Bobby Weir Tribute
Mystic Dead, with McNulty’s Dead and Matt Kampe and the Hub
Toad’s Place
New Haven
Jan. 23, 2026
On Friday night in downtown New Haven, brave wanderers in the bitter cold could follow a trail of tie-dyed shirts into Toad’s Place for a room full of music-lovers convening to honor the Grateful Dead.
Of the three bands playing that night, two were Grateful Dead tributes. McNulty’s Dead, the first opener, was the Grateful Dead alter ego of musician Matt McNulty. Headlining the show was Mystic Dead, a band out of Mystic covering ‘the Dead’ for at least seven years now. In between was Matt Kampe and the Hub, thanking the crowd for embracing a funk-infused interlude.
It was a nostalgic, emotional crowd. Guitarist and singer Bobby Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead who grew up with its rise to fame, had died two weeks prior on Jan. 10 at the age of 78. The night was dedicated to his memory. Fans and musicians alike shouted that they missed Bobby.
Frontman Kampe asked us to imagine this very venue on Nov. 11, 1983, over 47 years ago. On the hallowed Toad’s stage was a rock band called Bobby and the Midnites, led by none other than the Grateful Dead’s Bobby Weir. Together, the three bands that played Friday night, all Weir fans, worked on creating a time portal between the present day and that day in 1983.
Maybe it was sentimentality turned to friendliness, or some yet-to-be-investigated overlap between rock fans of the ’60s-’80s and readers of today’s local news; for whatever reason, the crowd was super interested in my reportage. Everywhere I went—from the far benches to the front row to the chill area by the merch table—a Deadhead (Grateful Dead fan) asked if I was a reporter and which publication I wrote for. The New Haven Indy got smiles of recognition.
As I was filming the Mystic Dead, one of the concertgoers who asked about my writing pointed to the stage. “The guy in the baseball cap—this is a Bobby Weir tribute—he’s the Bobby Weir!”
It hadn’t occurred to me that each specific member of a tribute band could channel the persona of bandmate they represented. That someone could be “the Bobby Weir.”
I watched as Mystic Dead’s very own Weir, Ian Kelly on vocals and guitar, followed in the footsteps of his Dead predecessor. His warm voice joined bandmate Toby Kniffin’s for a feel-good love song, the Grateful Dead’s “Sugar Magnolia.” Jordan Giangreco on keys provided a warbling, funky synth backdrop, and the rhythm section kept the beat going at an unhurried pace.
She’s got everything delightful
She’s got everything I need
Attendees swayed, twirled, and sang the lyrics to their favorite Dead songs as the Mystic Dead played hits from their namesake’s multi-decade career. They transitioned from rock to country and back again, stopping by the worlds of bluegrass and gospel along the way. A few dancers in the crowd looked like they were in a trance, floating in worlds completely their own. Perhaps they could see the ghosts of concerts past.
Weir might be among the dead now, but for a venue full of Deadheads Friday night, his legacy was alive and well.
