Phil Lesh Announces Terrapin Clubhouse At Phil & Friends Fillmore Concert

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh brought his Phil Lesh & Friends project to The Fillmore in San Francisco on Friday. Lesh made an announcement at the start of the evening’s encore, but instead of the usual “Donor Rap” the 83-year-old confirmed the launch of Terrapin Clubhouse.

Friday’s Phil & Friends concert at The Fillmore was presented by Terrapin Clubhouse. Lesh instructed the audience to visit the new website (www.terrapinclubhouse.com), though little information is revealed upon viewing the page.

Lesh was the proprietor of Terrapin Crossroads, a live music venue and restaurant, that operated in San Rafael, California. Terrapin Crossroads opened in March 2012 but the space ceased operations in November 2021.

During Friday’s pre-encore announcement of Terrapin Clubhouse, Lesh told The Fillmore audience:

“Before we play the encore, I want to invite you all to join us in a trip that we’re planning called Terrapin Clubhouse. We’re going to be doing all kinds of things at the Terrapin Clubhouse, which is not officially a space by the way. You can find out more by going to terrapinclubhouse.com, you’ll find information there about the trips that are coming through.”

Lesh added that Phil & Friends will return to The Fillmore for two shows in December, though exact dates were not confirmed. Friday’s Phil & Friends lineup at The Fillmore featured guitarists Grahame Lesh and Eric Krasno, keyboardist Steve Molitz and drummer Nathan Graham.

The first set began with “Playing In The Band” and ended with a reprise of the opener. The ensemble dealt with equipment issues before laying into “Bertha.” The longtime song companions of “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” substantiated the set. Krasno-sung “Brown-Eyed Women” and “Ramble On Rose” set up the aforementioned return to “Playing In The Band.”

There was a similar full-circle aspect to the second set, which opened with “Help On The Way” into “Slipknot!” but the trifecta fulfilling “Franklin’s Tower” would not emerge until the final song of the set. Lesh and his cohorts filled in the set two with “Deal,” “Shakedown Street” and “Terrapin Station,” which saw Grahame Lesh fronting the band on “Jack O’Roses,” a component of the “Terrapin Suite,” written by lyricist Robert Hunter but not performed by the Grateful Dead. The group slipped in a bit of “Slipknot!” before firing up the “Franklin’s Tower” closer, which contained elements of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky.”

The show ended with the Terrapin Clubhouse announcement, followed by the ever-poignant “Ripple” providing the evening’s encore.

Photos by Susan Weiand