What Bearly Dead does well is the hardest thing a tribute band can attempt: they don’t just reproduce Grateful Dead songs, they reproduce the experience of a Grateful Dead show. That means a 250-plus song catalog held loosely, spontaneous improvisation that takes the night where it goes, and a room that can feel it happening in real time. The Boston quintet has been touring nationally since October 2022, and what they carry into each new city is less a set list and more a philosophy, a conviction that live music should leave room for the unexpected.
About the Show
The “Dead & More like never before!” tour lands at Middle Ages Beer Hall on Saturday, October 24, with doors at 7:00 p.m. and showtime at 8:00 p.m.
The five-piece — Tyler Brooks on drums and vocals, Michael Butler on vocals and percussion, Sarah Elaz on bass and vocals, Nick Swift on guitar and vocals, and Kris Yunker on keys, organ, and synth — covers the Grateful Dead’s complete run, from their earliest records through final tours. They pull from hits, b-sides, and deep cuts, plus what they describe as “potent classics from notable jam, rock, and funk artists.” Each show shapes itself through spontaneous improvisation. That’s how they’ve always done it, and why no two Bearly Dead sets are alike.
The band launched with a Wednesday Night Residency in Boston in 2015, and the phrase “Never Miss A Wednesday Show” became a genuine rallying call around town. They built their name at Thunder Road and earned two nominations for the Boston Music Awards’ “Live Music Residency of the Year.” In October 2022, they took it national. Festivals followed: Camp Creek, Jerry Jam, and Strange Creek Campout. So did bigger rooms, including Paradise Rock Club, House of Blues Boston, and MGM Music Hall Fenway. Guest collaborators along the way have included Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Steve Molitz of Particle/Phil Lesh & Friends, and Paul Wolstencroft of Slightly Stoopid.
Venue & Logistics
Middle Ages Beer Hall, at 120 Wilkinson Street in Syracuse, is part of the central New York live music scene. The show is all ages; anyone under 18 needs to come with a guardian.
Tickets
Tickets are $20.00, plus $5.46 in fees. Buy tickets