Bobby Weir Paints Solo ‘Masterpiece’ At Robbie Robertson Tribute Concert

Bobby Weir took the stage last night for the first time since Dead & Company wrapped a historic 30-show Las Vegas Sphere residency on August 10. Weir delivered a solo rendition of “When I Paint My Masterpiece” on Thursday at Los Angeles’ The Kia Forum towards the end of the Life Is A Carnival: A Musical Celebration Of Robbie Robertson concert.

The guitarist, who celebrated his 77th birthday one day prior, was a longtime friend of Robbie Robertson. Weir and the Grateful Dead shared a few bills with Robertson and The Band, most notably at the Summer Jam At Watkins Glen in 1973, which also featured The Allman Brothers Band.

Written by Bob Dylan, “When I Paint My Masterpiece” was first released by The Band on their 1971 album Cahoots. Dylan’s version arrived two months later on his Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II collection.

Bobby Weir has been performing “When I Paint My Masterpiece” regularly since the Grateful Dead debuted their cover of the song on June 13, 1987 in Ventura, California. “Masterpiece” has been a live staple for nearly all of Weir’s post-Jerry projects including Ratdog, Weir & Wasserman, Wolf Bros and his solo shows.

Most performances at last night’s 35-song tribute to Robertson saw the feature performer lead a house band consisting of Ryan Bingham, Jamey Johnson, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, Don Was, John Medeski, Dave Malone, Terence Higgins, Cyril Neville, Mark Mullins and The Levee Horns. Bobby chose to go it alone for “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” which came towards the middle of the third and final set.

Watch Bobby Weir’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” performance at the Robertson tribute via fan-shot footage below:

Bobby Weir returned to The Kia Forum stage a few songs later to sing and play guitar on “The Weight” with Mavis Staples and Trey Anastasio. Weir stuck around to team with all of the evening’s performers on the “I Shall Be Released” finale.

Others who honored Robertson last night in Los Angeles included Warren Haynes, Taj Mahal, Margo Price, Robert Randolph, Allison Russell, Daniel Lanois, Jamey Johnson, Ryan Bingham, Jim James, Nathaniel Rateliff, Eric Church, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Lucinda Williams and Bruce Hornsby.

Weir will now head down to Florida next weekend to close out the main stage action at Suwannee Hulaween with The String Cheese Incident. The Bobby Weir Incident will perform on Sunday, October 27.

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set One: Up on Cripple Creek (Eric Church), Ophelia (Ryan Bingham), The Best of Everything, Evangeline (Margo Price), Acadian Driftwood (Allison Russell), Straight Down the Line (Robert Randolph), Who Do You Love? (Taj Mahal), Down South in New Orleans (Dave Malone), Go Back to Your Woods (Bruce Hornsby), King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Bruce Hornsby), The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Jamey Johnson)

Set Two: Broken Arrow (Daniel Lanois), Life is a Carnival (Warren Haynes & Taj Mahal), Whispering Pines (Lucinda Williams), Twilight (Nathaniel Rateliff), Across the Great Divide (Nathaniel Rateliff), Rag Mama Rag (Jamey Johnson), Don’t Do It (Nathaniel Rateliff & Margo Price), Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison), Days Like This (Van Morrison), Wonderful Remark (Van Morrison)

Set Three: The Shape I’m In (Eric Clapton), Out of the Blue (Eric Clapton), Forbidden Fruit (Eric Clapton), Chest Fever (Eric Clapton), Further on Up the Road (Eric Clapton), Forever Young (Ryan Bingham), It Makes No Difference (Jim James), Stage Fright (Warren Haynes), Caravan (Warren Haynes), When I Paint My Masterpiece (Bob Weir), The Unfaithful Servant (Trey Anastasio), Look Out Cleveland (Trey Anastasio), The Weight (Trey Anastasio, Bob Weir & Mavis Staples), I Shall Be Released (All)