On January 10, Bob Weir, guitarist of the Grateful Dead, passed away. It came as a shock to Deadheads around the world, many of whom (including me) binged Dead music for days on end after hearing the news. All those who were lucky to see Bob perform over the years have been sharing their stories about those experiences, so I figured I would do the same.

Almost 3 years ago, at Jazz Fest, I saw Bob perform with Dead and Company, the newest spinoff of the Dead, which included Bob, Dead drummer Mickey Hart, John Mayer, and other newer musicians. It had been raining all day, so the racetrack was filled with mud, but that wasn’t stopping me and the other committed Deadheads who were waiting to see the band. When they finally came on stage and opened with a jam into their classic New Orleans-referencing “Truckin’,” I was ecstatic to get a chance to see members of my favorite band live but a little anxious about what the setlist would be. From then, they played a 2.5 hour set filled with other Dead classics, many of which originally debuted from 1969-1972, my favorite Dead era. However, the most poignant moments came near the end, when Bob sang “Standing on the Moon,” a Jerry Garcia ballad from the 80s. The lyrics took on extra weight then, and even more now: “A lovely view of heaven, but I’d rather be with you.” But the thing I remember most from the concert was the final song, “Not Fade Away,” which ended with the Dead concert tradition of clapping and continuing the song as the band bowed and left the stage.

Rest easy, Bob. You know our love will not fade away.