If you have spent any time in the Grateful Dead universe, you know the album the name references. Workingman’s Dead — the 1970 record — is one of the most beloved entries in a catalog that spans decades and generations. The tribute band that carries that name does it justice, bringing the Dead’s music to life for Deadheads who have been following the music for decades and for newer fans still finding their way into the catalog.
Workingman’s Dead plays Buffalo Iron Works on Saturday, April 18, with an 8:00 PM start time. The Curtiss Street venue is one of the better rooms in Western New York for this kind of show — open floor, good sound, and the kind of crowd that tends to self-select toward people who actually love the music.
Grateful Dead tribute acts occupy a particular niche in live music. The material is deep and demanding — from the country-folk lean of the Workingman’s era to the long psychedelic stretches of the live catalog — and the audiences who show up are knowledgeable. Workingman’s Dead approaches the music with the authenticity those audiences expect.
Whether your entry point is “Casey Jones,” “Truckin’,” or the deep cuts that take years to fully appreciate, a show like this one delivers the full experience of hearing that music played live, in a room, with people who feel the same way about it.
Buffalo Iron Works is located at 49 Curtiss Street in Buffalo, NY. Tickets are available now — see the link below for details.
Get tickets for Workingman’s Dead at Buffalo Iron Works — April 18, 8:00 PM.