Andrew Weiss and Friends Bring the Dead back to Nationals Park

Photos by Mark Raker

Nationals Park sets aside one night a year for a Grateful Dead themed pregame concert, and once again this year the special promotional tickets sold out. Andrew Weiss and Friends have headlined it four straight years, and at this point it’s become one of the more anticipated nights on the summer calendar.

Weiss sat down with District Fray between sound check and showtime, relaxed and easy to talk to, like someone who has done this enough times to stop being nervous about it. Fans have been reaching out online just to ask if the band is coming back. “It definitely feels that way, even online,” he said. “People we don’t necessarily know personally, just reaching out to say, ‘Hey, are you guys doing Grateful Dead Night this year at the Nats?’”

The band opened with “Cold Rain and Snow” and kept things moving through “Cumberland Blues,” “The Music Never Stopped,” and “They Love Each Other” before the crowd really locked in. “Iko Iko” got people on their feet. “Tennessee Jed” and “Bird Song” let the band stretch out. Then came “Playing in the Band,” which Weiss had flagged beforehand as one of the highlights. “Some of the longer, stretched-out jams that they’re known for,” he said. “Just sinking our teeth into that, we’ve ended up uncovering a lot of things that were just like, how did they think of that?” They closed out with “One More Saturday Night,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Ripple,” “Johnny B. Goode,” and “Truckin’.” Thirteen songs. Not a lot of filler.

Of the 12 songs planned, eight were ones they’d never played at this gig before. Weiss joked that “He’s Gone” is his personal white whale. He pushes for it every year. The band pushes back. “The band’s like, we can’t do it every year. We gotta move on from that. So there are old favorites that we’re attached to.” Making the set list is something they take seriously. “We have fun making the set lists,” he said. “We’re looking forward to just giving people something new.”

The band is from Long Island and plays original music most of the year. They’re not a Dead tribute act, and that distinction matters to Weiss. “We are a band that plays Grateful Dead songs as part of what we do,” he said. “It’s been really nice to just engage with the fan community here, who will vibe with us here and then go check out our songs and become fans of ours.” He said fans now show up to their regular shows in Philadelphia and around the area. “It’s just nice to have that community and to be a part of the community that accepted us. It’s just an honor.”

The connection between the musicians is one of the more noticeable things about watching them play. Weiss and bassist Eddie go back to high school. His wife, who sings with the band, has been harmonizing with him since they were teenagers. Keyboardist Jesse and drummer Joe both go back to college. “Our harmonies are just very innate and effortless,” Weiss said. “We can really just play off each other and have complete trust in each other. That’s the cool thing about this band that I love.” He’s thought about why it works. “Almost all of my oldest musical relationships are in this band. Our musical relationships are so ingrained in each other.”

Before the game, Weiss also sang the National Anthem on the field. He called it “fantastic” and a “thrill”.

The past two years have carried some extra weight. Phil Lesh died in 2024, and Bob Weir passed this year. Last year’s set opened with “Box of Rain” as a tribute to Phil, done in full three-part harmony. “That took some practice,” Weiss said. This year, a lot of Bob’s songs made their way in. “Phil and Bob are no longer here,” Weiss said. “That’s obviously been a big thing.”

The performance draws thousands, and Weiss said the first year was the one that hit hardest. “To see us responsible for making 5,000 people dance and smile and come together was just so jaw-dropping to all of us,” he said. “We were just so humbled by it. That’s our benchmark. We just try to hit that every year.” He paused on that for a second. “We put in the work, we learned all the songs, we practiced. We’re now at the point where we can have fun. And that’s what we’re looking forward to.”

On the non Grateful Dead music side, the band has been busy. “The Future,” a new single, is out now on all streaming platforms. It’s one of the more ambitious tracks they’ve put out, with a string and horn arrangement. Another single, “Mr. Roy Gee Biv,” drops May 22nd, written by Weiss and guitarist Sam Popkin and produced by Pete Donnelly. You can presave it now. Both are from the upcoming album …To Change a Lightbulb, due June 26. “To change anything, you need people,” Weiss said of the title. “You need community, and you need all of that happening.”

For anyone who wants to catch them closer to DC, the band plays John and Peter’s in New Hope, Pennsylvania on August 21. They’re also booked at the Great South Bay Festival on Long Island alongside My Morning Jacket. Later in the summer, they’ve got two Grateful Dead themed nights on Long Island: an acoustic set for Jerry Garcia’s birthday on August 8 at The Bar Gallery, and a three-hour deep dive into the Dead’s 1972 Europe tour on August 15 at Still Partners.

Four years in, Andrew Weiss and Friends have made Grateful Dead Night at Nationals Park something more than a pregame event. “People kind of look forward to it,” Weiss said. “It definitely feels that way.” The crowd knows what they’re getting now. The band knows how to deliver it.

Stream “The Future” now on Apple Music or Spotify. Presave “Mr. Roy Gee Biv” ahead of its May 22nd release at distrokid.com.

Photos by Mark Raker: