Grateful Useless music crammed the air as soon as once more on Friday night time at Golden Gate Park.
And, actually, there was nothing left to do however “smile, smile, smile.”
The enjoyment was merely overwhelming as some 55,000 Deadheads — some sufficiently old to recollect when Jerry Garcia and firm used to play this iconic San Francisco spot; some who hadn’t even been born when Garcia died in 1995 — turned out to Night time 1 of the three-day celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Bay Space’s personal Grateful Useless.
Our host for the night was Useless & Firm, the phenomenally well-liked Grateful Useless offshoot that includes longtime Useless members Bob Weir on vocals and guitar and Mickey Hart on drums, in addition to guitarist-vocalist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and drummer Jay Lane.
Longtime Useless singer and guitarist Bob Weir performs with Useless & Firm at Golden Gate Park on Friday. (Chloe Weir/Useless & Firm)
Sure, this is similar Useless & Firm that famously concluded its touring profession in 2023 with three sold-out exhibits at Oracle Park in San Francisco. But, Mayer and his buddies have discovered loads of loopholes in that unique band decree with a purpose to preserve enjoying — and preserve making mountains of loot — most notably by performing two prolonged residences on the Sphere in Las Vegas, the newest of which simply completed up in Might.
However, hey, Deadheads definitely aren’t complaining. Certainly, they cherish just about any likelihood to listen to Grateful Useless music performed dwell.
The wholesome dose that they obtained on Friday included 16 songs over the course of greater than three hours and two units. It wasn’t, nevertheless, primetime Useless & Firm — not less than in comparison with a number of the group’s finest exhibits (such the one it carried out on March 21, 2025 on the Sphere) — nevertheless it nonetheless contained some good moments. The primary of which occurred when followers have been welcomed by Trixie Garcia on what would’ve been the 83rd birthday of her legendary father, Jerry Garcia.
(Earlier within the day, Trixie Garcia additionally attended a ceremony through which a portion of San Francisco’s Harrington Road — which, I really feel essential to level out, is a splendidly named thoroughfare — was rechristened in honor of her dad.)
Some 50,000 followers jammed Golden Gate Park on Friday night time to catch the primary of three exhibits by Useless & Firm. (Alive Protection/Useless & Firm)
The musicians kicked off in “Go to Heaven” territory, pulling from the Useless’s eleventh studio album (from 1980) for the longtime GD staple “Feels Like a Stranger,” which, thematically, got here throughout as form of a bizarre nod to their return to enjoying in San Francisco. It made for a lackluster begin to the three-day occasion, one that will solely worsen as Useless & Co. continued into the drab disco daze of “Dancing in the Streets” (presumably the worst cowl tune within the Grateful Useless oeuvre).
After plowing by means of a satisfactory model of “Tennessee Jed,” the band had performed three songs in about half-hour — whereas just about going nowhere. But, skilled Useless & Co. followers will inform you, that’s hardly uncommon for Night time 1 of a stand, particularly one which follows a prolonged break within the efficiency schedule, because the band makes an attempt to regain its footing on the dwell stage.
Useless & Firm would first discover that footing on Friday, not less than to some extent, because it chugged by means of “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo,” with the latter levels of the track benefitting from some marvelously effervescent guitar work from Mayer.
The great instances continued because the group turned its consideration to Johnny Money’s “Big River” (one of many higher covers from the GD repertoire) earlier than returning to the “Go to Heaven” album to shut out the primary set with a pleasant model of “Althea,” that includes Mayer on lead vocals.
Lesh did a ravishing job with this quantity — one of many biggest in your entire Useless catalog — after which caught round so as to add bass to an honest model of “Playing in the Band.”
The entire thing lastly appeared to come back collectively for the band because it greeted “Estimated Prophet,” the opening monitor from 1977’s uneven “Terrapin Station,” after which adopted up with the anthem “Eyes of the World,” from 1973’s often-underrated “Wake of the Flood,” thanks largely to some standout work on the bass and keys from Burbridge and Chimenti.
The present seemingly climaxed with the always-epic “Terrapin Station,” a set that fills up your entire Facet 2 of the album of the identical title, but the group would discover a solution to high even that because it invited opening act Billy Strings again to the stage to deal with lead vocals and blend it up on guitar with Mayer on an amazing model of “Wharf Rat.”
Useless & Firm then closed the present in somewhat routine style with the overdone “Not Fade Away” earlier than hitting the group with an encore of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Count on issues to solely get higher from right here, as Useless & Firm continues its sixtieth anniversary celebration of the Grateful Useless by means of Sunday at Golden Gate Park’s Polo Area.
Useless & Firm Night time 1 setlist1. “Feel Like a Stranger”2. “Dancing in the Street”3. “Tennessee Jed”4. “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”5. “Big River”6. “Althea”Set 2:7. “Box of Rain”8. “Playing in the Band”9. “Estimated Prophet”10. “Eyes of the World”11. “Terrapin Station”12. “Drums”13. “Space”14. “Wharf Rat”15. “Not Fade Away”Encore:16. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”
Initially Revealed: August 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM PDT
