Watch Bob Weir & Joan Baez Collaborate At All-Star Tribute To Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

Grateful Dead/Dead & Company guitarist Bob Weir and legendary folk musician Joan Baez once again shared the stage at last night’s all-start concert celebrating Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and the 30th Anniversary of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The celebratory event took place at The Masonic in San Francisco.

In addition to Baez and Weir, the evening featured performances by Jackson Browne, Peter Rowan, Steve Earle, Maria Muldaur, John Oates, Rickie Lee Jones, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jackie Greene, Dave Alvin, Melissa Carper, Corb Lund, Victoria Williams, Andy Hedges, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Mike Beck. The house band included Joe Henry, Jason Crosby, Greg Leisz, David Piltch and others. The collaborative concert concluded with a performance by the night’s honoree, the 92-year-old folk icon Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.

Weir followed Jackson Browne’s performance, which included a collaboration with Steve Earle on Browne’s “Cocaine.” Weir began by offering a take on “When I Paint My Masterpiece” by Bob Dylan whose early career was heavily influenced by Elliott. Weir infused his performance of “When I Paint My Masterpiece” with a precarious tale of the first time he encountered Ramblin’ Jack in person.

Weir recounted how at age 16 he hitchhiked to Berkeley to go to a concert by one of his “heroes,” legendary bluesman Lightnin’ Hopkins. When Weir was turned away from the door for not having proper identification, he found his way into the venue by accessing a skylight over the backstage dressing rooms. After dropping in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles style,” Weir was soon face-to-face with a fast-speaking man he soon realized lived up to his “Ramblin’ Jack” moniker.

Listen to the story of their memorable first meeting below:

Baez, who like Weir was an unannounced surprise performer, then came out to join Weir on the Willie Nelson-popularized “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.” Baez had previously joined Weir onstage in May 2023 at an Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit concert, which was at the time her first public performance in four years.

Weir then turned the stage over to Baez, whose performance at The Masonic continued with a cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” Weir came back to join Baez who then led the pair through her song, “Coconuts.”

Ramblin’ Jack emerged for the finale that kicked off with his leading the locale-appropriate “San Francisco Bay Blues.” The stage was then filled with the evening’s participants who joined together on a rousing “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms.”

Watch video clips and view photos from last night’s celebration of “Ramblin’ Jack” and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund below:

Weir’s appearance at The Masonic came after he was spotted on the field at the NFL NFC championship game at Levi’s Stadium in nearby Santa Clara. The local San Francisco Giants defeated the Detroit Lions and will head to the Super Bowl against the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs (who had a popular musician fan in attendance as well).