Phish frontman Trey Anastasio has published a lengthy tribute to his longtime friend, Bob Weir, following news of his passing at the age of 78 on Saturday.
Anastasio shared that he and Weir had known each other for years, but grew very close around Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary “Fare Thee Well” concerts. “I went out to his beach house, and we spent three nights there alone, just the two of us: playing guitar, cooking scrambled eggs, listening to records, working out, talking, and walking on the beach,” Anastasio recounted.
Weir regaled Anastasio with the “incredible stories about his life,” ranging from his early acid test days in San Francisco to life on the road. Weir was also “completely allergic to compliments in the most endearing way,”Anastasio added. “I’d say, ‘Man, that guitar riff you were doing on that song sounded really killer’ and he’d respond, ‘Well, I’m sure I’ll fuck it up next time.’ I loved that about him.”
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“The more I got to know Bobby, the more I liked him,” Anastasio continued. “I learned so much from him. He talked to me about all the loss around the Grateful Dead, so many friends who had died. He said that John Belushi was backstage at a Dead show the night before he died, looking very grey and unhealthy, and Bobby told him he might want to think about slowing down. I believe that all of that loss gave him a unique and beautiful perspective on life.”
But Weir’s biggest joy was playing, “and I loved that about him,” Anastasio said. “I don’t think he ever got caught up in the bigness. I don’t think it meant anything to him. There were times when I was talking to him when I thought he was the last actual hippie. I remember when Mexico got canceled due to Covid, and he texted me, saying, ‘Man, you should fly down here, and we’ll just play on the beach, no stage!’ That cracked me up. I almost did. Now I wish I had.”
Anastasio said the final time he saw Weir was at Dead & Company’s 60th celebration of the Grateful Dead at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco last August. “We had a nice laugh backstage, then I went and hung out with him and his beautiful family on his bus. I could tell his health was not what it used to be,” Anastasio commented.
“Rest in peace, Bobby. Thank you for all the gifts you brought into the world, and for all the love you gave to so many of us. Your spirit lives on forever. My heart is with Tascha and your beautiful daughters.”