Today marks one year since the third and final night of “GD60,” the massive, three-day event marking 60 years of the Grateful Dead‘s music and legacy at San Francisco, CA’s Golden Gate Park, a site intrinsically tied to the iconic group’s earliest days. Each of those three shows featured opening sets by contemporary acts who have interpreted the Dead’s influence in different ways—Billy Strings (8/1/25), Sturgill Simpson (8/2/25), and Trey Anastasio Band (8/3/25)—and each night came to a close with a two-set performance by Dead & Company, the latter-day Grateful Dead spinoff that had kept the band’s legacy alive in amphitheaters, arenas, and stadiums for the past decade.
But while GD60 was a celebratory event, memories of that run now carry a layer of finality: Throughout the weekend, fans noticed Bob Weir—the co-founding Grateful Dead singer-guitarist and keeper of the band’s post-Jerry Garcia flame—struggling somewhat on his vocal parts. As we later learned, he was fighting through cancer-related respiratory issues at the time. While the 78-year-old Weir managed to beat cancer, his underlying lung ailments eventually led to his passing just over five months later in January 2026, making GD60 the final live performances for both Weir and Dead & Company.
“Bobby Weir, ever the contrarian, laid down his ultimate act of defiance; he was going to play these shows on his terms.” –John Mayer on Bob Weir at GD60…