Bands grow together like families — when one member of the team is faced with hardship, the whole group suffers, and its fans do, too.
When Midnight North recently announced that vocalist and guitarist Elliot Peck, one of its co-founders alongside Grahame Lesh, was going to miss the current tour due to a medical emergency, it broke the heart of anyone who’s seen this San Francisco-based outfit come into its own over the past few years.
And it dampened hopes for the band’s planned tour to promote its fifth and most recent studio album, Diamonds in the Zodiac, released in November on Americana Vibes.
Listen to the latest Midnight North album, Diamonds in the Zodiac, via Spotify:
But with Grahame and the rest of his mates connected to so many friends and fans in the Northeast, and with his father, the great Phil Lesh, scheduled to play two separate three-night stints at The Capitol Theater this month as part of his 84th birthday celebration, it was inevitable that Midnight North would in some form make the trek east.
Performing as Grahame Lesh & Friends, Lesh and his Midnight North brothers took the stage at The Hamilton Live in DC the night of March 7, dedicating the night’s set — and the entire tour, for that matter — to Peck and wishing her swift healing as she focuses on her health.
“We’re sending love to our sister Elliot Peck, who couldn’t be here tonight,” Lesh said, asking those in the room to help transmit “get well vibes” to his longtime bandmate out in Northern California.
Accompanying Lesh was Midnight North bassist Connor O’Sullivan, drummer Nathan Graham, and keyboardist TJ Kanczuzewski, as well as a surprise addition: Justin Mazer of American Babies.
With the assistance of Mazer on electric guitar — and with the boost of a super-charged opening set by Bay Area friends The Mother Hips — Lesh and company transformed the dark space into an all-out jamboree as they have before.
Listen to The Mother Hips’ 2023 studio album, When We Disappear, via Spotify:
A tradition at the downtown venue, the rear stage projection read not “The Hamilton Live,” but rather “The Grahamilton Live,” in a playful nod to Lesh, whose east coast tours almost always run through DC or Baltimore.
Attendees heard fresh takes on standouts from the new album, including “Jupiter,” a track featuring Robert Hunter lyrics, and a few terrific covers, as well. With another group of good friends playing their own gig at the nearby Warner Theater, it was almost certain that a guest would drop in.
When the players returned for the night’s encore, Duane Betts strolled out to perform with them after sitting in with the Tedeschi Trucks Band earlier in the evening. Performing the classic — and a Grateful Dead favorite — “Cold Rain and Snow,” the closer brought together the talented sons of two American music legends.
Though there’s no replacing a shining star like Peck, Lesh and his squad turned what could have been a lost chance into an unforgettable night in the nation’s capital.
“We will be back as Midnight North,” he said. “Rest assured.”
Setlist
Round and Round
Old Country
Doctor My Eyes
Wild Card
Mountain Song
After Midnight
Under The Lights
Show Goes On?
Walk the Runway
Back to California
Cash On The Barrelhead
Jupiter
We’re Not Alone
Encore
Cold Rain and Snow
Below are hand-rolled, home-developed, home-scanned 35mm film shots of Grahame Lesh & Friends and The Mother Hips performing at The Hamilton Live on March 7, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Grahame Lesh & Friends
The Mother Hips
