Not Fade Away – DC Dead Heads Come Together at The Hamilton Live to Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Bob Weir

Photos by Mark Raker

Bob Weir died on January 10, 2026. He was 78 years old.

The news spread fast through the Dead Head community. Within three days, The Hamilton Live in downtown DC had organized a tribute concert with all 600 free tickets claimed within half an hour. People needed to be together for this one and the Hamilton Live was the place to be in DC. 

A night of stories and memories sent chills down everyone’s spine. Dave Moran, Area Director of Operations for Clyde’s Restaurant Group, opened the evening with a story from October 2024.  Bob Weir and the Wolf Brothers played a private show at The Hamilton Live. When Weir showed up for sound check, he grabbed his guitar, played for maybe 30 seconds, and simply said, “I’m good man. This room is perfect.”

Now that same perfect room would host a celebration of his life.

Pulling everything together in just a few days seemed impossible. Moran explained how it happened. “With the immediacy and the suddenness of the passing, this all came together in 24 hours. I think that actually speaks volumes to what Bobby meant to us.”  Moran finished his pre-concert introduction with the words “Not Fade Away,” to which the primed crowd picked up the chant immediately. People started singing it right there, and then Great Northern Out of DC started to play it as their opening song.

The local Dead tribute band has been a fixture around DC since 2017. Brian Rosenthal, Matt Reiter, Tyrone Cabalu, Erik Richardson, and Will Layman took the stage. Layman was sitting in on keys since Jesse Aronson, was in Japan watching the livestream from halfway around the world.

Erik Richardson captured the feeling in the room. “This is a large community gathering of Grateful Dead fans who are mourning the loss of an iconic member of the Grateful Dead, and we’re mourning and celebrating. It’s a little bittersweet.”

That bittersweet feeling ran through the whole night.

Dupree’s Diamond 3 came on for the second set. Rob Eaton and Skip Vangelas from Dark Star Orchestra teamed up with original DSO member John Kadlecik for a series of tribute shows last week. Kadlecik had the deepest connection to Weir. He was a founding member of DSO but left in 2009 to join Furthur, where he spent nearly five years playing alongside Weir and Phil Lesh.

Kadlecik wrote about those years on Facebook. “After two decades of loving and performing Grateful Dead music, it was a true honor and highlight of my life to get to play with Bob Weir for nearly five years in Furthur.”

His memories painted a picture of Weir that fans loved hearing about. He remembered watching Weir sit cross-legged on the floor, tinkering with his amp rack “like a kid with a new set of Legos.” The stories showed Weir’s playful side and his endless curiosity about sound.

During “Throwing Stones,” something shifted in the room. The line “We are on our own” hit everyone at once. You could see people glancing at each other, recognizing the same thought. But looking around, it was obvious nobody was actually alone. The community Weir helped build was packed into every corner of that venue.

The fact that this show was free said everything about what mattered to the people who put it together. Rick Fowler, the general manager at The Hamilton, kept it simple. “We’re here to celebrate the lives and the legacy of Bobby Weir and the Grateful Dead. We’re grateful for you.”

Moran was also as direct about why they did this. “This is not about business tonight. This is about bringing community together when we need each other and we’re just so happy and proud to be able to host it.”  As people filed out after the final encore, they grabbed a commemorative poster that The Hamilton printed up. Just a small gift to remember an unforgettable night.

The entire night was a reminder that “the music never stopped.”

Great Northern Out of DC Setlist:

• Not Fade Away > Hell in a Bucket
• Feel Like a Stranger > Jack Straw
• Greatest Story Ever Told
• Looks Like Rain
• Samson and Delilah
• Big River
• Truckin’ > I Need a Miracle > Music Never Stopped

Dupree’s Diamond 3 Setlist:

• Intro > Attics Of My Life
• Box Of Rain
• The Race Is On
• Bird Song
• Weather Report Suite
• Terrapin Station
• Playing In The Band
• Days Between
• Throwing Stones
• Touch Of Grey
• Ripple

Photos by Mark Raker: