On Oct. 26, 1972, Bob Weir and the rest of the Grateful Dead played a show at the Cincinnati Music Hall. On Wednesday night, Weir was joined by his band the Wolf Bros and the Wolfpack, along with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, at the Cincinnati Music Hall. Weir’s return to the ornate venue, 52 years later, was a triumphant celebration of the Dead’s music and continued impact. The opening night for a short run of concerts with local symphonies, the show was unlike any other Grateful Dead-related show I’ve ever seen.
Before Weir took the stage, the orchestra opened with “A Grateful Overture,” a piece composed by Stanford professor Dr. Giancarlo Aquilanti, who also created the orchestral arrangements of Dead classics that would be played throughout the night.
Led by conductor John Morris Russell, the orchestra added an extra layer to the timeless classics of one of America’s most influential bands.
When Weir took the stage, he opened with one of his signature tunes, “Jack Straw.” The crowd, dressed in a mix of tie dye and suits, stood up and began to dance, and didn’t stop until the show ended. You could feel the energy in the room, and it was clear Weir and the rest of his band were having a fantastic time playing the music with a full orchestra.
On slower ballads like “Days Between” and “Lost Sailor / Saint of Circumstance,” the swelling strings lifted the music to a new level and showed that this music is truly art.
For me, the highlight of the night was hands down the orchestral interpretation of two of the Dead’s psychedelic jam vehicles, “Dark Star” and “The Other One.” With the small rings of triangles and xylophone, “Dark Star” transported the crowd through space before the band transitioned us into the crowd-pleaser “Truckin’.”
“The Other One,” a long-time favorite of mine, sounded as if it had been composed by Stravinsky, Edgard Varèse or Frank Zappa during his orchestral period, keeping the psychedelic energy of the song, while taking it to a whole new place.
During seamless song transitions, a staple of the Grateful Dead’s music, the orchestra ceased its playing, and Weir and the rest of his crew moved the music along into the new song. Once they arrived at their destination, the full force of the orchestra was felt as they joined in.
These symphony performances are pretty rare, with Weir only playing in two more cities this month. The concert was one of the most unique I’ve seen, and as a long-time fan of the Dead, I’m grateful to have been able to see this one-of-a-kind take on the music.
This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2024.