For fans of The Grateful Dead, the music has never been limited to the decades the band spent onstage. It’s a living, breathing thing—reborn every night through the players who carry the torch and the listeners who gather to celebrate the communal magic of the jam. That is the heart of The Grateful Dead Live, where every song is a live version, every performance is unscripted, and every note honors the legacy of improvisation that defined America’s most enduring musical tribe.

And this week, December 3–8, 2025, the world of Dead-inspired music is buzzing with energy, from major national tours to local barroom jams, plus a new edition of The Music Plays The Band Radio Show, which airs tonight and features an all-live lineup curated from the finest Grateful Dead cover bands across the country.

Here’s a look at what’s happening across the Deadhead universe.

DSO Rolls Through Florida With a Temporary Lineup Shift
Dark Star Orchestra, one of the most respected national touring tribute acts, launched their Florida stretch this week with an unexpected—but well-supported—adjustment. Longtime guitarist Rob Eaton is stepping away from the road to focus on his recovery from acute cardio peritonitis. In his place, Michael Kennedy of Splintered Sunlight is filling in, bringing his own style to four shows across the Sunshine State.

Fans will catch the modified lineup in St. Augustine (Dec. 3), Clearwater (Dec. 4), and a two-night stand in Fort Lauderdale (Dec. 5–6). DSO’s ability to adapt—while still delivering faithful recreations of classic Dead shows—continues to be a testament to how deeply this music runs through the players who perform it.

Bertha: Grateful Drag Lights Up Denver for a Two-Night Run
In Denver, a different kind of Grateful Dead experience takes center stage. Bertha: Grateful Drag, a seven-piece ensemble that performs Dead tunes in drag, returns to the stage for a two-night stand December 5–6.

Born in Tennessee as a form of artistic resistance against anti-drag and anti-trans legislation, Bertha has grown into one of the most meaningful and creative voices in the tribute community. Their shows blend the Grateful Dead’s improvisational spirit with the joy, theatricality, and cultural power of drag—transforming the music into both a celebration and an act of solidarity.

Fans attending this weekend’s run at Cervantes’ in Denver can expect long-form jams, emotional peaks, and a completely unique interpretation of classic Dead energy.

A Year That Celebrates Sixty Years of the Dead
This year has also been a landmark in the broader Dead legacy. The official 60th anniversary celebration earlier in 2025 filled San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park with more than 170,000 fans as Dead & Company returned for massive celebratory concerts. While not a cover band, the event served as a reminder: the Grateful Dead’s musical universe is as vast and vibrant as ever.

Regional Dead-Style Magic Across the Country
The live Dead experience is never confined to major stages. Across the U.S., regional and local tribute bands continue to elevate the music in bars, clubs, and community venues—bringing jams and joy to fans everywhere.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

• Dead Man’s Waltz – Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, NY (Dec. 6)
• Grateful Dub – The Fillmore Detroit, MI (Dec. 6)
• Eternally Grateful – “Electric Tuesdays” at Jack’s Live, Charlotte, NC (Dec. 3)
• The County Line Jam Band – “Dead Wednesday,” Woodstock, GA (Dec. 3)
• Unlimited Devotion – Crazy Uncle Mike’s, Boca Raton, FL (Dec. 5)
• Grateful Gospel Brunch – Johnny Trama’s band, Boston, MA (Dec. 7)

Whether it’s a 30-minute “Eyes of the World,” a gritty “Bertha,” or a soaring “Morning Dew,” these bands keep the heartbeat steady—and the community connected.

Tonight on The Music Plays The Band Radio Show
As always, Wednesday night means tuning into The Music Plays The Band Radio Show, the only broadcast dedicated exclusively to live performances from Grateful Dead cover bands across the country. Every track is live, every jam is real, and every week brings a fresh mix of recordings from national touring acts, regional bands, and the grassroots musicians who keep local Dead scenes alive.

Tonight’s show features sets inspired by this week’s biggest events—including a DSO segment celebrating Rob Eaton, a spotlight on Bertha: Grateful Drag, and rare live cuts submitted by several regional bands on the road this weekend.

If The Grateful Dead Live is the beating heart of the experience, The Music Plays The Band Radio Show is the weekly gathering around the campfire—where the stories behind the music stretch out just as long as the jams themselves.

Keeping the Dead Alive—One Live Song at a Time
This week’s activity is a reminder that the musical universe built by the Grateful Dead didn’t fade when the band stopped touring. It expanded. It diversified. It continues to evolve through the musicians who reinterpret the catalog night after night, and through the fans who show up to dance, sing, and keep the spirit in motion.

Every show is different.
Every performance is its own adventure.
And in The Grateful Dead Live, every song is exactly where the music lives—onstage, in the moment, and always alive.