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Lesh, who died on Friday, Oct. 25, played bass with the iconic rock band for three decades up to their disbandment in 1995. He then continued on with Phil Lesh and Friends, which played both Dead songs and original music.
It was this group that appeared at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester in early 2024 on Wednesday, March 13; Friday, March 15; and Saturday, March 16.
During these shows, Lesh celebrated his 84th birthday with "three nights jamming with a group of his closest friends and frequent collaborators," according to the theatre.
After his appearances in Port Chester, Lesh went on to play a handful of shows later in the year: this included a headlining appearance at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on Thursday, May 9, as well as a performance at McNears Beach Park in San Rafael, California on Sunday, July 21 that ended up being his last concert, according to a report by Rolling Stone.
At that last performance, Lesh was joined by drummer John Molo, keyboardist Jason Crosby, guitarist and singer Stanley Jordan, vocalist Elliott Peck, guitarist and singer Stu Allen, guitarist and singer Dan Lebowitz, and guitarist and singer Grahame Lesh, Rolling Stone reported.
As for the last song Lesh played before his death, that honor went to the Grateful Dead classic “Sugar Magnolia,” which the band played more than 600 times. Rolling Stone reported his remarks to the crowd during his last show:
"I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I get to play with these guys," Lesh said.
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