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The Grateful Dead is honored — and rainbow grilled cheese served — at starry MusiCares gala

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Last Friday evening, a blend of die-hard fans and influential figures attended the yearly MusiCares Person of the Year event, where the Grateful Dead members were recognized by the Recording Academy for their charitable efforts and significant cultural influence, which dates back to the formation of the legendary jam band in 1965.

Not focusing on longevity was never a priority for us,” Bobby Weir joked as he received the award, drawing laughter from the crowd. “Our aim was simply to illuminate people’s lives with our music and bring joy wherever we went, and I believe we managed to do just that.

During Grammy weekend, a charity event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with a dress code of “colorful black tie.” This event raised over $5 million for music professionals impacted by the wildfires in L.A. last month. As attendees enjoyed rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches, host Andy Cohen moved among the sophisticated crowd, seeking celebrities to interview on camera. At one point, he approached his friend John Mayer and posed a curious question: which Grateful Dead song is the most suggestive? John Mayer humorously replied, “Looks Like Rain,” a song that describes the sound of street cats making love.

Music

Before the 67th Grammy Awards on Sunday, here’s a list, arranged in order, of all the 66 winning tracks for the Record of the Year award since the Recording Academy started in 1959.

Despite not being in immediate danger, the long-lasting impact of The Dead significantly increased last year as Dead & Company, featuring 77-year-old Weir and 81-year-old Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, and Oteil Burbridge, played a series of sold-out shows at Sphere in Las Vegas. These events appeared to trend on TikTok every weekend, attracting both young and old fans who came together to honor the band.

Vampire Weekend played a tight rendition of “Scarlet Begonias,” and Maren Morris delivered an emotional version of “They Love Each Other.” Noah Kahan and Béla Fleck provided a folksy yet meticulous take on “Friend of the Devil,” while Norah Jones flowed gracefully through “Ripple.” The War and Treaty did a fiery interpretation of “Samson and Delilah” with assistance from Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland, a drummer from the Police. Dwight Yoakam infused “Truckin'” with a strong country vibe; the War on Drugs sought a wistful momentum for “Box of Rain.

On this particular evening, Wynonna Judd stood out as both the musical and emotional peak. Speaking of her close companions, she referred to Weir as her “chosen family,” expressing gratitude for his performance at her mother Naomi’s funeral in 2022. The crowd was brought to their feet by a lively rendition of “Ramble on Rose.” Other artists who performed included Zac Brown, Billy Strings, Sammy Hagar, Bruce Hornsby, My Morning Jacket, and the duo Sierra Ferrell and Lukas Nelson who harmoniously sang “It Must Have Been the Roses.”

At the concert that night, Don Was led an exceptional backing group which included Rick Mitarotonda from the rising jam band Goose and Grahame Lesh, the son of Phil Lesh, the Dead’s original bassist who passed away last year at 84, not long after being honored by MusiCares. The legacy of Jerry Garcia, the Dead’s creative genius, was carried on by his daughter Trixie, and Bill Kreutzmann, the band’s founding drummer, sent a video message together with his son Justin.

In his speech, Weir expressed that the life on the road is tough, as shown by the fact that only a few of his former bandmates were present to accept this recognition. Following their comments, actor Woody Harrelson shared stories about his extensive drug use with Garcia. Later, Weir and Hart performed alongside Dead & Company for a short set of classic songs, culminating in a heartfelt rendition of the Dead’s unexpected late-80s pop hit, “Touch of Grey.

“I will get by,” they sang with help from the crowd, “I will survive.”

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2025-02-01 23:01

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