SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — At the Grateful Deadhead House in San Francisco, deadheads came to pay homage after learning of Bob Weir’s passing. He died after a battle with cancer.
Weir was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead in 1965, along with Jerry Garcia.
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“I never saw Jerry live. But I have seen every iteration of The Dead with Bobby, since the early 2000s. This is going to have huge impact on this community. It’s a great community,” said Jess Keay, who lives in Fairfax.
The kings of psychedelic rock rose to prominence during the rise of the counterculture movement born on the streets of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury. The band’s eclectic music combined rock with elements of jazz, blues and folk.
On social media, the Weir family wrote: “Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music. His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul.”
“I think the Grateful Dead, and Bobby especially, brought joy to so many people. They have been, for me and everyone, they have been there for us in good times and bad. So many of us got on the bus and have never gotten off,” said Aaron Friedman, a San Francisco resident.
Sixty years later, at the corner of Masonic and Haight, devoted fans turned out once again. But this wasn’t just “One More Saturday Night.” It was a night to celebrate a man and his music.
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“Bob Weir changed the world. And it’s funny to be in a city that is clearly so steeped in materialism. But it is beautiful that this corner is lit up and becomes that thing that San Francisco represents: love, music, the spiritual, the divine, the psychedelic,” said Austin Waz, a San Francisco resident.
“The Grateful Dead is a way of life for me. It is part of who I am. And since I was 12 years old, they have been an integral part of who I am as a San Franciscan,” said Sunshine Powers, the owner of the store Love on Haight. “I am so glad that his last show was in Golden Gate Park. That makes me feel really good.”
That show featured the group Dead & Company, who played there in August. The band is another iteration of the Grateful Dead, led by Weir, who would also sing.
“The voices are all gone. We still have our drummers, bless them. But there is something about the people who sing to you. And that voice is silent now,” said Dennis McNally. He was the Grateful Dead’s biographer and publicist going back to the 1980s.
McNally described them as more than just a band, but rather, the soundtrack to people’s lives. Improvisation was where their magic was. Wier’s music and lyrics created another world.
“He was stubborn and idiosyncratic and caring. And just a really remarkable guy. And I am going to miss him,” McNally said.
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