The Warfield Theatre holds a special place for the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, and generations of Deadheads. After the Grateful Dead played 15 shows there in 1980 (the band’s longest run at a single venue), Garcia returned with his solo band in June 1981. The Warfield would become a home away from home for Garcia, who played the venue 130 times with JGB. The venue returned the admiration, adorning the purple door to his dressing room with a star and simply, “Jerry.”
As the Jerry Garcia Band’s keyboardist from ’80 through the guitarist’s death in 1995, Melvin Seals was on board for all 130 Warfield shows. So, when he returned to the San Francisco theater on Saturday night with his modern-day JGB outfit, he came with an expanded celebration befitting one of Jerry’s favorite venues.
In addition to his longtime band of guitarist John Kadlecik, bassist John-Paul McLean, and drummer Jeremy Hoenig, Seals further bolstered his lineup of musicians. Across the stage on dueling keys sat Jason Crosby, a frequent staple of Phil & Friends lineups. Tucked behind Seals on a riser in the back of the stage was the Jazz Mafia horn section of Mike Olmos (trumpet), Tommy Occhiuto (saxophone), and Adam Theis (trombone), the latter a member of The Wolfpack string and horn section that toured with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros. Veteran Chicago blues drummer Rick King sat alongside Hoenig, while in center stage sat sacred steel pedal guitarist Roosevelt Collier.
Instead of diving straight into Jerry Garcia originals and soul/Motown classics the guitarist loved playing live, Seals started the Warfield show with a brief set of his own tunes. With the expanded ensemble, Melvin fleshed out his songs live like never before, including “It’s Samba Night” from his 2005 solo album, Melting Pot. Seals also used the opportunity to showcase some new compositions, “Reggae Boogie” and “Reflections”.
Then in the nearly two-hour second set, Seals and company crafted a wide-ranging setlist that honored Garcia’s decorated history at The Warfield. Kadlecik helmed lead vocals on Smokey Robinson‘s “I Second That Emotion” and Allen Toussaint‘s “Tore Up”, the latter getting passed around the stage for all the soloists to take a turn at lead. The band also touched on Jerry’s solo catalog with “Cats Under the Stars” and “The Wheel”, with a Drums/Space section dividing the set and setting up a back-half tribute to Bob Weir.
Related: The Many Faces Of The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir [Feature]
It’s already unusual for Melvin Seals & JGB to load a setlist with tunes by the Grateful Dead proper, and it’s practically unheard of for those to be Bobby tunes. But in honor of the late rhythm guitarist who passed away in January, Melvin & JGB balanced the Jerry reverence with a remembrance for Bobby, playing “Truckin'”, “Jack Straw”, “Feel Like A Stranger”, and closing with “One More Saturday Night”. The band hadn’t played most of the Bobby tunes for several years, with Setlist.fm showing the band’s last “Saturday Night” was in 2018.
Though The Warfield remains “Jerry’s house,” and JGB remains Jerry’s band, there’s still space to celebrate the other one.
Watch a full video of the Melvin Seals & JGB second set from The Warfield, featuring Roosevelt Collier, Jason Crosby, Jazz Mafia, Rick King, and Jonathan Dubose Jr. The core four-piece has more shows this month in St. Louis, Denver, L.A., and more. Find tickets and tour dates here.
Melvin Seals & JGB + Special Guests — The Warfield — San Francisco, CA — 3/7/26 — Set One
[Video: Ted Silverman AKA TedToob]
Melvin Seals & JGB + Special Guests — The Warfield — San Francisco, CA — 3/7/26 — Set Two
[Video: Ted Silverman AKA TedToob]
Setlist: Melvin Seals & JGB | The Warfield | San Francisco, CA | 3/7/26
Set One: Reggae Boogie, Same Old Blues, It’s Samba Night, Reflections, Lucky Strike
Set Two: I Second That Emotion (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles), (I’m A) Road Runner (Junior Walker & The Allstars), Tore Up (Allen Toussaint), Like A Road (Albert King), Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox (Norton Buffalo), Cats Under the Stars, The Wheel, Drums/Space, Truckin’, Jack Straw, Feel Like A Stranger, One More Saturday Night
Notes: Whole show with special guests Jason Crosby, Roosevelt Collier, Mike Olmos, Tommy Occhiuto, Adam Theis, and Rick King
