Grateful Dead honored at MusiCares with performances from Wynonna Judd, Sammy Hagar

LOS ANGELES – The dancing bears gave it away.

From the moment guests entered the Los Angeles Convention Center and were greeted by blue and orange dancing animals, it was evident that this MusiCares gala was a little different. Or maybe it was the grilled cheese sandwiches on rainbow colored bread that gave it away.

If you know, you know.

The 2,500 people gathered for the annual benefit concert Friday definitely knew their Grateful Dead, the revolutionary San Francisco-birthed jam band honored as 2025’s MusiCares Persons of the Year.

The Grammys-week event that always raises money to support the welfare of musicians added music industry professionals affected by the devastating LA wildfires to the beneficiaries this year. The organization is “a beacon of hope,” Dead singer/guitarist Bob Weir said from the stage.

About halfway through the nearly 3 ½-hour show featuring John Mayer, Maren Morris, Wynonna, Sammy Hagar, Bruce Hornsby, Noah Kahan and others, organizers announced a tally of more than $5.2 million raised.

But the evening maintained a spirited vibe even with the harsh realities of upended lives as part of the backdrop.

While only Weir and drummer Mickey Hart were present to represent The Grateful Dead (drummer Bill Kreutzmann appeared via video, bassist Phil Lesh died in October and cofounder Jerry Garcia died in 1995), their love for music and a pioneering spirit was clear.

Exuberant host and noted Deadhead Andy Cohen said the band “transformed norms” as they served as “a force of joy and positivity” in his life, while band pal of 30 years Woody Harrelson called them “the most iconic band in history … and innovators of some of the greatest music ever made.” The band also received a Kennedy Center Honor in December.

Harrelson, in a paisley-print tie and a hat that said “Grateful Mahalo,” also shared a story about smoking a joint with Garcia at the residence of then-vice president Al Gore and “getting the boot” as part of his charmingly ramshackle speech.

But Hart aptly summarized the message behind the cause: “Music is power. Music is medicine. Music is survival. Music has always been humanity’s greatest healer.”

Here are five highlights from the concert.

The War and Treaty with Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland

Power couple Michael and Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty demonstrated how they are capable of singing, with unvarnished passion, any style of music with their read of the Dead’s 1977 song, “Samson and Delilah.” As they traded lyrics with gale force intensity, Fleetwood and Copeland handled double drum duty. The pair watched each other so as not to overstep on a beat and engaged in a stylistic showdown mid-song – Copeland’s jazzier style teamed with Fleetwood’s more primal thumping – as the quartet made joyful noise.

Zac Brown and Marcus King

Playing an acoustic guitar with his name embossed along the neck, Brown reminded that the roots of the Dead run quietly in the veins of the Zac Brown Band. The country star and blues guitar wizard performed in front of a background of a skeleton wearing a crown of roses – one example of the artistry associated with the band – as they rolled through “Bertha.” King handled the bluesier elements of the song and tossed out a nimble solo, while Brown seemed to revel in playing the track from the band’s 1971 eponymous live album.

Wynonna Judd

By starting her performance with an address to Weir – “I love you, Robert Weir. You are my family of choice. You showed up when my mom died and sang at her funeral,” she said – Judd shared the depth of her relationship with the guitarist. In her black outfit of sequins and velvet, she commanded the stage and growled her way through “Ramble on Rose,” a song well-suited to her gasoline-soaked vocals.

Maren Morris

Morris chose the softest side of the Dead with “They Love Each Other,” exuding a chill vibe as she moved to the music with abandon. In her black ensemble, including a sheer cape, Morris felt an obvious connection to the song, reiterating that she always danced outside the mold of a cookie-cutter country singer.

Sammy Hagar

There’s only one way to rock, and you wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be on a Grateful Dead song. But Hagar, who also played last year’s MusiCares benefit honoring Jon Bon Jovi, grinned his way through “Loose Lucy,” strapping on an electric guitar to rip out a solo and adding some rock yelps at song’s end. “Love you, brother,” Hagar directed at Weir and Hart, his sincerity obvious.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grateful Dead at MusiCares: Inside the Grammys event