Trey Anastasio Honors Jerry Garcia, Joins Dead & Co For “Scarlet” > “Fire” At GD60 Finale [Photos/Videos/Audio]

Dead & Company returned to Golden Gate Park on Sunday to close out an unforgettable weekend celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. After teaming up with Billy Strings and Sturgill Simpson (a.k.a. Johnny Blue Skies) on Friday and Saturday, the wheel came full circle as the group welcomed Phish‘s Trey Anastasio to open the show with his solo band and then sit in on a classic pairing of “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain”. For longtime followers of the Dead, the collaboration evoked memories of 2015’s Fare Thee Well shows and underscored just what a long strange trip the past ten years—let alone the last 60—have been.

No one could have predicted a decade ago that Fare Thee Well would be the last time the Grateful Dead “Core Four” graced the stage together. Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Phil Lesh had expected to reunite again this year, but with Lesh’s departure from the earthly realm (and Kreutzmann’s exit from Dead & Company), there was no choice but to pivot—”you can’t go back and you can’t stand still,” as Robert Hunter put it. Nor could anyone have foreseen that the 50th anniversary run would precipitate a mainstream cultural resurgence for the Grateful Dead, resulting in several years of Dead & Company stadium tours that brought a whole new generation of Deadheads to the well. After 60 years, the band’s legacy only continues to grow, making GD60 more than a tribute to the past, but a testament to the enduring spirit of the Grateful Dead’s music and community.

Trey Anastasio Band started Sunday’s festivities off with an opening set highlighted by a touching tribute to Jerry Garcia. “I saw my first Dead show in 1981 at the New Haven Coliseum and fell in love with all of it,” Anastasio told the crowd. “But I want to, right at this moment, do a particularly heartfelt shoutout to Mr. Jerry Garcia, who we’re all here to celebrate. I think to myself, looking at this crowd, this guy came along—and here we all are, all these years later.” He continued, “Wherever you are, standing up on your moon or whatever, Jerry, thank you for everything you gave us. It’s incomprehensible, the amount of joy. We’re all here. We’re all here.” Anastasio went on to channel his reverence and express his love for Garcia with a stirring cover of “Mission in the Rain” before finishing the set with a mix of songs from the Phish and TAB catalogs.

Trey Anastasio Band – “Mission In The Rain” (Jerry Garcia) – 8/3/25

[Video: Todd Norris]

When Dead & Company finally hit the stage for their grand finale, it was time to let the “Good Times” roll. Opening with the upbeat Sam Cooke classic, they tapped into the Dead’s exploratory ethos with the time-tested combination of “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider”, followed by Garcia’s “They Love Each other”, a patient yet groovy “Shakedown Street”, and a dynamic “Deal” to finish off the first frame.

Dead & Company – “Good Time” (Sam Cooke), “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” (Traditional) – 8/3/25

At the start of set two, John Mayer welcomed Trey back to the stage to sit in on “Scarlet” > “Fire”. The two guitarists locked into a spirited exchange, with Weir weaving seamlessly through their improvised dialogue. They passed the mic around during “Fire on the Mountain”, so to speak, as Oteil Burbridge, Weir, and Trey each took a verse before Mickey delivered his iconic rap.

Dead & Company With Trey Anastasio – “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire On The Mountain” – 8/3/25

[Video: Todd Norris]

To honor the memory of Phil Lesh, his son Grahame Lesh once again joined the band, wielding his father’s “Big Brown” bass for a Mayer-led cover of Robbie Robertson‘s “Broken Arrow”. After passing the bass baton back to Oteil for “Hell in a Bucket”, Grahame returned for “Cumberland Blues”, which was the last song before Captain Mickey took command of the stage during “Drums”.

A brief voyage through “Space” followed the rhythmic fireworks, eventually settling into the celestial calm of the Weir-led ballad “Standing on the Moon”. From there, a sweet double dose of “Sugaree” and “Sugar Magnolia” lifted the energy back up, before a “Touch of Grey” singalong brought the evening to a triumphant close.

 

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After a collective bow, the band exited the stage, leaving Bob and Mickey to share one final moment in the spotlight. As they stood together, soaking in the cheers and applause, there was a palpable sense of love and appreciation. It was a fitting end to GD60—a celebration marked by heartfelt tributes and memorable collaborations underscoring how the music of the Grateful Dead continues to resonate across generations. Sixty years on, the spirit of the Dead lives on through the community they’ve created, and there’s no doubt their songs will continue to bring people together for many more years to come.

Below, listen to a full audio recording, watch a selection of videos, and view a gallery of photos by Jay Blakesberg and Alive Coverage from the final night of Dead & Company in Golden Gate Park.

Dead & Company – Golden Gate Park – San Francisco, CA – 8/3/25

[Audio: ckeough]

Dead & Company – “They Love Each Other” – 8/3/25

[Video: Todd Norris]

Setlist: Dead & Company | Golden Gate Park | San Francisco, CA | 8/3/25
Set 1: Good Times (Sam Cooke), China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider (Traditional), They Love Each Other, Shakedown Street (with teases of ‘Ghost’ and The Commodores’ ‘Brick House’), Deal
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias (with Trey Anastasio) (with teases of ‘Manteca’ and ‘Good Lovin’) > Fire on the Mountain (with Trey Anastasio) (Mickey does FOTM rap), Broken Arrow (Robbie Robertson) (with Grahame Lesh) (without Oteil Burbridge) (Grahame playing Phil Lesh’s bass ‘Big Brown’), Hell in a Bucket, Cumberland Blues (with Grahame Lesh) > Drums > Space (with elements of ‘My Funny Valentine’) > Standing on the Moon, Sugaree, Sugar Magnolia (Without ‘Sunshine Daydream’), Touch of Grey

Setlist: Trey Anastasio Band | Golden Gate Park | San Francisco, CA | 8/3/25
Set 1: The Moma Dance, Mozambique, Sand, Magilla, Alive Again, Mission in the Rain (Jerry Garcia) (live debut by TAB), What’s Going Through Your Mind, Love Is What We Are, Camel Walk, Wolfman’s Brother, Shine, Everything’s Right, Ghost