Phil Lesh has finally joined in on all the remote at-home performances taking place during the live music shutdown due to COVID-19. The former Grateful Dead bassist who celebrated his 80th birthday last month has recruited his frequent Family Band members in Alex Koford, Elliott Peck, Grahame Lesh, Jason Crosby, Nathan Graham, and Ross James for a remote, virtual performance of “Box of Rain”, the ballad co-written by Lesh which appeared on the Dead’s 1970 American Beauty album.
The video for the edited performance was shared to Lesh’s Facebook page on Thursday morning and glides along with the melodic ease for which the beloved ballad is known. With Phil leading the way on vocal duties, Robert Hunter‘s heartfelt lyrics of “Walk into splintered sunlight/Inch your way through dead dreams to another land/Maybe you’re tired and broken/Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken/And thoughts unclear” really strike a chord (no pun intended) with the listener as they connect to the harsh and fragile realities seen across the current state of the country at the moment.
Watch Phil Lesh and the Family Band perform “Box of Rain” from their respective home quarantines below.
Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band – “Box of Rain” [Quarantine Edition]
Last month Lesh was forced to postpone his 80th birthday celebration run of shows at The Capitol Theatre which was set to take place on March 13th-15th. Additionally, LOCKN’ Festival, which was set up to heavily focus on Lesh’s 80th trip around the sun has also since been pushed back to the fall months.