The spirit of Jerry Garcia filled Boston’s Symphony Hall this week as an all-star lineup of Garcia collaborators and torchbearers teamed up with the Boston Pops for the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration.
Under the baton of Keith Lockhart, the ensemble was joined by longtime Jerry Garcia Band members Melvin Seals (keyboards) and Jacklyn LaBranch (vocals), Dead & Company bassist Oteil Burbridge, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Tom Hamilton, drummer John Morgan Kimock, and powerhouse vocalist Lady Chi. Together, they breathed new life into Garcia’s timeless repertoire with symphonic arrangements of classic material from the Jerry Garcia Band and Grateful Dead songbooks.
Kicking things off on Tuesday, the ensemble opened with a trio of Jerry Garcia originals, setting the tone for a night of reverent celebration with “Cats Down Under the Stars”, “The Wheel”, and “Bird Song”. Then they dove into the Grateful Dead catalog with “China Cat Sunflower”, which flowed into an instrumental tease of its usual companion “I Know You Rider”, followed by “West L.A. Fadeaway” and a set-closing “Deal”.
Set two dug deeper into the Garcia canon, with highlights including a haunting “Rubin and Cherise”, a jubilant “Shakedown Street”, and a soul-stirring take on Bonnie Dobson‘s “Morning Dew”. “Run for the Roses” and the ever-epic “Terrapin Station” brought orchestral majesty to the forefront, while “Touch of Grey” capped the second set with a cathartic sing-along.
The band returned without the orchestra for a feel-good encore of Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally”, letting the core lineup stretch out in a looser, more familiar jam band format.
Wednesday’s encore performance followed basically the same setlist, with “Ripple” replacing “Touch of Grey” as the second set closer and “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” in the encore slot.
The two-night tribute was a rare intersection of classical and improvisational music, underscoring the enduring influence of Garcia’s work across genres and generations.
Related: Bob Weir Reflects On Kennedy Center Orchestral Run On NPR [Listen]
Click below to watch a collection of fan-shot videos from the Symphony Hall shows, and scroll down to view the setlists.
The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration will continue next month as Seals, LaBranch, Burbridge, Hamilton, Lady Chi, and Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks join forces with the Colorado Symphony on Sunday, July 6th at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. Tickets are still available here.
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Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration – “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” Tease – 6/3/25
[Video: Edso&Guinness at Break]
Setlist: Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration | Symphony Hall | Boston, MA | 6/3/25
Set 1: Cats Down Under the Stars, The Wheel, Bird Song, China Cat Sunflower [1], West L.A. Fadeaway, Deal
Set 2: Rubin and Cherise, Shakedown Street, Morning Dew (Bonnie Dobson), Run for the Roses, Terrapin Station, Touch of Grey
Encore: Lay Down Sally (Eric Clapton)
[1] “I Know You Rider” tease.
Setlist: Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration | Symphony Hall | Boston, MA | 6/4/25
Set 1: Cats Down Under the Stars, The Wheel, Bird Song, China Cat Sunflower [1], West L.A. Fadeaway, Deal
Set 2: Rubin and Cherise, Shakedown Street, Morning Dew (Bonnie Dobson), Run for the Roses, Terrapin Station, Ripple
Encore: That’s What Love Will Make You Do (Little Milton)
[1] “I Know You Rider” tease.