August 2, 2025 | Jerry Garcia Amphitheater
by Dave Golden
While tens of thousands of Deadheads packed into Golden Gate Park for Dead & Company’s 60th anniversary shows, across town in the Excelsior District, a different kind of celebration unfolded. Jerry Day 2025 honored what would’ve been Jerry Garcia’s 83rd birthday with the renaming of his childhood street to Jerry Garcia Street and an all-day free concert in McLaren Park a local tribute with national draw.
The day began with Peter Rowan, whose musical roots with Jerry run deep, from their Old & In the Way days to a shared bluegrass lineage. Opening with “Dust Bowl Children,” the set included bluegrass and old favorites like “Panama Red” and “Midnight Moonlight,” with Stu Allen joining on a few standout tracks. Rowan’s closing “Walls of Time” was a heartfelt nod to the past and to Jerry’s roots in Americana.
Melvin Seals & JGB, joined by violinist Mads Tolling, brought funky, soulful energy with covers of Smokey Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion,” Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock,” and Jerry Garcia Band staples like “Cats Under the Stars” and “Run for the Roses.” The set wrapped with a vibrant instrumental version of Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her.”
Stu Allen & Mars Hotel closed the day with a jam-filled set featuring Grateful Dead classics like “Dupree’s Diamond Blues,” “West L.A. Fadeaway,” and “Ramble On Rose,” alongside Dylan covers “Stuck Inside of Mobile” and “Tom Thumb’s Blues.” Peter Rowan returned for an incredible rendition of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” bringing the day full circle.
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