Review: BOBBY WEIR AND WOLFPACK at Mershon Auditorium

You can't kill what's already Dead.

By: Sep. 27, 2023
Review: BOBBY WEIR AND WOLFPACK at Mershon Auditorium

You can’t kill what’s already Dead.

The Grateful Dead officially ended Aug. 9, 1995, with the death of Jerry Garcia and Dead & Company played the last stop of its final tour on July 17. However, their music and their fan base simply won’t go away.

To quote Miracle Max from the movie THE PRINCESS BRIDE, “It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

Bobby Weir and the Wolfpack proved that the spirit of the Grateful Dead is not just slightly alive, but being reinvented. Weir and his nine-member jam band gave some of the Dead’s massive song book a jazzy overhaul at Mershon Auditorium on Sept. 26.

The irony of playing Mershon was not lost on the Grateful Dead co-founder.

“If my memory serves me correctly, I’ve been here before,” said Weir, barefooted and wearing an Army fatigue green t-shirt that offset his shockingly gray hair and beard. “Mershon was one of our first gigs and there were only a couple of hundred people here.”

The last time the Dead played Mershon was Sept. 30, 1976, and the opening song that night was, fittingly, “The Music Never Stopped.”

Thanks to Weir and other Dead alums, the Grateful Dead catalog will be around for a long time. The Wolfpack is one of a handful of bands powered by Dead alumni. Phil Lesh, who wasn’t part of Dead & Company, heads up Phil Lesh & Friends and Bill Kreutzmann fronts Billy & the Kids.

For this tour, Weir enlisted long time collaborators Don Was (bass), Jay Lane (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keyboards) and Barry Sless (pedal steel). He then added a string and horn quintet of Sheldon Brown (multiple woodwind instruments), Alex Kelly (cello), Brian Switzer (trumpet), Adam Theis (trombone), and Mads Tolling (violin).

The group grooved through a 17-song set that included seven Dead tunes, one Garcia song, and two songs the Dead used to cover frequently, Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues” and the Memphis Jug Band’s “Viola Lee Blues.”

The band, which was coming off a three-song set at the Farm Aid concert Sept. 23 at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Ind., started its Mershon show with “Viola Lee” segueing into “Workin’ Man Blues” and “Hell in a Bucket.”

When it was just Weir, Was, Sless, Lane, and Chimenti, the Wolfpack had its trademark long guitar solos, drum breaks, and crowd sing-a-longs, especially on “Brown-Eyed Woman” and “I Need a Miracle.” Often Weir seemed to be slowing the pace of the classics as well as his only solo effort of the evening, “Only a River.” At times, it was hard to figure out where one song ended and the other began.  

The string and brass quintet seemed infuse energy into the band and the crowd. The five jazzed up Garcia’s “Bird Song” and powered through covers of Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee” and the Beatles’ “Come Together” with a little snippet of “Eleanor Rigby” thrown in at the end. The band has an affinity for the Beatles, covering “Dear Prudence” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” earlier on the tour.

One of the songs that seemed to hit all the right chords with the audience was Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” a cover tune that seems as poignant now as it did when it was released.

The band closed out the show with the Dead’s signature piece, “Ripple.” The words seem to be tailor made for the evening: If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine/And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung/Would you hear my voice come through the music?/Would you hold it near as it were your own?

The Grateful Dead alumni shouldn’t worry about such things. As long as there are groups like the Wolfpack reimagining their tunes, the Dead’s music will continue long after the musicians retire.

Photo Credit: Karen Scott

BroadwayWorld Awards Voting

RELATED STORIES - Columbus

1
CAPA To Present The Wood Brothers At Southern Theatre in Spring 2024 Photo
CAPA To Present The Wood Brothers At Southern Theatre in Spring 2024

The Wood Brothers will be performing at the Southern Theatre in spring 2024. Get tickets starting at $35.

2
Photos: First look at Hilliard Arts Councils CHARLES DICKENS A CHRISTMAS CAROL Photo
Photos: First look at Hilliard Arts Council's CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A holiday tradition for over 25 years, the Hilliard Arts Council is producing its annual performances of A Christmas Carol in December. Adapted from the beloved classic story by Charles Dickens, this multi-generational production is the Hilliard Art Council’s annual charity event with all proceeds going to Hilliard Food Pantry and Firefighters for Kids. Enjoyed by people of all ages, A Christmas Carol is a true family event – with a 1 hour runtime, it’s a great theatrical experience even for young children. Performances run Thursday, December 7th at 7:00pm, Friday, December 8th at 7:00pm, Saturday, December 9th at 2:00pm, and 7:00pm, Sunday, December 10th at 3:00pm, at Hilliard Civic and Cultural Arts Center, 5425 Center St, Hilliard, OH 43026. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.hilliardartscouncil.org/

3
Broadway In Columbus to Present TINA – The Tina Turner Musical  in 2024 Photo
Broadway In Columbus to Present TINA – The Tina Turner Musical in 2024

Broadway in Columbus presents TINA - The Tina Turner Musical. Don't miss this electrifying show featuring the iconic music and inspiring story of Tina Turner.

4
CAPA to Present Valentines-Themed Concert With Over The Rhine At The Lincoln Theatre Photo
CAPA to Present Valentine's-Themed Concert With Over The Rhine At The Lincoln Theatre

Over the Rhine returns to Columbus for a Valentine's-themed concert on February 9, 2024, at the Lincoln Theatre.

Videos


CCT's Mr. Scrooge in Columbus CCT's Mr. Scrooge
CCT (12/01-12/23)Tracker
It's A Wonderful Life (A Live Radio Play) in Columbus It's A Wonderful Life (A Live Radio Play)
Licking County Players (12/01-12/10)
The Cher Show (Non-Equity) in Columbus The Cher Show (Non-Equity)
Vern Riffe Center for the Arts (1/25-1/25)
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)! in Columbus Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)!
Pickerington Community Theatre (12/01-12/10)
Kinky Boots in Columbus Kinky Boots
The Garden (11/24-12/31)
Elf The Musical in Columbus Elf The Musical
Weathervane Playhouse (12/19-12/29)
Moulin Rouge! in Columbus Moulin Rouge!
Ohio Theatre (1/02-1/14)
Clue in Columbus Clue
Ohio Theatre (4/09-4/14)
The Lion King in Columbus The Lion King
Ohio Theatre (6/12-7/07)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in Columbus The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Victoria Players Children's Theater (12/15-12/17)
VIEW ALL SHOWS  ADD A SHOW  

Recommended For You