Surprise Albany Performance by Legendary Member of Grateful Dead

It's the weekend and you splurge for a $17 ticket to hear some live music at a local Albany club. A few songs into the set the band invites someone on-stage to sit in for a song or two and the "friend" turns out to be Phil Lesh, formerly of The Grateful Dead.

Saturday night the California band Midnight North played The Hollow Bar & Kitchen on North Pearl Street in Albany. Prior to the performance, a Nippertown Instagram post showed none other than bass player and founding member of The Grateful Dead Phil Lesh sitting in the audience. The speculation began, would he get on stage to perform?

Get our free mobile app

Indeed, Phil Lesh did join Midnight North on stage Saturday night in Albany. As a matter of fact Lesh sat in with the band Friday night in Burlington, Vermont as well. So what is the connection between legendary bass player and a band from California playing the Capital Region? Turns out Phil's son, Grahame Lesh, is the guitarist and singer in Midnight North.

This is not the first time father and son have played together as Grahame Lesh paired with his dad in The Terrapin Family Band, and Phil Lesh and Friends. As for Midnight North, Rolling Stone have praised them as the “Best New Act” in its review of the Peach Music Festival in the summer of 2018. The bands latest album "There’s Always a Story" is out now and you can listen to it HERE.

Check out the video of Midnight North with Phil Lesh at the Hollow in Albany.