Phil Lesh, Bob Weir & Jackie Greene Perform Philharmonia Benefit On This Date In 2009

Phil Lesh’s Unbroken Chain Foundation organized a Philharmonia benefit concert that took place on December 20, 2009. Lesh’s Grateful Dead band mate Bob Weir, as well as Jackie Greene and others, came together for the special performance at The Tenderloin School in San Francisco that benefited the Bay Area Women’s & Children’s Center.

Lesh and the Unbroken Chain Foundation’s first “Philharmonia” benefit was held in December 1997 and included appearances by Weir, the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, Bruce Hornsby, and Donna Jean Godchaux, plus Edie Brickell, David Grisman, Jackie LaBranch, Graham Nash and Michael Tilson Thomas. Philharmonia was held again in 1999. A decade later, Lesh brought Philarmonia back and continued the tradition for two subsequent years.

Philharmonia 2009 also included vocalists Sunshine Becker and Zoe Ellis accompanying Lesh, Weir and Greene. The set was made up of Dead classics such as “Scarlet Begonias,” “Franklin’s Tower,” “Sugaree,” “Bird Song,” “Cassidy, “Ripple,” “Brokedown Palace,” “Box of Rain” and Greene’s “Gone Wanderin’” and “Sweet Somewhere Bound.” After the set, Lesh, Baker and Ellis led a Christmas carol sing-along of “Jingle Bells,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Twelve Days Of Christmas” and “Amazing Grace.” Listen to the full show via taper P Hopely below:

Setlist (via Philzone)

Main Set: Scarlet Begonias, Franklin’s Tower, Sugaree, BirdSong, Sweet Somewhere Bound, Cassidy, The Race is On, Gone Wanderin’, Ripple, Not Fade Away, Brokedown Palace, Box of Rain

Sing-along set*: Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, 12 Days, Amazing Grace

*Phil Lesh, Zoe Ellis and Sunshine Garcia on vocals

[Originally Published: December 20, 2019]