Jennifer Hartswick, Michael Berg & Chris Gelbuda Reunite Van Ghost For Grateful Dead ‘Brokedown Palace’ Cover

Songwriter and guitarist Michael Berg shared an isolation video of the Grateful Dead’s “Brokedown Palace.” Berg masterminded the alt-country outfit Van Ghost and the video sees Michael reuniting with the band’s Jennifer Hartswick and Chris Gelbuda.

Founded in Chicago in 2008, Van Ghost last got back together a few years ago to record a track at Trey Anastasio’s recording facility, The Barn, to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. In the notes accompanying the “Brokedown Palace” video, Berg reveals that the song is his favorite in the Dead canon.

Read Berg’s note below:

I’m humbled to share this version of my favorite Grateful Dead song, Brokedown Palace, w/ the both incomparable Jennifer Hartswick & Chris Gelbuda. Chris is a musical genius and took this from a quarantined acoustic idea, to producing a full band track for us as The Ghost Unit / Van Ghost Trio. He played every single instrument, and even laid down the Jerry solo from the 1981 release “Dead Set”, captured at The Warfield in San Francisco on 10/3/80. My people are my greatest wealth and just like old times, 2 of my best friends JHA & Buddha helped me level this up, and supported me crossing a deeply vulnerable threshold to tackle something so sacred to me for the first time ever; with loving intention. I’m so eternally grateful to them both. Big love to Greg Magers for the audio mix & Keith Griner for the video edit too. I really hope y’all enjoy this, and thank you for sharing it w/ other Deadheads if you do. I bow to the GD’s legacy, VG style with this one… Respect!

Watch Chris Gelbuda, Jennifer Hartswick and Michael Berg on a beautiful rendition of “Brokedown Palace” below: