Founding Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh will join forces with Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline of Wilco and an all-star band of friends for the first-ever PHILCO performance at Chicago’s Sacred Rose on Friday, August 26th.
In addition to Lesh, Tweedy, and Cline, the special PHILCO set at the inaugural Sacred Rose (8/26–8/28) will feature multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Karl Denson (The Rolling Stones, The Greyboy Allstars), keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (Dead & Company), drummer John Molo (Phil Lesh & Friends), guitarist Stu Allen (Phil & Friends, Dark Star Orchestra), guitarist Grahame Lesh (Midnight North, Phil & Friends), and Elliott Peck (Midnight North).
Phil Lesh and Wilco first crossed paths back in 1999 when the Grateful Dead bassist joined the alt-rockers for a rendition of “Ripple” during a set at the Mountain Aire Festival in the Dead’s motherland, Northern California. In 2019, Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band returned the favor when they covered “Misunderstood” during a show in Wilco’s hometown, Chicago, IL.
Wilco’s connection with the Dead canon extends beyond the band’s connection with Phil. In 2016, Wilco joined forces with Lesh’s Grateful Dead bandmate Bob Weir for a rendition of “St. Stephen” as part of the extensive Day of the Dead covers project curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National.
As Jeff Tweedy said of the unprecedented full-set collaboration, “Nels and I are honored to be asked to join Phil and Friends for Sacred Rose. There has been so much about Phil and the Dead to be inspired by over the years, from their longtime musical brotherhood to their wonderful and incomparable music, to their relentless touring and longevity. But perhaps the biggest inspiration is their dedication to the community that has grown up around them. This is a trait that we in Wilco deeply appreciate and have aimed to emulate over the years. There’s nothing better than playing music with your friends, for your friends.”
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The eclectic lineup for the inaugural Sacred Rose features a mix of Americana, psych-rock, jam, indie, soul, jazz, funk, and bluegrass acts including Khruangbin, The War On Drugs, Black Pumas, Umphrey’s McGee, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Goose, STS9, Greensky Bluegrass, Kamasi Washington, Animal Collective, Margo Price, and many more.
Three-day and single-day tickets for Sacred Rose on August 26th, 27th, and 28th are on sale here. View the full artist lineup and daily schedules below.
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