Watch Bob Weir Perform Solo Acoustic ‘Dark Star’ To Open Columbus Concert

Guitarist Bob Weir kicked off his concert at Columbus’ Palace Theatre with a solo acoustic “Dark Star” last night. Weir performed “Dark Star” and “K.C. Moan” by himself before welcoming the rest of his in different formations throughout the remainder of the evening.

Bobby’s unplugged “Dark Star” saw him sing just the first verse of the psychedelic era Grateful Dead classic. He then moved on to the traditional “K.C. Moan.” Members of Wolf Bros emerged for the “Bertha” that followed. Then, the full ensemble featuring bassist Don Was, drummer Jay Lane, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless as well as the Wolf Pack horn and strings section backed Weir on the beloved “Cassidy.” Next up were takes of the Dead’s “Brown Eyed Women” and Bob Dylan’s “Queen Jane Approximately” played by the core quintet.

Last night’s first set rolled on with a “West L.A. Fadeaway” featuring the original Bob Weir And Wolf Bros trio consisting of Weir, Lane and Was. Another surprise followed as the full ensemble presented the tour’s first “Odessa,” an original from Bobby’s RatDog days. “Odessa” gave way to “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” to close the frame.

Weir, Lane, Chimenti, Was and Sless dusted off “Bombs Away” to open the second set in Columbus. Bobby wrote “Bombs Away” with John Perry Barlow for inclusion on his 1978 solo album, Heaven Help The Fool, and last played the song on March 11, 2020. The rest of the set featured staples from the Grateful Dead’s live repertoire, including “Truckin’,” the full “Terrapin Station” suite, “Standing On The Moon” and more. The Wolf Pack augmented the five-piece lineup on each song besides “Standing On The Moon.”

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros were also assisted by The Wolf Pack on the evening’s “Ripple” encore. Watch fan-shot video featuring the “Dark Star” and “K.C. Moan” solo acoustic pairing below:

Setlist (via Bob Weir Instagram)

Set One: Dark Star@ > K.C. Moan@, Bertha, Cassidy, Brown Eyed Women, Queen Jane Approximately, West L.A. Fadeaway, Odessa > Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad

Set Two: Bombs Away, Jack Straw, Truckin’ > Scarlet Begonias > Shakedown Street, Terrapin Station Suite > Standing On The Moon, Not Fade Away

Encore: Ripple

@ – Solo Acoustic