A multigenerational lineup of New Orleans music legends and Grateful Dead disciples including George Porter Jr., Eric Krasno, Karina Rykman, Jay Lane, Duane Betts, members of moe., The Disco Biscuits, Dumpstaphunk, and more came together last night at the Joy Theater for A Dream We Dreamed: A New Orleans Tribute to Phil Lesh.

The venue was abuzz before showtime as hopeful fans scrounged for last-minute tickets to the sold-out performance. Directed by Ross James, who played both guitar and bass throughout the night, the rotating band kicked things off with a set of classic songs and deeper cuts, starting with “Brown-Eyed Women”, which saw Duane Betts handle lead vocals. Nicki Bluhm then took the lead on Pigpen-era throwback “Easy Wind” before ceding the spotlight back to Betts for a stoic version of “Althea”.

A Dream We Dreamed: A New Orleans Tribute to Phil Lesh – “Brown-Eyed Women”, “Easy Wind” – 5/1/25

Following in the tradition of the Grateful Dead’s rhythm devil duo of Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, Jay Lane and moe.’s Vinnie Amico made for a perfect pairing, anchoring the rhythm section as the band’s lineup constantly transformed before them. Amico’s toms sat high in the mix, calling to mind Mickey Hart’s penchant for adding big tom fills while Kreutzmann held down the groove. Their chemistry would continue to develop throughout the night as they egged each other on, pushing themselves to greater heights.

Disco Biscuits keyboardist and Billy & the Kids alum Aron Magner was another regular fixture on the Joy Theater stage, though he temporarily shared the piano bench with Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan Neville, who took the lead on the Phil Lesh-favored Robbie Robertson deep cut “Broken Arrow”.

The traditional pairing of “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain” was a highlight of the first set, with Dumpstaphunk bassist Tony Hall handling lead vocals on the latter, accompanied by Trey Anastasio Band‘s Jennifer Hartswick and Bluhm on background vocals.

moe.’s Al Shnier then sang lead alongside his bandmate Rob Derhak on bass for the set one closer—a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”.

The band returned from set break reinvigorated, with Karina Rykman making her first appearance during “The Music Never Stopped”. Ross James handled lead vocals, but Jennifer Hartswick’s powerful pipes also shined during the part of the song once sung by Donna Jean Godchaux.

Rykman found herself in a double bass duel with Tony Hall during “Shakedown Street”, which also featured a substantive solo from Aron Magner, who bounced back and forth between old-school organ and futuristic synth sounds.

One of the second set’s major highlights was a string of songs sung by The Meters bassist George Porter Jr., starting with “They Love Each Other”. He told the story of how he fell in love with the song “Eyes of the World” and always wanted to sing it before doing just that. Both songs benefitted from his gruff, soulful voice and laidback, behind-the-beat feel.

A Dream We Dreamed: A New Orleans Tribute to Phil Lesh – “They Love Each Other” – 5/1/25

Krasno, James, Magner, Hartswick, and Bluhm all exited the stage at the end of George Porter Jr.’s bass solo, leaving him on stage alone with the two drummers as they delved into a thunderous “Drums” duet.

When the rest of the band returned, “Drums” flowed directly into a brilliant “Turn On Your Love Light”, which included teases of the Allman Brothers Band‘s “Jessica” from Krasno.

George Porter Jr. and Krasno then traded verses on “Sugaree”, with George’s subtle swing adding a sensual swagger to the Grateful Dead staple.

Krasno told the audience that George Porter Jr. was one of Phil Lesh’s favorite bassists and described the wild night in New Orleans he shared with Lesh, which culminated with the Grateful Dead bassist inconspicuously singing along to “Fire on the Mountain” in the crowd at the legendary Maple Leaf. He went on to add that Phil Lesh loved New Orleans and thanked Ross James for putting the band together before the band went into “Cassidy”, which featured Nicki Bluhm and Aron Magner singing together. The song included a full-on psychedelic jam with Kras and Ross James exchanging noodley licks as the band pushed the form to its outer limits.

They then segued smoothly into the unmistakeable blues shuffle of “Deal”, which closed out the second set on a high note with Kras and Al Shnier trading verses throughout the tune.

Before the encore, Ross James reflected on playing with Phil Lesh at the same venue six years earlier, bringing the tribute concert full circle before the evening culminated with an emotional rendition of “Brokedown Palace”. Jennifer Hartswick brought down the house with her powerhouse pipes as a montage of Phil Lesh photos appeared on the screens to either side of the stage. It was a fitting end to an unforgettable night dedicated to one of the jam band world’s most beloved and influential figures.

A Dream We Dreamed: A NOLA Tribute to Phil Lesh – “Brokedown Palace” [Pro-Shot] – 5/1/25

Click below to check out photos from A Dream We Dreamed: A New Orleans Tribute to Phil Lesh courtesy of Jay Strausser and Dave Vann. The entire show is available to stream via nugs.

This show was part of Live For Live Music‘s Fest by Nite series, which continues throughout the weekend with shows including Mike Gordon, BTTRFLY Quintet, Boyfriend, The Adam Deitch Quartet, and can’t-miss collaborations Crescent City Classics (featuring. members of The Meters, Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, and more) and The Funk Sessions (featuring Skerik, Adam Deitch, Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff, Erick “Jesus” Coomes, and special guest Ashlin Parker). Find the full lineup of upcoming events here.

Setlist: A Dream We Dreamed: A New Orleans Tribute to Phil Lesh | Joy Theater | New Orleans, LA | 5/1/25
Set 1: Brown-Eyed Women, Easy Wind, Althea, Broken Arrow, Scarlet Begonias, Fire on the Mountain, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
Set 2: The Music Never Stopped, Shakedown Street, They Love Each Other, Eyes of the World, Drums, Turn On Your Love Light, Sugaree, Cassidy, Deal
Encore: Brokedown Palace