Article Contributed by Backstage Flash
Published on January 30, 2026
Pickin’ On The Dead with special guest Andy Thorn | Fort Collins, Colorado | January 29th, 2026 | photos by Backstage Flash
Pickin’ On The Dead have established themselves as a household name among Deadheads along the Colorado Front Range and beyond. It almost seems the entire cultural movement of the Grateful Dead has renewed energy and positive purpose following the unfortunate passing of our fallen musical hero Bob Weir. Bands are spreading the love and music of the Grateful Dead’s musical momentum even farther and faster than they have before. The artistic inspiration the Grateful Dead have provided is moving brightly and beautifully around the globe at a staggering pace and picking up new eager passengers along the way. As the old saying still goes, “There Is Nothing Like a Grateful Dead Concert”.
Bob Weir was and always will be one of the founding fathers of the jam band scene. Bands like Pickin’ On The Dead and countless others are passionate musical messengers and keepers of the eternal flame of one of the most important musical catalogs in existence. They know their responsibility to the peaceful power of the music. In many ways, their devotion to keeping the music feverishly in the public eye is not just a nostalgic trip down memory lane; it is a noble gesture of gratitude for the inventive musical exploration they have been bestowed. It’s a daunting task if you think about it; they are introducing the music to new generations of fans that have never seen the Grateful Dead or any of the many variations of the band over the years since Jerry’s passing. Each musician that burns the Grateful Dead’s torch by performing their songs is doing a very important job with a lot of responsibility attached to it.
Last night’s pickin’ party at the Aggie Theatre was brought to you by modern-day merry pranksters Michael Kirkpatrick on vocals and mandolin, Tyler Grant on guitar and vocals, Ace Engfer on bass and vocals, Sean Macaulay on drums, and special guest Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) on banjo, fiddle and vocals. These five masters of musical allure and adventure took the audience on a wild magical ride. The music was spinning freely around the room, exploring the mystical powers and pureness it possesses. The audience was caught up in the irresistible kaleidoscope of tempo meets temptation as they became one with the rich tapestry of sound exploding from the stage. The slow burn beauty of the twirling souls in the room was truly peaceful and loving. The magnificent, musical carousel appeal of Pickin’ On The Dead was hitting just right in all the right spots with nowhere to go but straight up.
Kirkpatrick’s vocals were bold and bountiful; his bottomless baritone voice resonated deep into the audience’s hearts. He provided soul scorching sensations and stage presence swagger that whimsically whisked you away to another place full of magical mandolins and psychedelic trips with a handle bar mustache clad character driving the bus. National Flatpicking Champion Tyler Grant’s guitar picking prowess was rich with tradition and explosive with adventure bound instinct. His fretwork was a moody and melodic melting of your mind. Rhythmically, Engfer on bass and Macaulay on drums were compelling and seemingly attached at the hip with greasy grooves. The wall of percussive bottom end steeped with thick rib rattling warmth and power built a solid footing of building blocks for the stringed instruments to expand from.
Special guest and Colorado’s favorite claw hammer slammer Andy Thorn brought the sound to another dimension of experimental euphoria. His picking and fiddling style added a traditional bluegrass foot stomping flavor to the seriously sweet sounding string thing going on between the band members.
The set list was stacked with Grateful goodies, many of them leaning towards Bob Weir’s tremendous musical and lyrical contributions over his sixty plus years with the Grateful Dead and many other musical collaborations. Opening the show with ’Touch of Grey’ set an explosive tone for what was to come very early on. You could feel and see the magic and the excitement from the band; they knew how special this performance was, and they executed it with all the sweetness and sincerity they could muster. Each note felt hand picked from the heavens and each magnificent melody had pure purpose that swirled through the hall with mind melting momentum. You could not escape the electric energy the quintette was pouring into the packed house. The vibe in the room felt amazing and the adoring crowd let the band know it with enthusiastic energy and gratitude for what they were doing.
Pickin’ On The Dead have a very gracious approach to their presentation of the Grateful Dead’s musical catalog. It pretty much fell right into the Grateful Dead’s playbook of going in with a short plan for the long haul, then throw some stones and see what they hit while you spin the wheel at a blinding pace. The beauty and the irresistible energy the music rewards us all with is a gift that we cherish and respect. The musicians that keep us in the never ending mix tape of the Grateful Dead’s music are the true heroes of today’s musical era. We are all grateful for this high time we are experiencing living the good life.
The dream team rhythm section of Ace Engfer and Sean Macaulay was an unstoppable wall of momentum that rocked your soul.
We have included the set lists below:
