On October 9, we’ll gather at The Basement East to celebrate the life and music of Bobby Weir — exactly one week before what would have been his 79th birthday. The last concert I saw before the world shut down was Bobby at the Ryman on March 7, 2020. The show had been sold out for months — long before any of us knew what was coming. Then, in the early morning hours of March 3, devastating tornadoes tore through Nashville and Middle Tennessee. When Bobby learned of the destruction and what the city was going through, he did something that has stayed with me ever since: he turned his already sold-out Ryman show into a benefit for tornado relief. Proceeds from the night supported the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund, helping a community suddenly in need. Bob being Bob. So it feels especially fitting that, more than six years later, we gather again in Nashville — this time to celebrate him — and close that circle by once again using the music to help others. All net proceeds from Ace will benefit Porter’s Call, a remarkable Middle Tennessee nonprofit that provides free, confidential care and support to recording artists and their partners as they navigate the unique pressures of a life in music. I had the extraordinary good fortune to spend many years in Bobby’s orbit — first as a fan, and ultimately as someone privileged to work with him. The same was true of Phil Lesh. Losing Phil in 2024 and Bobby this year has left an absence that is difficult to put into words. But what they gave us remains: the songs, the community, the curiosity, and that enduring invitation to keep going a little further down the road. My favorite Grateful Dead song, “Attics of My Life,” contains a line that has followed me for much of my own life: “seeking all that’s still unsung.” In some small way, that is what this night is about. Remembering Bobby. Remembering Phil. Celebrating the music they gave us, the lives they touched, and the remarkable community that grew around them. And, in Bobby’s spirit, using the occasion to give something back. Six years ago, Bobby came to Nashville and turned a night of music into an opportunity to help a community that needed it. On October 9, we get to return the favor. Ace: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Bobby Weir October 9 · The Basement East · Nashville All net proceeds benefiting Porter’s Call Organized independently by members of Nashville’s music community, ACE is a grassroots celebration of Bobby Weir’s life and music benefiting Benefiting the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The event is not produced, sponsored, endorsed, or authorized by the Weir family, Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead Productions, or their representatives.