Bob Weir is not your typical near-70 year old.
The legendary guitarist and singer has played a seemingly infinite number of shows in his lifetime as part of the legendary Grateful Dead, its spinoffs of The Dead, Furthur, The Dead & Co., The Other Ones, or his other bands Ratdog, Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, solo or in too-many-to name sit-ins with bands that have played at the Sweetwater Music Hall that he co-owns.
So it’s no surprise that Weir is on a tear of late, popping up with even more ubiquity than usual. Weir joined longtime bandmate Phil Lesh as the headliners for the Sound Summit benefit for Mount Tamalpais last month, and joined My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James for a few songs at both Sound Summit and a Sweetwater show.
A week or so later, Weir was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) “to help raise awareness and mobilize support for the UN agency’s work to end poverty while fighting climate change,” according to the organization.
“Weir will help UNDP shine a spotlight on the important role climate action plays in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which were agreed upon by world leaders to protect the planet and achieve a brighter future for all. Weir will help UNDP advocate for climate initiatives and projects that promote renewable energy, preserve coastlines, combat deforestation and ensure a healthy planet for generations to come,” according to the the UN.
“I’d like to see climate change and the ongoing diminishing of biodiversity arrested and dealt with to the point where the sustainability of life on earth isn’t threatened,” Weir told Billboard magazine about the appointment. “I’d also like to see people reflexively consider the good of the planet in the choices they regularly make.”
Though many of us might rest on our laurels for a bit after such a lofty appointment, Weir had downtown Mill Valley abuzz two weeks later when he showed up on Oct. 1 at Larry “the Hat” Lautzker’s 20th Annual Community Block Party, an already star-studded event that featured multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby along with the renowned Jackie Greene on bass and a trio of members of the Mother Hips: Tim Bluhm on guitar, Greg Loiacono on guitar and John Hofer.
Weir hopped onstage with Disreputable Few bassist Paul III and drummer Alex Koford for a four-song set that included Grateful Dead favorites “The Other Ones” and “West L.A. Fadeaway,” as well as “Lay My Lily Down” from Weir’s 2016 solo album Blue Mountain.
The annual event benefits Kiddo!, the venerable nonprofit educational foundation that funds music, art, technology and physical education programs and much more for Mill Valley School District’s six schools.
Weir is heading to Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads on Friday, Oct. 6 for the Shelter From the Storm Hurricane Relief Benefit, which will also features Lesh and Midnight North.
If all that isn’t enough to make your head spin, Weir’s just getting started. He’s part of the lineup for the “From California To Haiti” event taking place this Saturday, October 7 at the Sweetwater as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival’s premiere screening of director Don Hardy’s short-form documentary Fingerprints. The post-screening concert, which also features the Glide Singers, Paul Beaubrun, Jay Lane, James Nash, Randy Emata and Robin Sylvester, serves as a tribute to Weir and the late Rob Wasserman, as well as a benefit for Sara Wasserman’s Music Heals International, the Bay Area Music Project and the California Film Institute.
On. Oct. 16, Weir turns 70, and San Francisco Airship, a Jefferson Airplane tribute band, is celebrating Weir’s birthday with a performance at the Sweetwater.
And next month, Weir is heading out on the road again, this time with longtime Grateful Dead bandmates Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh, as well as guitarist John Mayer, for a Dead & Company fall tour throughout the East Coast and South.
Are you out of breath yet? Bob’s not.