Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros Keep Grateful Dead New Year’s Eve Tradition Alive In Fort Lauderdale

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros rang in the New Year at the Au-Rene Theater at The Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday. The Grateful Dead guitarist and his band capped their three-night New Year’s Eve run with a three-set show that included a midnight celebration in traditional Grateful Dead style.

Bob Weir launched the show with a solo performance of GD’s “Loose Lucy.” Bassist Don Was and drummer Jay Lane then joined the guitarist for an OG Wolf Bros Trio version of “The Winners” from Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman’s album Live. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti entered in time for the Sunday sermon, “Samson & Delilah,” with pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless completing the five-piece lineup on the subsequent “Hell In A Bucket.”

Weir and Wolf Bros were first augmented by the Wolf Pack horn and string section on New Year’s Eve for a medley of Bob Dylan’s “Silvio” and The Champs’ “Tequila.” The opening frame came to a close with “Black-Throated Wind” and “Bird Song.”

Set two got off to a seamless start with a segment that began with “Cassidy” and also included “Estimated Prophet” and “Eyes Of The World” with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” sandwiched in. “The Wheel,” “All Along The Watchtower” and “Stella Blue” then flowed together before the band wrapped the second set with a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Around and Around.”

The New Year’s festivities launched the third set beginning with dancers taking the stage. Band family and crew members then came on before Father Time, played by Weir’s manager Matt Busch, began the countdown. Bobby’s midnight celebration was similar to the way the Grateful Dead would ring in each year. Promoter Bill Graham would serve as Father Time. Watch video of Weir’s New Year’s Eve festivities below:

The third set was full of Grateful Dead favorites and kicked off with one of Bobby’s signature songs and a New Year’s Eve staple, “Sugar Magnolia,” before the band headed into “Scarlet Begonias.” The beloved trifecta of “Help On The Way,” “Slipknot!” and “Franklin’s Tower” followed and then Bob Weir & Wolf Bros completed the bookended set with “Sunshine Daydream.” A gorgeous “Brokedown Palace” encore punctuated the night.

Watch audience-captured video of the entire three-set New Year’s Eve show below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW8rCp_QODY

Official Audio (via nugs.net)

Setlist