Bob Weir & Wolf Bros Offer Debuts At Sweetwater Music Hall

returned to the stage on Sunday for the first of two benefit concerts at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. Weir and his troupe fit four Wolf Bros premieres into the setlist for last night’s show, which was a fundraiser for longtime RatDog bassist Robin Sylvester.

Sylvester has been in and out of the hospital in recent years battling health issues as he awaits a kidney transplant. Grateful Dead/Dead & Company guitarist Bob Weir was backed by keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless, drummer Jay Lane and bassist Don Was last night at Sweetwater. Weir and Wolf Bros kicked off their first full performance together since a July 2021 concert at the Greek in Berkeley with “Playing In The Band.” The opener bled into “New Speedway Boogie” and was followed by a rare “My Brother Esau.”

“Catfish John” came after “My Brother Esau” and was the first Wolf Bros debut of the night. However, Weir previously covered the song written by Bob McDill and Allen Reynolds with various other projects including Furthur and a band with Jackie Greene and Tim Flannery. Bobby then turned to the RatDog songbook for “Two Djinn” before serving up the frequently paired “Lost Sailor” and “Saint of Circumstance” to end last night’s first set.

Local guitarist Matt Jaffe emerged with Bob Weir and Wolf Bros for their debut take on Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” to start Sunday’s second set. Jaffe then departed, leaving Weir and his bandmates to light into “Uncle John’s Band.” A huge surprise came next as the quintet encapsulated “Supplication” within the “Uncle John’s Band” jam. Last night marked the first time Bobby sang “Supplication” during a Wolf Bros show.

The second set rolled on with a seamless run featuring Grateful Dead classics “Estimated Prophet,” “Truckin’,” “The Other One” and “Standing On The Moon” along with a cover of Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful.” Weir had never covered the blues staple with Wolf Bros before last night. “Spoonful” roared out of “Truckin'” and gave way to “The Other One” before Bobby fronted the tender “Standing On The Moon.” The five-piece ended the concert by performing “Not Fade Away.”

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros are back at Sweetwater tonight to play a show in honor of Rob Lawson. Watch clips from Sunday’s concert below:

Setlist (via Bob Weir Twitter)

Set One: Playing In The Band > New Speedway Boogie, My Brother Esau, Catfish John*, Two Djinn, Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance

Two Set: Like A Rolling Stone**, Uncle John’s Band > Supplication* > Uncle John’s Band, Estimated Prophet > Truckin’ > Spoonful* > The Other One > Standing On The Moon, Not Fade Away

• * – Wolf Bros debut
• ** – Wolf Bros debut, with Matt Jaffe on guitar