Dead & Friends has spent the past year quietly building the kind of regional footprint that most jam acts take half a decade to earn. The Central New York trio closes out Funk ’n Waffles’ November run of Monday Dead Night shows on November 23 — the third in a month-long Grateful Dead tribute sequence that the venue has built into a recurring institution.
About the Show
The band plays considerably wider than a strict Dead set. A 2025 NYSMusic feature noted their repertoire spans Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers, The Band, and Phish alongside Grateful Dead covers and extended improvisational jams, with the group treating recognizable songs as “jumping-off points for deep grooves, call-and-response moments, and the kind of live magic you just can’t capture in a recording.” The ensemble is anchored by Cortland natives Evan Giebal and Aaron Fumerola, joined by Jordan Del Rosario, whose recent return to Central New York the same piece described as a “homecoming story” that “added a spark to the band’s sound and to the local music scene itself.” Del Rosario was previously known for his work with indie-psych outfit Cheers Elephant and continues to operate Del Rosario Pedals, a handmade guitar-gear company. By fall 2025, the band had already packed regional rooms including Deep Dive, ONCO Fermentations in Tully, and Crooked Mouth Brewery, and had locked in a recurring presence at Funk ’n Waffles through 2026.
The Monday Dead Night series itself is worth understanding as context. November’s lineup has moved through Gratefully Yours (Nov. 9) and BOG Brothers (Nov. 16) before arriving at Dead & Friends on the 23rd. Each act brings a different approach to the Dead’s catalog; Dead & Friends distinguishes itself by pulling from adjacent territory — the Dylan songbook, Phish’s extended forms, Allman Brothers groove — rather than committing to any single band’s set list. That flexibility is likely what has translated from smaller regional spots to a bookable monthly slot at a venue with enough regulars to make Monday nights worth showing up for.
Venue & Logistics
Funk ’n Waffles, at 307 S. Clinton St. in Syracuse, operates as a bar, restaurant, and live music room, and has made the Monday Dead Night series one of its anchor recurring bookings in the central New York region. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the show begins at 7:30. This is an 18+ event.
Tickets
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