EST
Fare Thee Well Radio Show!
Fare Thee Well is a radio show that was created to perform music written by the band’s members that had previously been performed by Jerry Garcia, who is dead now. This program is essentially a celebration of the music created by those who survived his death and who continued spreading the Grateful Dead’s spirit.
Fare Thee Well Radio Show features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music every week!
Every Thursday Night at 9PM EST
Don’s Pick Radio Show!
Every Saturday Night “Don’s Pick” will go into the vaults of Grateful Dead and bring you a show that captures the Grateful Dead at their best and most representative, with the intention of providing new shows and new renditions of songs that represent the band at their peak. Whether it’s famous concerts or obscure ones, Don’s Pick will give you a treat on each show that will keep you coming back for more and you will get shows that will not be available in either stores or as live downloads.
Every Saturday Night Beginning at 9PM EST
The Ace Radio Show provides an insight into the musical world of the legendary rock band Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir. This radio show is dedicated to his solo career and unique style of music, which has been captivating listeners for many years.
FOUR (4) TIMES DAILY AT 9AM, 12 NOON, 6PM & 830PM EST
Dedicated entirely to live Grateful Dead performances. Radio shows include JGB Radio (live Jerry Garcia), Ace Radio (live Bob Weir), Phil & Friends, Music Plays the Band (Dead cover bands), and Fare Thee Well (post-Jerry shows). Don’s Pick spotlights a handpicked live show weekly, while Planet Drum Circle dedicates an hour to Drums.
The Grateful Dead Live Merch Stand in The Vending Lot!
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