DEAD FEST BAND

⚡ UPCOMING SHOWS

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📸 FROM THE ROAD

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☠ THE LONG STRANGE TRIP

Dead Fest Band formed in 2022 when five Chicago musicians discovered a shared obsession with the Grateful Dead’s live catalog. What started as informal jam sessions in a Logan Square basement quickly became something more serious: a commitment to honoring the Dead’s improvisational spirit while bringing fresh energy to every performance.

The current lineup — Jake Morrison (lead guitar, vocals), Sarah Chen (rhythm guitar, vocals), Marcus Webb (bass), Tom Hendricks (keys, organ), and Pete Vance (drums, percussion) — has built a reputation for exploratory jams that never lose the thread.

In 2025, Dead Fest Band played 47 shows across the Midwest, including a sold-out night at Chicago’s Metro and a sunrise set at Summer Camp Music Festival. Their 2026 summer tour brings them to the East Coast for the first time, with dates in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and a headlining slot at the Peach Music Festival.

This isn’t a cover band in costumes. This is a band that understands the Dead’s central thesis — every night is different, every song is a conversation, and the space between the notes matters as much as the notes themselves.