Phil Lesh & Friends traveled to Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, CO on Saturday for the final stop on a three-night Colorado run that also saw shows in Vail and Dillon. The Grateful Dead bassist’s Friends included guitarists Stu Allen and Grahame Lesh, drummer John Molo, and keyboardist Holly Bowling.

The show began with Lesh taking lead vocals on “Mississippi Hal-Step Uptown Toodeloo”. The serene guitar leads from Allen soon gave way to the dark funk of “West L.A. Fadeaway”, where the guitarist took over lead vocals. Phil & Friends reached back into the Dead’s catalog for “Til The Morning Comes” from American Beauty, before cycling back around to the latter-era tearjerker “So Many Roads”. Following the penultimate “Crazy Fingers”, “Deal” closed out the first set.

Phil Lesh & Friends — “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”, “West L.A. Fadeaway” — Lyons, CO — 9/18/21

[Video: Relix]

Phil Lesh & Friends — “Deal” — Lyons, CO — 9/18/21

[Video: Sam Lenz]

Related: Phil Lesh & Friends Revisit “Uncle John’s Band” For Georgia Comes Alive [Watch]

Returning for set two, the ensemble dove headfirst into improvisation with the Gold Standard of “Dark Star”. Somewhere along the way, the jam juggernaut took a detour into “Eyes Of The World” before reemerging for the ending of “Dark Star”. The jams never stopped, however, as the ensemble delivered a “St. Stephen” that ultimately led into the “Mountain Jam” theme. “Cryptical Envelopment” came next but, rather leading into “The Other One”, instead rolled on through to “New Speedway Boogie” and finally “Sugaree” before the first stoppage in play of the second set. Phil Lesh & Friends closed out the second frame with “Uncle John’s Band” before breaking for an encore.

Phil Lesh & Friends — “Dark Star” — Lyons, CO — 9/18/21

[Video: Relix]

Phil Lesh & Friends — “St. Stephen” — Lyons, CO — 9/18/21

[Video: Suskihana]

The rollicking rhythms of the instrumental “King Solomon’s Marbles” came in the first encore slot prior to a “Touch Of Grey” that closed the show. One thousand miles and a time zone away, Lesh’s former bandmates Bob WeirBill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart would also close their Dead & Company show at Wrigley Field with “Touch Of Grey” that same night.

Phil Lesh & Friends — “Touch Of Grey” — Lyons, CO — 9/18/21

[Video: Suskihana]

Phil Lesh returns to the stage on October 11th to begin his three-weekend, nine-show Halloween residency at The Capitol Theatre. The first weekend of shows, October 11th—13th, will see the bassist reunite Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, John Molo, and Rob Barraco to form the Phil Lesh Quintet—otherwise known as The Q—for the first time since 2016. For tickets and a full list of tour dates click here. Scroll down to check out a gallery of images from Phil Lesh & Friends at Planet Bluegrass on Saturday courtesy of photographer Elliot Siff.

Setlist: Phil Lesh & Friends | Planet Bluegrass | Lyons, CO | 9/18/21

Set One: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, West L.A. Fadeaway, Til The Morning Comes, So Many Roads, Crazy Fingers, Deal

Set Two: Dark Star > Eyes Of The World > Dark Star > St. Stephen > Mountain Jam > Cryptical Envelopment > New Speedway Boogie > Sugaree, Uncle John’s Band

Encore: King Solomon’s Marbles, Touch Of Grey