Bob Weir has hinted that a Grateful Dead reunion could be on the table as the band approaches its 60th anniversary. Alongside fellow surviving members Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, Weir is set to enter the studio for rehearsals—potentially paving the way for the first Grateful Dead show under that name since Jerry Garcia’s passing in 1995.
The idea of a full reunion had previously been considered but was put on hold after the passing of bassist Phil Lesh in October 2024. Without Lesh, the band’s future seemed uncertain.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Weir acknowledged the challenge of performing without their longtime bassist. “I think you need somebody holding down the bottom,” he said. “Phil had all kinds of ideas that were pretty much unique to him. I grew up with Phil holding down the bottom in his unique way.”
Despite the loss, Weir isn’t ruling out a return to the stage with his former bandmates. “I wouldn’t put anybody in his place, so it would be a trio at this point. It’d be me and two drummers,” he explained. “I’d have to think about that.
I haven’t thought about it—it’s just now occurring to me that it’s a possibility that we could do that, since you asked.… I guess we’ll just see what the three of us can pull together.”
Since the original Grateful Dead lineup disbanded in 1995, various offshoots have kept the band’s music alive. The trio formed Dead & Company in 2015, alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti, with Jay Lane later replacing Kreutzmann on drums. Other past projects, such as The Other Ones, The Dead, and the Rhythm Devils, have also included core members of the group.
While nothing is set in stone, Weir’s openness to the idea has sparked hope that the surviving members of the Grateful Dead might have one more show left in them.
