In a clever tribute to late Grateful Dead co-founder Bobby Weir, Sam Grisman Project delivered a special opening set at The Capitol Theatre on Saturday, using their song selections to spell out Weir’s name before Dogs in a Pile took the stage for two headlining sets.

The bluegrass outfit, led by Sam Grisman, structured their nine-song performance as an acrostic, with each song title’s first letter spelling “BOBBY WEIR” when read in sequence.

The thoughtful setlist construction showcased the Sam Grisman Project’s deep roots in the Grateful Dead family tradition—Grisman is the son of mandolin master David “Dawg” Grisman, a longtime collaborator of Jerry Garcia—while demonstrating the band’s ability to weave together material from Garcia’s live repertoire, Bob Dylan, and traditional bluegrass sources.

The set opened with Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain” before flowing into David Grisman’s “Opus 38”, which segued into the traditional “Shady Grove”. The band then performed the Grateful Dead’s “Brokedown Palace” and John Hiatt‘s “Bound by Love”—a song recorded by The Band and oft performed live by Jerry Garcia Band.

Continuing the tribute, the group played Dylan’s “You’re a Big Girl Now” and Bruce Cockburn‘s “Waiting for a Miracle”—another tune famously covered by Jerry Garcia Band. They followed with a swinging take on David Grisman’s “E.M.D.” (short for “Eat My Dust”), then returned to Dylan’s catalog with “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”. The set closed with the traditional “Red Rocking Chair”, completing the spelled-out homage.

Check out video highlights from Sam Grisman Project’s Bobby Weir set at The Capitol Theatre below. Scroll down for the full setlist.

Sam Grisman Project – “EMD” (David Grisman) – 2/14/26

Sam Grisman Project – “Brokedown Palace” (Grateful Dead) – 2/14/26

Sam Grisman Project – “Red Rocking Chair” (Traditional) – 2/14/26

Setlist: Sam Grisman Project | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chest, NY | 2/14/26
Set: Buckets of Rain (Bob Dylan), Opus 38 (David Grisman) > Shady Grove (Traditional), Brokedown Palace (Grateful Dead), Bound by Love (John Hiatt), You’re a Big Girl Now (Bob Dylan), Waiting for a Miracle (Bruce Cockburn), E.M.D. (David Grisman), It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Bob Dylan), Red Rocking Chair (Traditional)