Reserve your copy of the latest addition to the library of baseball literature.
by Stew Sallo, author of “The Deadhead Cyclist.”
Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the
Grateful Dead
Robert Hall Weir, né Parber,
October 16, 1947 – January 10, 2026
Let the words be yours, I’m done with mine.
I first saw Bob Weir on October 19, 1974 with the Grateful Dead at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. I last saw Bob Weir on June 14, 2024 as a member of Dead & Company at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Over the course of almost 50 years, it was my privilege to see Bobby perform countless times as a member of the Grateful Dead, Kingfish, Ratdog, the Other Ones, The Dead, Furthur, Dead & Company, the Weir Robinson & Greene Acoustic Trio, and probably others that I have failed to remember.
Other Posts
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 45 – November 7, 1987
Maybe you’ll find direction
Flying surprisingly under the radar, the Grateful Dead released a wonderful video in ’87, called So Far. In addition to the exceptional sound quality, what is so unique about this film is the way in which realtime onstage recordings, sans audience, are interwoven with actual concert footage, in seamless transitions that are goosebump inducing at the pivotal moments. Given that the Dead’s identity was far more connected to the live concert experience than the traditional studio recording model, it is fitting that the band employed this technique of simulating a live experience, while maintaining the kind of quality control that is possible only in a studio setting.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 49 – December 5, 1981
I know this song, it ain’t never gonna end.
The Grateful Dead took perhaps their biggest step towards immortality when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in 1994. But if there was a distinction for Most Unlikely Success Stories among the now-338 groups and performers that have been similarly recognized as of 2020, our beloved band of misfits would easily win, place or show. From their humble origins as a jug band (Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions), to their pivot to a rock band, called The Warlocks, to their first show as the Grateful Dead on 12/4/65 in San Jose, CA at one of Ken Kesey’s “Acid Tests,” this was a band whose initial aspirations were more oriented towards survival than fame and fortune.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 3 – January 17, 1979
And the seeds that were silent
The Grateful Dead rarely toured during January, and understandably so. After their traditional year-end multiple night stands, the band was more inclined to grab some well-deserved “R & R” than to hit the road during the first few weeks of the year. One notable exception took place in ’79, when the Dead played nineteen shows throughout the East Coast and Midwest before returning home to punctuate the tour at the good old Oakland Coliseum. Along the way was an appearance with a unique story at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven CT, on 1/17/79, my choice for T.W.I.G.D.H. (This Week In Grateful Dead History).
All Material Copyright 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Stewart Sallo