Lukas Nelson Leads Last Waltz Tour Band On ‘Truckin’ For Phil Lesh In Boulder

The Band wasn’t the only legendary group honored on Friday at the sold-out Life is a Carnival: Last Waltz Tour ‘24 stop in Boulder. Lukas Nelson led the all-star ensemble through a rollicking “Truckin'” at The Boulder Theater to acknowledge the death of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh.

Lukas Nelson filled in for Jamey Johnson at this past weekend’s Last Waltz shows in Colorado. Musical director Don Was was joined in the house band by Ryan Bingham, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Don Was, John Medeski, Dave Malone, Terence Higgins, Cyril Neville and Mark Mullins & The Levee Horns. Shannon McNally also took part in Friday’s concert at The Boulder Theater.

While most of the show was devoted to selections from The Band’s historic Last Waltz Thanksgiving 1976 concert, the band also found time to honor Lesh, who died earlier in the day at age 84. Lukas Nelson stepped to the mic after dueting with Shannon McNally on “Long Black Veil.”

“We lost a good one today and I know a lot of you all care about him — Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead. We’d like to do this one for him,” Nelson told the crowd. Lukas then fronted the horn-driven rendition of “Truckin’.” Extra emotion came as both Benmont Tench and John Medeski had performed with Lesh as occasional members of Phil Lesh & Friends.

Grateful Dead bandmates Phil Lesh, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir co-wrote “Truckin'” with lyricist Robert Hunter. The song was a staple for the Grateful Dead from its debut in August 1970 through the band’s final shows in 1995 outside 1976 and early 1977 tours. A studio version appears on the 1970 Grateful Dead album American Beauty.

Watch Lukas Nelson sing “Truckin'” in Boulder via audience-captured video below:

Long Black Veil	00:00:00
Truckin’	00:03:00

Channel	Royce Witherspoon (See 2 videos)
Bands	Lukas Nelson (See 69 videos) , Mike Campbell (See 5 videos) , Benmont Tench (See 8 videos) , Ryan Bingham (See 28 videos) , John Medeski (See 73 videos) , Dave Malone (See 3 videos) and Terence Higgins (See 8 videos)

“Thank you, Phil!” exclaimed Lukas Nelson after “Truckin’.” John Medeski posted a tribute to Lesh just before showtime.

Life is a Carnival: Last Waltz Tour ‘24 moves on to Omaha, Nebraska on Tuesday, October 29. The tour is currently slated to end in Robbie Robertson’s home city of Toronto on November 16.

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