For listeners who live for the magic that only unfolds when the Grateful Dead are stretched out on stage, this season delivers a remarkable convergence of eras, energy, and archival revelation. At The Grateful Dead Live, every song exists in its truest form — captured in performance, shaped by improvisation, and preserved exactly as it happened. This week, that mission expands with major news from the vault, a spotlight on Bob Weir’s wider musical universe, and one of the most legendary New Year’s Eve concerts in Dead history taking center stage.
The Ace Radio Show joins the celebration with its latest broadcast, a deep, soul-rich journey through the musical life of Bob Weir. The program explores Weir’s solo material and collaborative projects, tracing his distinctive blend of Americana, folk storytelling, and road-worn rock that defined his voice both within and beyond the Grateful Dead. Tonight’s Ace Radio Show weaves rare live recordings and performance-era gems into a narrative that highlights how Weir’s songwriting and guitar work remained a guiding force throughout the band’s long evolution.
At the same time, Dead archivist David Lemieux has opened the vault doors once again with the announcement of the first two releases in the 2026 Dave’s Picks subscription series. These archival releases bring fans face to face with two entirely different but equally legendary moments in the band’s touring history.
Dave’s Picks Volume 57 transports listeners to April 10, 1983, at the West Virginia University Coliseum in Morgantown. Coming off a rare three-month break, the band hit the stage with a focused urgency that fans still talk about decades later. This show is revered for its tight execution and explosive pacing, capturing the early ’80s Dead in a lean, hungry, and highly energized form. The setlist features a rare and emotionally charged live performance of “Cassidy,” a version that has long been at the top of fan wish lists. Live renditions of “Jack Straw” surge with drive and harmony, while “China Cat Sunflower” spirals into shimmering improvisation that defines the era’s sound. Spread across four discs, the release also offers a subscriber-exclusive bonus disc drawn from the following night’s performance at Glens Falls, expanding the snapshot of this pivotal tour run.
Dave’s Picks Volume 58 shifts the lens to June 18, 1974, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, capturing the band at full experimental throttle during the Wall of Sound era. This was a time when the Grateful Dead were redefining what live amplification and improvisational rock could become. The crown jewel of this release is a monumental 46-minute live “Playing in the Band,” a sprawling, exploratory jam that moves from hushed psychedelia to thunderous rhythmic surges. It stands as a masterclass in the band’s ability to turn a single song into a fully realized musical voyage. Across three discs, the Louisville performance preserves the Grateful Dead at the height of their jam-driven creativity.
This week’s Don’s Pick brings listeners into the electric, celebratory atmosphere of New Year’s Eve 1989 into 1990 at the Oakland Coliseum, one of the most beloved late-era Grateful Dead performances ever staged. The night was unforgettable before the band even struck its first chord. At midnight, legendary promoter Bill Graham descended from the rafters in a wildly theatrical chicken suit, landing atop a giant egg from which a “Baby New Year” emerged, turning the countdown into a piece of Dead mythology.
Musically, the concert stands as a snapshot of a band firing on all cylinders. The first set opens with buoyant live versions of “Sugar Magnolia” flowing into “Touch of Grey” and “Man Smart, Woman Smarter.” Blues royalty Bonnie Raitt joins onstage for a swinging take on “Big Boss Man,” adding an extra layer of sparkle. “Shakedown Street” closes the set in full dance-floor command.
The second set delivers the kind of deep, storybook Dead journey that defines the band’s legend. After the New Year’s announcement, the band rolls into a joyful “Iko Iko,” then ventures into darker, more exploratory terrain with “Victim or the Crime” and a rare, first-verse-only return of “Dark Star.” From there, the band dissolves into “Drums” and “Space,” joined by percussionist Airto Moreira, before rising into emotionally charged live versions of “Dear Mr. Fantasy” and the coda of “Hey Jude.” The closing run through “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” “Throwing Stones,” and “Not Fade Away” brings the Coliseum to full roar. The encore seals the night with heartfelt performances of “Brokedown Palace,” “Sunshine Daydream,” and “In the Midnight Hour.”
Together, these three pillars — Dave’s Picks 2026, The Ace Radio Show, and Don’s Pick — offer a panoramic journey through the Grateful Dead’s live legacy. From the experimental heights of 1974 to the focused fire of 1983 and the celebratory power of 1989, every song stands as a reminder of why the Dead’s live catalog remains one of the most studied, collected, and cherished bodies of music in rock history.
At The Grateful Dead Live, the road never truly ends — it simply unfolds one show, one jam, and one unforgettable night at a time.
