Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration

The Grateful Dead's music gets a symphonic reworking at Wolf Trap, with the National Symphony Orchestra joining an all-star band of musicians closely connected to Jerry Garcia and the Dead's extended musical family. Melvin Seals and Jacklyn LaBranch, both from the Jerry Garcia Band, are joined by Tom Hamilton, Grahame Lesh, John Morgan Kimock and vocalist Kanika Moore, with Christopher Dragon conducting. The program marks 60 years of Grateful Dead music and includes songs such as “Dark Star” and “Ripple,” giving familiar material a much larger orchestral palette. That combination is the reason to go. These songs were built to stretch and evolve, and hearing them reframed by a full symphony should reveal different textures without losing their improvisational spirit. The September 4 performance starts at 8pm, and Wolf Trap's lawn setup makes it easy to turn the show into a full evening with a picnic before the music.