Grateful Useless Get Its Due at MusiCares Gala With All-Star Salute

“Longevity was by no means a serious concern of ours,” mentioned Bob Weir, getting an enormous and considerably chuckle out of the viewers, despite the fact that he didn’t ship it as fun line. Weir was accepting an award, together with different members of the Grateful Useless or their relations, as one among MusiCares‘ Individuals of the Yr on the charity’s annual gala Friday evening. And there was consideration paid throughout the speeches each to the inconceivable proven fact that an offshoot of the group, Useless & Firm, continues to be on the market enjoying, 60 years after the unique group’s formation, at the same time as Weir acknowledged absences on the dais.

“The street is a tough existence, as plainly evidenced by the straightforward proven fact that there aren’t all that a lot of my outdated bandmates right here tonight to obtain this recognition,” Weir mentioned, standing alongside fellow founding Useless member Mickey Hart, who additionally nonetheless performs with him in Useless & Firm. “However thanks, Grahame Lesh and Trixie Garcia and Justin Kreutzmann for representing your dads right here,” he added, acknowledging the current passing of Phil Lesh — who died shortly after the MusiCares honor was introduced — in addition to the long-gone Jerry Garcia, plus the lately retired Invoice Kreutzmann, who was absent from the ceremony, presumably for well being causes, however did ship alongside a video speech.

After making his comment about legacies and longevity having been removed from their minds many of the method, Weir added, “Lighting people up and spreading pleasure via the music was all we actually had in thoughts, and we bought loads of that accomplished. And having the ability to deliver that pleasure whereas on the similar time offering materials help to these in want was all the time extra than simply icing on the cake.”

Bob Weir, Grahame Lesh, Justin Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Trixie Garcia on the 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the Yr Profit Gala for Grateful Useless held on the Los Angeles Conference Middle on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner

The Individuals of the Yr award honored the Useless members for his or her philanthropic work, and the gala did its half to boost funds for musicians and others in want, bringing in $9 million for MusiCares’ general work and a further $5 million for reduction for the L.A. wildfires’ victims, MusicCares’ Laura Segura introduced close to the top of the evening on the Los Angeles Conference Middle.

The hundreds of attendees — who got here largely within the instructed black tie, together with some in not-nearly-so-black tie-dye — have been there for the charity but additionally to charitably deal with themselves to what nearly invariably seems to be one of many most interesting all-star concert events of the 12 months. As anticipated, the evening ended with a brief set by Useless & Firm, which has John Mayer standing alongside Weir as a frontman, after contributions from artists together with Noah Kahan, Billy Strings, Vampire Weekend, the Conflict on Medication and Maren Morris, in entrance of a home band assembled by Don Was. (Scroll right down to see the complete setlist.)

John Mayer, Bob Weir carry out onstage on the 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the Yr Profit Gala for Grateful Useless held on the Los Angeles Conference Middle on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner

The affair felt looser on the ground than some other MusiCares gala in reminiscence, and possibly ever, with few attendees remaining of their seats for very lengthy after the dwell music began in earnest. At first, pockets of dancers fashioned to the far left and proper of the stage, the place it grew to become evident that a number of the tonied attendees for the high-priced gathering actually have been veteran Deadheads disguised as members of well mannered Deadheads. If a few of these people had spent their youths — and even post-youths — following the Useless from metropolis to metropolis, ought to anybody have supposed they wouldn’t journey throughout half a huge ballroom to get nearer to the music?

Quickly, the aisles close to each levels (MusiCares rotates between the primary stage and a revolving B-stage in the midst of the ground) crammed up as properly, as much more reasonable appreciators of the music moved to get nearer to the performances. At subsequent 12 months’s MusiCares gala, whoever the honoree is, likelihood is the event will return to its extra staid and largely seated methods, nevertheless it felt proper for a Useless salute to not stand so strictly on ceremony… even when this may need been the primary Grateful Useless or Useless & Firm-related efficiency ever the place not a single particular person in attendance was there as a result of they’d scored a miracle ticket.

Even with the acknowledgements of these Useless members lacking from the stage, any solemnity was short-lived, and the tone veered extra towards presenter Woody Harrelson’s introductory speech for the band’s kudos. If solely there might have been a thought bubble above Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.’s head as he stood behind Harrelson, representing a corporation that’s charged with serving to musicians in restoration, bearing a smile as he listened to the actor cheerfully inform tales of doing medicine with the Useless again within the ’90s.

Harvey Mason, JR., Woody Harrelson on the 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the Yr Profit Gala for Grateful Useless held on the Los Angeles Conference Middle on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner

Harrelson advised an extended anecdote about doing mushrooms with Garcia and firm previous to an early ’90s present, and the way the remainder of the band went out on stage whereas Garcia stayed behind to interact the actor in a prolonged dialog concerning the nature of time and area. When the guitarist was actually compelled on stage to hitch the others, Harrelson adopted behind and sat sidestage, albeit in a very awkward seat. Seeing roadies enraged and working at him, Harrelson was advised he was sitting on an lively MIDI keyboard that was sending horrific sounds out to the viewers — and he proudly added that this represented his first and final time jamming with the Useless.

Famous teen-Deadhead-made-good Andy Cohen emceed the night, and though he didn’t try a lot comedy himself, he did take pleasure in repartee with attendees like Lainey Wilson when there was time to fill between musical setups. At one level he engaged with Mayer and so they bought on to the unlikely topic of whether or not there are any “sexy” songs within the Useless’s not-exactly-ribald catalog. Answered Mayer, within the evening’s most quotable quote: “I’d say there are usually not a number of sexy Grateful Useless songs, until you’re sexy, I don’t know, for playing or ingesting out of an outdated bottle. However,” he added, “now that you simply point out it, there is ‘Seems to be Like Rain,’ the place Bob sings about ‘avenue cats makin’ love’.” Cohen neary bounced up and down in gleeful appreciation: “Sure! He does!”

John Mayer performs onstage on the 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the Yr Profit Gala for Grateful Useless held on the Los Angeles Conference Middle on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner

Mayer not solely bought off the night’s greatest quip, however he additionally turned within the evening’s most riveting efficiency — an almost 12-minute model of “Terrapin Station,” carried out in acoustic trio format on the B-stage, with a plethora of the type of solos that additional proved that Mayer was the perfect and actually solely decide to fill Garcia’s sneakers in a long-running Useless offshoot.

However nearly each different alternative on the menu was rewarding, beginning with the husband-and-wife duo the Conflict and Treaty beginning off the evening’s leisure with “Samson and Delilah,” backed by two visitor superstar drummers, Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland — a extremely efficient implicit tribute to the Grateful Useless traditionally having two frontmen and two percussionists.

Ezra Koenig, Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend, Rick Mitarotonda (R) carry out onstage on the 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the Yr Profit Gala for Grateful Useless held on the Los Angeles Conference Middle on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner

Though nobody soloed fairly so long as Mayer in his highlight second, instrumental virtuosity was present in guitarist Billy Strings’ “Wharf Rat” and pianist (and former Grateful Useless superstar sideman) Bruce Hornsby’s “Standing on the Moon.” Full or partial variations of a number of rock ‘n’ roll bands made their solution to the primary stage (accompanied additional by Was’ crew) — Vampire Weekend, the Conflict on Medication and My Morning Jacket — reflecting the Useless’s affect on fashionable bands that sit comfortably someplace between mainstream rock and the jam-band periphery.

Nation was well-represented, between Dwight Yoakam, Maren Morris, Zac Brown, Maggie Rose (who dueted with MMJ’s Jim James) and Wynonna Judd, the final of whom effusively thanked Weir for being there for her as a good friend and supporter, to the purpose that he’d accepted her request to carry out at her mom Naomi’s funeral. And the Useless’s influence on fashionable Americana sounds was delivered to life through in-the-round appearances by Noah Kahan, joined by Bela Fleck on “Scarlet Begonias,” and Sierra Farrell and Lukas Nelson, doing “It Should Have Been the Roses” in mild, pretty tandem.

Bob Weir, Mickey Hart carry out onstage on the 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the Yr Profit Gala for Grateful Useless held on the Los Angeles Conference Middle on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner

Useless & Firm’s three-song climax ended with the Grateful Useless’s “Contact of Gray,” presumably chosen not as a result of it was the band’s greatest industrial radio hit — or at the least not solely with that in thoughts — however as a result of it touches extra overtly than others on growing older, albeit with a carefree really feel… and an ironic one, given how most concerned have greater than only a contact of gray all these years on (Mayer not but included). “I’ll survive,” the music’s key lyric, isn’t particularly meaty as a manifesto, in comparison with a number of the extra eloquent lyrics Robert Hunter wrote for the band, nevertheless it works.

Simply listening to the 2 authentic Useless mainstays converse — by no means thoughts sing — was a deal with for a number of the band’s followers readily available, because the group famously maintains a sphinxlike angle on stage, by no means speaking on stage, even in Useless & Firm’s soon-to-be-revived Sphere legacy.

Weir acknowledged on the outset of his speech that he may not get far into it and not using a lapse, mentioning that he grew up dyslexic, though he got here via simply positive in a monolog that made up for a number of the misplaced time of not often or by no means talking from the stage.

Addressing the evening’s most topical concern, Weir mentioned, “What we have now right here in SoCal lately is a rebuild that’s gonna take some effort and time — and an immense quantity of teamwork. My guess is it’s gonna take just a few years, however SoCal can be again, stronger and shinier.

“Anyway, if making music is what you’re gonna be doing, you’ll discover that you would be able to make significantly extra thunder if you will discover people to play with, and be taught to work with and play off of them, and allow them to play you. That’s what the Grateful Useless did over time, and success ultimately got here to us. All alongside, my outdated pal Jerry used to say, ‘You get some, you give some again’ — and so we did. From early on it was greater than obvious to us that we may very well be of considerable profit to our broader group – and have huge enjoyable doing it. We additionally realized immediately that it was an honor and a privilege to be on this place, one thing we by no means took flippantly. That brings us again to MusiCares, a beacon of hope within the music trade that gives monetary help, psychological well being assets, restoration packages, and different help to artists and music technicians dealing with challenges. Their work ensures that the individuals who make music – from behind-the-scene professionals to family names – will be capable to keep on.”

Hart was equally eloquent. “Not too way back, they wouldn’t allow us to into Disneyland,” he famous. “Our hair was too lengthy. and the cops, they have been chasing us across the nation. Fortuitously, they gave up and we’re right here tonight.

“For me, music’s all the time been extra than simply sound,” Hart continued. “It’s a power, a healer, however music doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Music wants a group to play to. And in flip, a group wants its music. We all know the facility of the group as a result of we’ve lived it. And Deadheads have stored the dream alive for 60 years now and proceed to take this music into the following century. I’m so grateful. The Useless has all the time been extra than simply music. It’s concerning the individuals who believed in it, supported it, and constructed one thing larger than any one among us. Earlier than the world even knew what to make of us, our group lifted us up and stored us going.

“With out help, there could be no Grateful Useless. Tonight, I wish to thank my brothers Bobby, Billy, Phil, and naturally pricey, pricey Jerry, and naturally, allow us to not overlook for a second, not for a second, the magic phrases of Robert Hunter. His phrases, are past description. With out Hunter, additionally, there could be no Grateful Useless…

“Music is energy. Music is medication. Music is survival. We discuss music in scientific phrases, not its influence on neurologic operate, psychological well being, emotional wellbeing. However what we’re actually speaking about is one thing primal, one thing sacred, as a result of music has all the time been humanity’s biggest healer. It soothes the soul, raises our consciousness and provides us energy after we want it most. As a result of on the finish of the day, that’s what it’s all about: giving again to the very factor that’s given us a lot.”

Sammy Hagar performs at MusiCares’ tribute to the Grateful Useless
Chris Willman/Selection

Setlist for MusiCares salute to the Grateful Useless, Jan. 31, 2025:

“Samson and Delilah” — The Conflict and Treaty w/ Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland
“One Extra Saturday Evening” — My Morning Jacket and Maggie Rose
“Ripple” — Norah Jones
“Bertha” — Zac Brown and Marcus King
“Ramble On Rose” — Wynonna Judd
“Pal of the Satan” — Noah Kahan and Bela Fleck
“Scarlet Begonias” — Vampire Weekend
“Truckin’” — Dwight Yoakam
“They Love Every Different” — Maren Morris
“It Should Have Been the Roses” —Sierra Farrell and Lukas Nelson
“Wharf Rat” — Billy Strings
“Free Lucy” — Sammy Hagar
“Standing on the Moon” — Bruce Hornsby
“Field of Rain” — The Conflict on Medication
“Terrapin Station” — John Mayer
“Althea,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Contact of Gray” — Useless & Firm