Friends, family, and collaborators of the late Phil Lesh filled The Capitol Theatre on Sunday for night three of Unbroken Chain. Led by Phil’s son Grahame Lesh, the four-night stint of concerts in Port Chester, NY continues the late Grateful Dead bassist’s longtime tradition of celebrating his birthday at The Cap—doubling as an extended celebration of life for the jam-rock icon who passed away in October at 84.

After carting in an array of modern-day collaborators like Rick Mitarotonda (Goose), Eric Krasno (Soulive), and Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company) for nights one and two of Unbroken Chain, Grahame reshuffled the deck and brought in some fresh faces for night three. In contrast to Phil’s contemporary Friends, night three brought in longtime associates Jackie Greene, Larry Campbell, Steve Molitz, Teresa Williams, and ever-present drummer John Molo who—along with Grahame—will play every night of the run.

The show’s initial announcement promised additional special guests, which Grahame delivered with sit-ins by saxophonist Karl Denson, guitarist Tom Hamilton (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), and Adam MacDougall (Circles Around The Sun), plus David Graham and even Phil’s former manager Jonathon Levine. The revered low-end position was filled by Adam Minkoff (Dweezil Zappa) and Phil’s former bass tech Brian Rashap (The Mother Hips) who changed off on Lesh’s famed Big Brown bass—on loan throughout the weekend.

For the most part, Grahame Lesh & Friends kept the setlist classic on Sunday. Forgiving the outlier “So Many Roads” (debuted 1992), the “newest” Dead songs of the show were “Shakedown Street” from the Dead’s 1978 album of the same name and Phil’s “Pride of Cucamonga” from 1974’s From the Mars Hotel.

Grahame & Friends focused instead on classic Dead songs with a noticeable slant toward the ’60s Primal Dead era. After opening with a Greene-sung “China Cat Sunflower”, Campbell took the reins on a case of “Deep Elem Blues”—Denson’s saxophone making a significant impact throughout. “Here Comes Sunshine” gave the band a chance to stretch its legs improvisationally, while “Sitting on Top of the World” threw it way back to the Dead’s ’60s origins, immediately followed by “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning”, a traditional gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson and Reverand Gary Davis as well as the Dead’s San Francisco colleagues Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady of Hot Tuna (and Jefferson Airplane). The first set came to a climactic finish with a roaring half-hour pairing of “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” and “Sugaree”.

Grahame Lesh & Friends — “China Cat Sunflower” (Grateful Dead) > “Deep Elem Blues” (Traditional) [Pro-Shot] — 3/16/25

Grahame Lesh & Friends — “Here Comes Sunshine” (Grateful Dead) — 3/16/25

[Video: themeboudin]

The half-hour sequence that closed set one and the ethereal jam that opened set two before turning into “Shakedown Street” were harbingers of things to come. Grahame & Friends dug deep in the second set, pushing the outer limits of the Dead’s famously elastic songbook. The highlight of the second set, if not the entire night, came with a non-stop movement from “Pride of Cucamonga” through a rollicking “Truckin'” and into a “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” that recalled the Dead’s frenetic—borderline chaotic—acid rock beginnings, before a reprise of “Cucamonga” brought it all back home for a soft landing.

“So Many Roads” prompted tears from fans and friends alike still mourning Lesh’s loss, ahead of a tribute to another Dead associate—The Band drummer Levon Helm with “When I Go Away”. A lysergic-dosed “Cosmic Charlie” brought the energy back up before “I Know You Rider” punctuated the second set—revealing that both sets were sandwiched between “China” > “Rider”. Taking up his father’s mantle, Grahame delivered a donor rap before sending the crowd home with “Sugar Magnolia”.

Stream full-show audio from Unbroken Chain night three at The Capitol Theatre on Internet Archive. Tune in via nugs on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET for night four of Unbroken Chain at The Capitol Theatre featuring Grahame Lesh alongside Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco, and John Molo, a.k.a “The Q.” Revisit Live For Live Music‘s coverage of Unbroken Chain: Friday | Saturday.

Grahame Lesh & Friends — The Capitol Theatre — Port Chester, NY — 3/16/25 — Full Audio

[Video: ckeough]

nugs subscribers can tune into complimentary livestreams of the remaining night of the run here. Not a nugs subscriber? Start with a seven-day free trial. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]

Setlist: Grahame Lesh & Friends | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 3/16/25

Set One: China Cat Sunflower -> Deep Elm Blues (Traditional), Here Come Sunshine, Sitting On Top Of The World (Mississippi Sheiks), Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning (Blind Willie Johnson), Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Sugaree
Set Two: Jam -> Shakedown Street, Pride Of Cucamonga -> Truckin’ -> Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) -> Pride Of Cucamonga, So Many Roads, When I Go Away (Levon Helm), Cosmic Charlie, I Know You Rider (Traditional)
Encore: Donor Rap & Band Intro, Sugar Magnolia