Dead & Company Conclude San Francisco Run, Celebrating 60 Years of Grateful Dead Music with Trey Anastasio Featured “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain,” Grahame Lesh on “Broken Arrow”

Photo Credit: Chloe Weir

Suspense reached its peak on Sunday, August 3, in tandem with Dead & Company’s third and final concert at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in celebration of the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary. After setting a standard for nightly sit-ins featuring the opening talent during the main frame, Billy Strings tore up “Wharf Rat” during the Friday, August 1, concert, and Sturgill Simpson christened “Morning Dew” on Saturday, August 2, the crowd accrued enough foresight to know Phish’s Trey Anastasio was up next. 

Anastasio was one of two special guests to arrive during the concert’s latter half, in addition to the son of the Grateful Dead’s original bassist and bandleader of the Heart of Town late-night concert series, Grahame Lesh. Before bringing out assistance, the Dead & Company followed a roadmap to trains, streets, and ultimately, a deal, during the night’s initial six-song offering. Sam Cooke’s “Good Times” serves as the night’s introductory number, a standard jumping off point for the original ensemble, who co-opted the cover into their repertoire beginning in 1988, and played it a total of 47 times before shelving it after their May 29, 1995, stand at Portland Meadows. 

The customary starting point led to the night’s initial pairing, the Weir sang “China Cat Sunflower.” Part one seamlessly turned on a dime into “I Know You Rider,” born out of a Mayer-helmed jam, that bestowed top-notch interplay between the latter and his brother in instrumental depth, Jeff Chimenti, a standard that remained in full force during follow-up, “They Love Each Other.” From a “northbound train” and ascent into Hunter’s love-soaked lyrics, the funky overture of “Shakedown Street” beckoned the onset of another fan favorite, which flexed elements of The Commodores’ “Brick House,” before returning to the original melody. 

Mayer took liberties during the set’s final song, “Deal,” extemporizing the 1972 release while bopping up and down and ripping chords in the spirit of its originator before busting into set break. Dead & Company’s return to the stage was lit in the golden glow of Sunday’s final hour of daylight, which accompanied Mayer’s second set introduction, and the subsequent arrival of Anastasio. 

With guest assistance, Anastasio helped Dead & Company grow “Scarlet Begonias,” which called back to his 2015 Fare The Well appearance in Chicago. The number was filled out with instrumental segments that showcased the finesse of the staged seven-piece, and the knowing application of full-tilt moments–extensions of feeling mimicked by rhythmic pulses, picked segments, and expert taps that included teases of “Manteca” and “Good Lovin’.” The ensemble met expectations with the arrival of “Fire on the Mountain,” which featured extended jam interludes, a back-and-forth between Mayer and Anastasio that brought a grin to Mickey Hart’s face, before calling on him for his rapped insert. 

Following the fiery pairing, the band brought out Grahame, who used his dad’s “Big Brown” bass during “Broken Arrow,” a piece of the Dead arsenal that Phil was known to carry. The group, sans aid, cut into “Hell in a Bucket,” imparting “At least I’m enjoyin’ the ride,” during the 1987 release, In the Dark classic. Before the onset of the second set’s instrumental segment, “Drums” and “Space,” Grahame returned and assisted on “Cumberland Blues,” which transitioned into the second set’s standard instrumental wedge. 

Hart’s cosmic expedition didn’t result in a direct return to Earth; instead, the band positioned the heartfelt “Standing on the Moon” in the follow-up slot after “Space.” The track was an ideal fit, with its nod to San Francisco, and eternal, post-1995-Garcia associated lines, “A lovely view of Heaven/ But I’d rather be with you,” fittingly capped with a complete treatment of “Sugaree.” For Dead & Company’s final moves, they lifted spirits on “Sugar Magnolia,” sans “Sunshine Daydream,” the track was cut short, aiding the arrival of their final number of the three-night concert series, “Touch of Grey.”

Sunday’s concert served as the only live date on the docket for Dead & Company. For those seeking opportunities to keep the celebration going, an extended version of The Grateful Dead Movie will be shown in theaters during the annual Meet Up at the Movies event. Learn more here. 

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist. For more information on Dead & Company, visit deadandcompany.com.

Dead & Company 

Golden Gate Park – San Francisco 

August 3, 2025

Set I: Good Times, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, They Love Each Other, Shakedown Street (with teases The Commodores’ “Brick House”), Deal

Set II: Scarlet Begonias (with Trey Anastasio; teases of “Manteca” and “Good Lovin”), Fire on the Mountain (with Trey Anastasio; Mickey Hart does FOTM rap), Broken Arrow (with Grahame Lesh; without Oteil Burbridge; Grahame playing Phil Lesh’s bass “Big Brown”), Hell in a Bucket, Cumberland Blues (with Grahame Lesh), Drums, Space (with elements of “My Funny Valentine”), Standing on the Moon, Sugaree, Sugar Magnolia (without “Sunshine Daydream”), Touch of Grey