Live Dead & Brothers @ Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley, CA, USA, 06/26/2025

[concert_goer]

The current lineup of Live Dead & Brothers features Steve Kimock on guitar, Berry Duane Oakley, a son of Berry Oakley, on bass, second guitarist Mark Karan, Scott Guberman on keys, and drummer Pete Lavezzoli. As the band name suggests, they play covers from the Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers Band repertoires.

The first set started with a jam that grew into Truckin', which then transitioned into Spoonful. The first Allmans tune of the night was my favorite, Midnight Rider. Kimock and Karan clearly knew the Dead material inside out, delivering it with ease, but they showed they could handle the ABB stuff just as impressively. I did not always like the vocals, contributed by all members except Steve, but there were plenty of instrumental passages to enjoy.

The second set impressed with the sequence China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, and both Jessica and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed sounded awesome.

There was the third set, thirty more minutes of music.

Some very big guy who was seen helping the band with the sound came on stage three times, delivering solid vocals on It's a Man's World, Mr. Charlie, and closing Hey Jude.

Great night overall!

Set 1 (8:01 PM — 9:17 PM): Jam > Truckin' > Spoonful, Midnight Rider, It's a Man's World, Don't Want You No More, It's Not My Cross to Bear, Turn On Your Love Light, Franklin's Tower, Blue Sky

Set 2 (9:51 PM — 10:59 PM): Jam > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Jessica, Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One, Mr. Charlie > Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Morning Dew

Set 3 (11:01 PM — 11:31 PM): Cold Rain and Snow, Southbound, Me and My Uncle, Hey Jude