The latest episode of Terrapin TV featured Phil Lesh and his son Grahame playing together live—non-remotely. The Grateful Dead bassist experimented a bit with the format of his regular webcast and provided a full 40 minutes of music from the father-son duo.
The previous three installments of Terrapin TV have featured an array of musicians from Phish‘s Mike Gordon to singer-songwriter Anders Osborne. The webcast also raises money for the workers at Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue and restaurant in San Rafael, CA.
The pair immediately distinguish this edition of Terrapin TV from the others by kicking off with “Liberty”. The somewhat controversial (depending on who you ask) Dead tune from the mid-1990s is a little tough to understand from behind Grahame’s protective mask, but the gesture shines through clearer than any lyrics. The Leshs showed that this wouldn’t be just another week of the Grateful Dead’s greatest hits played on acoustic guitars. Despite some minor technical difficulties, such as some crackling sound and a beach umbrella getting in Grahame’s face, the two rage on with “Uncle John’s Band”.
Between the two songs, it becomes immediately apparent that Phil and Grahame are playing together in the same backyard. Despite the split-screen appearance of two separate clips strung together in post-editing (which passes for “live” during the pandemic), Grahame points out that the two are standing roughly 25 feet from each other. The simple act of playing with one another finally allows the musicians to explore the Grateful Dead music in the proper way that can only be done in a live setting. Unfortunately, the sound cuts out for the entire third song (where’s Owsley when you need him?) but the two roll on with “Shakedown Street” and, finally, “Bertha”.
Watch Phil and Grahame Lesh perform together on the latest installment of Terrapin TV.
Terrapin TV — Episode 4 — 5/25/20
[Video: Terrapin Crossroads]
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