Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on October 27, 2025
This November, David Nelson, co-founder of New Riders of the Purple Sage, returns to Marin County with a hand-picked ensemble of musical companions for a two-night celebration titled the Harvest Hootenanny, taking place November 8 and 9, 2025, at the Fairfax Pavilion.
The event brings together a stellar lineup of artists for a weekend honoring the roots of the California country-rock sound and the improvisational spirit that has long defined the Bay Area music scene.
For more than five decades, David Nelson has stood at the heart of the California sound—blending country, folk, and psychedelic influences into a uniquely American style. From his early collaborations with Jerry Garcia to his years with New Riders of the Purple Sage, Nelson remains a living link to one of the most creative eras in West Coast music.
“When I play in Marin, it always feels like a homecoming,” Nelson says. “The songs tell their stories, but the real magic happens between the people on stage and in the crowd.”
For the Harvest Hootenanny, Nelson is joined by a remarkable cast of musicians who share his affinity for Americana music and sense of musical adventure:
• Jackie Greene – Acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Phil Lesh & Friends and The Black Crowes
• Garrett Deloian – Guitarist and frontman of Jerry’s Middle Finger, channeling the fiery improvisation of the Dead with a style all his own
• Pete Grant – Legendary pedal steel player who recorded with the Grateful Dead and taught alongside Jerry Garcia in the band’s early Palo Alto days
• Bill Laymon – Longtime New Riders bassist, anchoring the groove with decades of shared history and deep musical intuition
• Jerry Saracini – Drummer for Forgotten Space, bringing precision, swing, and a deep feel for the rhythms of Americana and improvisation
Together, David Nelson & Friends will revisit New Riders favorites, Nelson originals, and surprise collaborations—each night promising its own spirit of spontaneity and song.
Set in the heart of Marin County, the Fairfax Pavilion provides the perfect setting for this autumn gathering of music and community. More than a concert, the Harvest Hootenanny will feel like an old-fashioned musical get-together—friends and neighbors coming together to celebrate the season through shared stories and sound.
“Music like this was never meant to be frozen in time,” Nelson reflects. “We play it because it’s alive—and it keeps us connected.”
What: David Nelson & Friends — Harvest Hootenanny
When: November 8–9, 2025
Where: Fairfax Pavilion, Fairfax, California
Tickets & Info: buytickets.at/davidnelsonandfriends/1901654
David Nelson is best known as a founding member of New Riders of the Purple Sage, the pioneering country-rock band that emerged alongside the Grateful Dead in the early 1970s, and for his long musical partnership with Jerry Garcia. His career has spanned six decades of performance, songwriting, and collaboration, making him one of the most enduring and respected figures in the Bay Area’s musical lineage.
