The String Cheese Incident Celebrates Jerry Garcia’s Birthday In Idaho

The String Cheese Incident brought their summer tour to Nampa, Idaho on Tuesday for a concert at Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater. Last night’s second set featured a tribute to the late Jerry Garcia in honor of what would have been the Grateful Dead guitarist’s 81st birthday.

Cheese capped the closing stanza with a wild “Colorado Bluebird Sky” that encapsulated portions of three songs associated with Garcia. The Colorado-based sextet jammed the Song In My Head cut into Grateful Dead classic “Eyes Of The World.” While last night’s “Eyes” was played sans lyrics, SCI then moved into a full “Franklin’s Tower” for the first time since November 1, 2014.

The extended “Colorado Bluebird Sky” sequence continued with “Midnight Moonlight.” Jerry Garcia performed “Midnight Moonlight” with the song’s author, Peter Rowan, as members of Old & In The Way. The tune was then a staple of the Jerry Garcia Band live repertoire. SCI went on to perform the conclusion of “Colorado Bluebird Sky” to wrap last night’s second set.

Watch a fan-shot clip of The String Cheese Incident’s “Franklin’s Tower”:

The String Cheese Incident kicked off Tuesday’s show with a rare cover of Bill Monroe’s “Rocky Road Blues” — last played back on May 3, 2022. A career-spanning mix of material followed including a “Best Feeling” that featured the Bob Marley gem “Exodus” within. Other bust outs were the first “Cottonmouth” since July 18, 2021 and a take on Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River” for the encore that had been shelved for nearly four years.

Up next for Cheese is a show in Jackson Hole, Wyoming tonight, Wednesday August 2. Scroll below for a complete list of tour dates.

Setlist (via SCI Facebook)

Set One: Rocky Road Blues, Get Tight, Pack it Up, I Want You, Into The Blue, Texas > Colliding

Set Two: Best Feeling > Exodus > Best Feeling > Can’t Wait Another Day > Hi Ho No Show > Cottonmouth, Water > Colorado Bluebird Sky > Eyes Jam > Franklin’s Tower > Midnight Moonlight > Colorado Bluebird Sky

Encore: Whiskey River