Phil Lesh Reveals Impressive Roster Of Friends For March 13th Capitol Theatre Concert

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh opened a series of concerts celebrating his upcoming 84th birthday at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York on Monday with the first of two Phil Lesh Quintet shows. After “The Q” takes the stage again tonight, the run continues with three Phil Lesh & Friends shows on March 13, 15 and 16.

The musicians who will accompany Phil Lesh at The Cap on Wednesday, March 13 have been announced. Phil will be joined by guitarists Eric Krasno and Grahame Lesh, saxophonist/flautist Karl Denson, keyboardist/violinist Jason Crosby, vocalist Amy Helm and drummer John Molo. Lineups for Phil’s birthday show on March 15 and the finale on March 16 have yet to be confirmed.

Grahame Lesh — Phil’s son — and Jason Crosby have played regularly with Phil over the past seven years as members of The Terrapin Family Band and numerous Friends lineups. The bassist put his focus on performing with The Terrapin Family Band since Furthur broke up. Phil still played the occasional show and runs with various Phil Lesh & Friends lineups and often welcomed special guests to join The Terrapin Family Band.

Eric Krasno initially teamed with Phil Lesh as part of a surprise pop-up set at the 2013 Jazz & Colors Festival in New York City’s Central Park featuring drummer Joe Russo. Kraz then made his Phil & Friends debut in 2016 and has been a frequent guest of The Terrapin Family Band and member of Lesh’s ensemble since the bassist reverted back to the rotating project after Terrapin Crossroads closed.

John Molo has a long history as Phil’s on-call drummer dating back to the Phil & Phriends shows in 1999. Molo was the only musician Lesh tapped for both the Phil Lesh Quintet and the Phil Lesh & Friends lineup that toured from 2006 through 2008.

Karl Denson played a handful of shows with Phil Lesh & Friends and Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band. He also took part in the Philco set at the lone Sacred Rose festival outside Chicago in 2022. Amy Helm, the daughter of the late Levon Helm, performed with Phil numerous times at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York — the venue that gave Lesh the idea to launch Terrapin Crossroads. She also toured with Phil Lesh & Friends in the summer of 2022.

Tickets for Phil Lesh & Friends’ March 13th show at The Cap are on sale now.