01.11.26 Bob Weir dead at 78…

     I’ve been a Grateful Dead fan since 1987. That’s nearly 40 years. I saw my first show at Giants Stadium in 1989.

 I was lucky to have seen them many times before Gerry Garcia died in 1995. Those were some great shows during some of the best times of my life.

     But I was a Bobby guy. While Gerry was the heart and soul of the band, for me, the shows were always better for me if Weir was on, which depended heavily if Gerry was having a good night or not.

       After Gerry died the band came back under several titles with various frontman taking the spot on stage where Gerry once stood. While it would never replace the original Grateful Dead, for me it was pretty close at times, from the tailgating, to the vendors on Shakedown, which included those 

best ever grilled cheese sandwiches, to the music and vibe while inside.

     Over the last 10 years Dead & Company had become a family affair. I took Theresa and Lauren to their respective first shows while Erin went with her Mom, Michelle. The girls would go on to travel with Michelle to see the band at Playin’ in The Sand in Mexico, the Sphere in Las Vegas, and the last official show somewhere where I can’t remember. 

          So what a long strange trip it’s been. The Dead, and Bob Weir, have been with me, like fly fishing, since I was 20 years old and through all the thick and thins in my life. The show will go on in my head and heart with good times and fond memories.

     In a March 2025 interview with Rolling Stone Weir said,

 “ I look forward to dying. I tend to think of death as the last and best reward for a life well-lived.”

RIP Bob Weir. Dead at 78. Jan 10 2026