HomeArts & CultureOpera House to present Bearly Dead: Grateful Dead Tribute on 11/17

Opera House to present Bearly Dead: Grateful Dead Tribute on 11/17

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The Rochester Opera House is pleased to present Bearly Dead: Grateful Dead Tribute on Friday, November 17th at 8:00 pm.

Bearly Dead is a high-energy tribute to The Grateful Dead and all of its members throughout the years. While the band plays all of the Grateful Dead classics, they also dive into an extended catalog, which may include any song that any member of the Dead ever performed. With over 250 songs in rotation and new material being added all the time, Bearly Dead performs wildly different setlists every night and ensures that each show is a unique experience. With no designated “Jerry” or “Bobby”, this band is able to breathe new life into songs with their fresh, high-energy approach to them.

Founded during an intense snowstorm in April 2015, Bearly Dead played its first show at Church of Boston, marking the beginning of its hallowed Wednesday Night Residency. In September of that year, Church was sold and the band found a new home on Wednesday nights at Thunder Road in Somerville, MA. During their 5 years at Thunder Road, Bearly Dead was nominated twice for the Boston Music Award’s “Live Music Residency of the Year,” and burst onto the scene as New England’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band. The phrase “Never Miss A Wednesday Show” became ubiquitous around Boston…and you really never knew what might happen…THEY never knew what might happen! Bearly Dead’s Wednesday Night Residency at Thunder Road continued unabated every week since its inception in September 2015 until the venue closed in 2020.

Thunder Road was a beacon to all musicians on Wednesday nights to join in the fun, with notable appearances by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Paul Wolstencroft (Slightly Stoopid), Steve Molitz (Particle/Phil Lesh & Friends), Kebbi Williams (Tedeschi Trucks Band), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane & The Primates), Richard James (Neighbor), and Johnny Trama (Dub Apocalypse) — and a surprise appearance by Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf” guitar in 2018 on Jerry Garcia’s birthday! The Wednesday Night Residency was briefly revived in 2021 at The Burren (Somerville, MA) and Sonia (Cambridge, MA) before officially ending in May 2022.

Bearly Dead has played at some of Massachusetts’ most prestigious venues, including The Paradise Rock Club, The Sinclair, Brighton Music Hall, and the Worcester Palladium, as well as headlining turns at MGM Music Hall at Fenway and The House of Blues Boston. The band has also become a staple in the New England festival scene with appearances at Camp Creek, Jerry Jam, Strange Creek Campout, Dead of Summer, Wild Woods, Luna Light, Wormtown, Yasgur Road Reunion, Great North, Kind Mind Campout, and many more.

For tickets, visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com, call (603) 335-1992, email boxoffice@rochesteroperahouse.org, or visit the Box Office in person, located at 1 Wakefield Street.

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