Grahame Lesh will carry on his dad’s legacy at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park next month by headlining Suwannee Amp Jam #2. The Live Oak, FL festival will culminate on Saturday, February 28th, with a Grahame & Friends set featuring longtime Phil Lesh Friends Warren Haynes, Rob Barraco, and John Molo, plus Wilco’s Nels Cline [get tickets].

The Grateful Dead legacy is one built on tradition, and as founders Phil Lesh and Bob Weir pass on, keeping those traditions alive is more important than ever. While Phil didn’t have the most decorated Suwannee resume (compared to the likes of the Allman Brothers Band or String Cheese Incident), the bassist did last play the Park in 2018 for what proved to be the final Wanee Music Festival. Phil anchored the lineup for two nights alongside his Terrapin Family Band which included, among others, his son Grahame on guitar. The two nights also featured sit-ins from Neal Casal, Adam MacDougall, and Marcus King.

Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band — Wanee Festival — Live Oak, FL — 4/21/18 — Full Audio

[Audio: Zmanatl]

But that wasn’t where Phil’s Suwannee story was supposed to end. The bassist was due to bring a lineup of Friends back to the Park for Wanee’s springtime heir Suwannee Rising in April 2020, which was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID pandemic. Fast forward two years, and Phil was once again scheduled to return to Suwannee. This time, Phil & Friends were set to headline the far-reaching Echoland Festival in May 2022, which was unfortunately canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Phil Lesh would pass away in October 2024 at the age of 84, leaving behind a lifetime of music.

Since Phil’s death, his son Grahame has taken up his father’s legacy. Sometimes this has taken a quite literal form as Grahame—a guitar player by trade with his band, Midnight North—will bring out his dad’s Big Brown bass for special performances. Additionally, the younger Lesh has helmed a series of tributes to his dad, most recently joining forces with Haynes for a set honoring Phil at Warren’s annual Christmas Jam benefit concert. For Amp Jam, though, they will bring something new and special.

Warren Haynes & Grahame Lesh Tribute To Phil Lesh, Maggie Rose, Al Schnier — “Sugaree” — 12/13/25

[Video: conrad sullivan]

Suwannee Amp Jam #2 will see Grahame stage a nearly complete reunion of his dad’s most famous lineup of Friends, The Phil Lesh Quintet or most commonly known as “The Q.” Reprising their roles are Haynes, Dark Star Orchestra keyboardist Rob Barraco, and drummer John Molo, with Grahame in place of Phil on bass.

Taking the place of original Q guitarist Jimmy Herring is Nels Cline, widely known as Wilco’s lead guitarist since 2004. Though he’s most associated with the seminal Chicago alt-folk rock group, Cline’s style inside and outside Wilco is far more experimental. Whether it’s one-off late-night shows in New Orleans during Jazz Fest or his supergroup with John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Scott Metzger, Cline pushes already improvisational music past all preconceived limitations. And in the world of the Grateful Dead, there are already very few boundaries.

By combining a lineup so entrenched in the post-Jerry Garcia history of the Grateful Dead with a relative outsider, Grahame is already establishing his own legacy as a keeper of the flame. As the music world mourns Bobby’s death—which further amplifies the loss of Phil—what Grahame is doing reflects how the band’s music will continue to grow and evolve through the years, just as it has been doing since 1965. And while Deadheads around the world wonder what comes next, there’s surely some catharsis to come from heading to Florida to grieve together and listen to the music play.

See the debut of Grahame Lesh, Warren Haynes, Nels Cline, Rob Barraco, and John Molo at Suwannee Amp Jam #2, set for February 26th–28th. Warren Haynes will also stage two sets by his solo band on Friday, in addition to two sets of Umphrey’s McGee (including an “All Night Wrong” cover set with Jennifer Hartswick, Skerik, Alex Wasily, Roosevelt Collier), The Nth Power, Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk playing Sly & The Family Stone, Roosevelt Collier Band, Perpetual Groove’s Brock Butler Band, Family Company‘s first-ever festival performance, and more. Purchase tickets here.