Summary
Retrospective account of Bob Weir’s final concert — August 3, 2025, at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco — the last of three shows celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary. Published the day of Weir’s death. Describes the setlist, guest appearances, and emotional final moments on stage.
Key Points
- Final concert: August 3, 2025, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco — final night of three 60th-anniversary shows.
- First night without fog all weekend; thousands of Deadheads in attendance, many for all three nights.
- Special guests: Trey Anastasio (Phish) on “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain”; Grahame Lesh (son of Phil) on “Broken Arrow” and “Cumberland Blues.”
- Final song of Weir’s life: “Touch of Grey” — Grateful Dead’s only Top 10 hit (1987).
- Closing moment: Weir and Mickey Hart stepped forward together for one final bow.
- No one in attendance knew it would be his final show.
Newsletter Angles
- The final set list as unintentional epitaph: “Touch of Grey” (“I will get by / I will survive”) as the closing lyric of a 60-year career is almost too neat — but it actually happened.
- Grahame Lesh appearing in tribute to his late father Phil Lesh (who died in 2024) layers the generational succession story: the Dead’s music is now being carried by children of founding members.
- The image of Weir performing while undergoing cancer treatment — the physicality of commitment to music as a form of identity.
Entities Mentioned
- Bob Weir — subject; final performance
- Dead and Company — performing band
- Grateful Dead — anniversary being celebrated; 60 years
- Mickey Hart — drummer; stood with Weir for final bow
- Trey Anastasio — guest; Phish frontman
- Grahame Lesh — son of Phil Lesh; played with band
- John Mayer — lead vocalist/guitarist for Dead & Company; led “Sugaree” and “Sugar Magnolia”
Concepts Mentioned
- Jam Band Genre — the tradition being celebrated and continued
Quotes
“Weir looked like a psychedelic rock wizard, his moves and playing conjuring up images from Grateful Dead’s long and influential career.”
Notes
Published the day Weir died; written as a look-back at the final show. Tone is elegiac but celebratory. The concert coverage itself is thin — mostly setlist detail and atmosphere. Most useful for the image of Weir performing during cancer treatment as an act of will.