Article Contributed by Gabriel David Barkin
Published on 2026-03-03
Fox Theatre | February 26th, 2026 | Redwood City, CA | photos by Gabriel David Barkin
It’s hard to believe that it’s been less than two months since Bob Weir died. Here in the Bay Area in particular, the celebration of the life and music of the legendary founding member of the Grateful Dead has not abated in the sands of time. It seems like nearly every show I’ve been to, even if it’s not specifically a Bob Weir tribute or even remotely Dead-related, somebody plays “Ripple“ or “Brokedown Palace.” (and yes, we are all aware that neither of those were songs that Bob Weir wrote nor sang with the Dead, but they are part of his legacy nonetheless.)
A particularly poignant celebration of Weir’s musical life took place at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City on Thursday night, just a few miles from where he was born. “Circle Songs & Sands of Time: A Tribute to the Music of Bobby Weir” brought together an all-star cast of musicians and a number of historic instruments to pay worthy tribute to the man, his music, and his guitars. (This celebration was a very special extension of guitarist/vocalist Alex Jordan’s ongoing “Grateful Thursdays” on the peninsula south of San Francisco.)
The show featured numerous high-caliber musicians who played in various post-Jerry Garcia ensembles with Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and others. We’ll get to those contributors in a few moments. But the star of the night was Bob Weir. His songs. His guitars. His spirituality. The gift he gave to thousands upon thousands of Deadheads the world around.
Those gifts keep on giving. This show was a benefit for two worthy organizations. First, Grateful Guitars Foundation is a 501-c3 nonprofit that obtains world-class musical instruments for talented players who seek to carry on the tradition of jam band music into the 21st century and beyond. The Foundation also donates to many musical education initiatives in the Bay Area and Beyond. Visit www.gratefulguitarsfoundation.org for more info or to make a donation.
Music Heals International was founded by Sara Wasserman (daughter of Weir’s longtime musical partner Rob Wasserman) to provide many valuable services including:
Learn more and donate at www.musichealsinternational.org.
BOB WEIR’S GUITARS
Among many things that made this evening special was the presence of several of Weir’s own guitars on the stage and in the hands of the guitarists playing his music.
The evening began with a slide show and conversation hosted by photographer Jay Blakesberg to illuminate the unique quality and value of Weir’s equipment throughout a career that spanned six decades. Blakesberg was accompanied by Alex Jordan, the evening’s musical director – and one of the two performers who sang most of Weir’s songs throughout the night – Nate LaPointe (the other singer who sang most of the leads on “the Other One’s” songs at this show), and Grateful Guitars Foundation founder Andy Logan.
Among other notable tidbits, the speakers discussed the significance of Weir’s relationship with Ibanez Guitars. Weir was one of the company’s first high-profile American artist collaborators, and the company crafted several custom guitars for him to play on stage. That association helped elevate Ibanez’s reputation.
For instance, Weir’s custom Ibanez 2681 in the mid-1970s featured a middle pickup mounted on a track, allowing it to physically slide along the string path between the neck and bridge positions. A control knob on the body moved the pickup forward or backward. This innovation allowed Weir to vary the tone in many ways not previously available to guitar players.
Blakesberg also mentioned that in his later years with Dead & Company, Weir used a pick that had a granular coating. That texture, he said, contributed to the distinctive sound from Weir’s guitars during that era.
I won’t geek out any more about all the guitar technology stuff. Suffice to say it was a fascinating conversation, and certainly of great interest to the gearheads in the crowd.
That being said – even people who don’t have an urge to get in the weeds about pickups and composite necks can appreciate that many of these fine instruments aren’t just sitting in a glass case. Logan frequently loans the guitars in his collection to musicians, and four historic guitars that Weir played on stage were in the house on Thursday, including:
An additional eight guitars were also in rotation for the musicians to use, each of them a model of one used by Weir at some point in his career. (See the complete list at the end of this article.)
There was icing on the cake on Thursday for Nate LaPointe. Logan and the Grateful Guitars Foundation presented him with an Alvarez WY-1BK on stage between sets. Rich Hoeg, maker of many of Weir’s guitars, handed over the beauty on behalf of the Foundation. LaPointe, teary-eyed to receive such a gift, is among the ranks of many recipients of exquisite, bespoke guitars given by the Foundation to help keep the music alive and reward musicians who contribute so much to the extended Grateful Dead community.
THE MUSIC
The bill advertised there would be music by Weir “that spans decades of collaboration.” As promised, the set list didn’t just pull from the Grateful Dead’s live and recorded music catalog. The first set of “Circle Songs” in fact was predominantly acoustic and included only one song regularly played by the Dead. (And technically speaking, “Looks Like Rain” was originally released on Weir’s solo album “Ace.”)
Three songs in the first set were from Weir’s 1978 solo outing Heaven Help the Fool, including the title track plus “Bombs Away” and the Lowell George song “Easy to Slip.” “Fool,” “Rain,” and “Slip” were sung by Jordan playing Weir’s Alvarez WY-2. He was accompanied for these by Mark “Murph” Murphy on upright bass, emulating the Weir-Wasserman acoustic duo.
Another trio of Weir’s non-Dead material in the set was from Evening Moods, the only RatDog studio record (2000). The musicians on these included RatDog alumni Mark Karan (guitar), Dave Ellis (saxophone), and Mookie Siegal (keys). A lengthy jam came between “Two Djinn” and “Ashes and Glass,” the first of several extended sections of the night.
“Only a River” from Weir’s solo outing Blue Mountain (2016) was particularly sweet and soulful, and a reminder that the dude still knew how to pick great cover songs in his last decade. (This one was written by Josh Ritter.)
The next two sets were mostly Grateful Dead songs (originals and oft-played covers). In fact, only one song was never played live by the Dead, “Big, Bad Blues” (another song from Heaven Help the Fool). Only one song, Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia’s “Days Between,” was not written or cowritten by Weir. Even so, Weir often sang “Days Between” with Dead & Co.
See the entire setlist below.
THE MUSICIANS AND OTHERS
We’d be remiss to not give a huge round of applause to the A-list of musicians on stage at the Fox Theater on Thursday. Most Bay Area Deadheads who continue to enjoy live music have heard at least some of these folks once or twice or a thousand times. Regulars at Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads in the 2010s in particular may have seen some of these people play more than they ever saw the Grateful Dead!
A special shout-out to Jerry Saracini on drums, he played two-and-a-half full sets on the skins. And of course to musical director Jordan for his gifted leadership.
The musicians included (alphabetical, along with selected bands they’ve played in):
Also worth a mention: on stage and also behind the main bar there were photos of Weir playing many different guitars over the years. Kudos to Susan Millman, Jay Blakesberg, Brian Markowitz, and Ebb Eskew for capturing those epic moments with such amazing instruments.
LIST OF WEIR GUITARS IN THE HOUSE
Thanks to Andy Logan for these details.
Bob Weir’s guitars
Models / replicas of Weir’s guitars:
SET LIST
Set I
Heaven Help the Fool
Looks Like Rain
Easy to Slip
Only a River
Odessa
Two Djinn>
Ashes and Glass
Bombs Away
Set II
The Music Never Stopped>
The Other One>
Big Bad Blues
Cassidy
Lazy Lightning
Picasso Moon
Weather Report Suite>
Let It Grow
Set III
Feel Like a Stranger
Lost Sailor>
Saint of Circumstance
Playing in the Band>
Corinna>
Estimated Prophet>
Days Between>
Throwing Stones
Encore:
Band Introductions
Sugar Magnolia>
Sunshine Daydream
