My Morning Jacket, Grateful Dead’s Spiritual Heirs, Close Residency in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, USA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 —

My Morning Jacket’s San Francisco Residency Honors Grateful Dead Legacy, Deepening Fillmore’s Musical Heritage

The run, announced seven months ago with rainbow-themed artwork, culminated in a final show that featured rare performances, guest appearances, and direct nods to the Dead’s iconic setlist—culminating in an emotional encore using Jerry Garcia’s legendary Martin acoustic guitar.

The residency was not merely a celebration of My Morning Jacket’s own 18 previous shows at the Fillmore but a deliberate homage to the Grateful Dead, whose 51 performances there between 1965 and 1969 helped cement the venue’s reputation as a cultural crossroads. Vocalist Jim James, who described himself as “in a deep Grateful Dead period of my life,” framed the run as an emotional reckoning with the band’s influence.

“Ever since Bobby [Weir] passed away, a portal opened and I stepped through, into the land of the Grateful Dead,” James told Rolling Stone. “It’s such a beautiful place to be.”

The seven-night series, each themed by a color of the rainbow, included subtle and overt references to the Dead’s catalog. On the final night, the band performed the entire tracklist of Okonokos (Disc One), their 2005 live album recorded at the Fillmore itself—a setlist that resonated deeply with attendees, including Grahame Lesh, son of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. “It was a truly epic experience to see that show,” Lesh recalled.

“I still have the poster and everything.”

The residency also featured guest appearances by artists tied to the Dead’s orbit, including bassist Karina Rykman, who made her Fillmore debut to play on the debut of My Morning Jacket’s “Franklin’s Tower.” The band’s setlist incorporated covers of Sly Stone’s “Everyday People” and “Thank You,” as well as Marvin Gaye’s “Baby Don’t You Do It,” a song famously recorded live at Winterland Ballroom just blocks from the Fillmore.

The residency even replicated the Grateful Dead’s signature transition between “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain,” performing the songs on consecutive nights to evoke the band’s legendary live suites.

The emotional climax came during the final two nights, when James played Garcia’s “Alligator” guitar and Weir’s “Black Knife” guitar, but it was the Martin acoustic guitar from American Beauty that stole the show. “To hear all of us singing together, especially at the end of the song, and know it was that guitar that we hear every time we hear the studio recording was truly a transcendent moment,” James said.

“I felt like I was just a vessel for the music to pass through.”

The residency’s closing act featured Grahame Lesh onstage, playing his father’s bass on “Sugar Magnolia” and “Box of Rain,” while James performed on Garcia’s guitar. The band’s final setlist included a mix of originals, covers, and Dead-inspired selections, reinforcing the residency’s theme of musical continuity. “That’s the beauty of the Grateful Dead,” James reflected. “They carried the music in such an egoless, pure way, and that music carries us through life.

And the music never stops or dies, so then we also carry the music forward.”

While My Morning Jacket’s residency may not have fully eclipsed the Grateful Dead’s legacy at the Fillmore, it added another layer to the venue’s storied history. The band’s 18 previous shows there now stand alongside the Dead’s 51, creating a living archive of the Fillmore’s role as a guardian of musical tradition.

For fans and artists alike, the residency served as a reminder that the spirit of the Grateful Dead—and the Fillmore’s enduring magic—remains alive in every note played.

Related: Fillmore Auditorium