06/14/2026
In 2003, at the age of 18, this girl went to her first music festival. It was the second ever Bonnaroo (unfathomable). The farm, To say it changed it my life sounds so cliché but there was a switch inside of me and it flipped.
Amongst the MANY transformative experiences, the weekend closed out with my first glimpse into the world of Grateful Dead . "The Dead" headlined and closed out Sunday night. My first dead show... Bob, Phil, Mickey, and Bill.
Once I got on the bus there was no chance of turning back. Of course, I got back down to the farm the following year, in 2004. “Despite apocalyptic weekend storms that caused a two-hour delay and turned the 700-acre site into a mud pit, the band played a legendary two-set performance that is highly regarded as one of the best post-Grateful Dead shows“.
And that's where it began for me. Dead Forever. But my story is not unique. There's a lot of us. The band, the legacy, the music, the community. We all have our origin stories and we're all better for what this band has given us. A band beyond description!
Through all the years - there was one constant. It was Bobby Weir. I was ten when Jerry Garcia died. So for me and many people my age, Bobby was OUR GUY. And dammit, "Bobby fans are People, too".
From my first show to his last bow - I am just so grateful for the 23 years I got. Given their 60 year legacy, that's only 1/3 of what many have been so lucky to have grown up with. But then again, I grew up with it too. More than half of my life!!
As personal and specific as it feels to each of us, we ALL KNOW that it's bigger than that. It's the largest counterculture musical movement in history.
And that's why I'm asking you for help, for the first time ever, in naming our next show!!
In the wake of Bobby's passing, I am humbled and nervous and overly excited to announce that on July 25th, Chicago Truborn will host it's first Dead themed exhibition.
While it's not specifically a Bobby tribute show - he is certainly what inspired me to move so brightly. He brought us together on countless occasions and now we will gather again in his memory!
What should we name the show? 🥀⚡💀
