Dead & Friends has built a reputation in Central New York by doing something harder than playing Grateful Dead songs correctly: playing them like they’ve never been played before. The trio turns “Casey Jones,” “Friend of the Devil,” and “Sugar Magnolia” into jumping-off points for extended grooves and call-and-response moments — “the kind of live magic you just can’t capture in a recording,” as the band puts it. On Sunday, November 8, they bring two hours of that to the 1911 Tasting Room at Beak & Skiff in Lafayette, and admission is free.
About the Show
Dead & Friends is built around three musicians with deep roots in the region: Evan Giebal and Aaron Fumerola, both Cortland natives, and Jordan Del Rosario, who spent years playing indie-psych with Cheers Elephant before returning to Central New York and founding Del Rosario Pedals, a handmade guitar-gear company. NYSMusic called his return “a homecoming story” that energized the local scene. Together, the trio blends Grateful Dead classics with Dylan cuts and deep improvisational jams — not a note-for-note tribute, but something that rewards familiarity with the source material without requiring it.
Fall 2025 proved the momentum was real. The band packed Deep Dive, ONCO Fermentations in Tully, and Crooked Mouth Brewery across the season, building a regional following show by show. A headlining date at Westcott Theatre in Syracuse in August 2026 made clear they’ve moved past the bar-and-brewery circuit. Catching them in a tasting room setting is a different kind of show — closer, more informal, the improvisation unfolding right in front of you.
Venue & Logistics
Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards has been a fixture in central New York since 1911, and the 1911 Tasting Room & Tavern on Apple Hill is where the orchard hosts its ongoing live music series. The property also runs a Summer Concert Series that in 2026 brought in The Head and the Heart, Lake Street Dive, Indigo Girls, and Slightly Stoopid — so the venue knows what it’s doing when it books live music. The tasting room setting is more intimate: cider flights, seasonal cocktails, and food from the Tavern throughout the set. Dead & Friends plays 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 8.
Tickets
Admission is free. Beverages and food are available for purchase at the 1911 Tasting Room and Tavern. Buy tickets