Punch Brothers interpret/make up “Uncle John’s Band” Grateful Dead Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2022

Punch Brothers cover “Uncle John’s Band” (Grateful Dead) Elks Park Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2022. At the request of a young audience member, Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers, despite not knowing how to play or sing the song, cover/make up the music to “Uncle John’s Band” (Grateful Dead) at Elks Park during the 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Saturday June 18, 2022.

[@justinkonrad8550]

So for context here - the band was doing an "all requests" set, and a kid in the audience requested Uncle John's Band. They originally said no since they didn't know it (literally had not heard it), but then in the spirit of the set offered to give it a try just based on the lyrics, with improvised music. This wasn't intended to be a faithful cover, or really a "cover" at all - it's a musical game where they try to improvise a new song set to existing lyrics. Don't compare it to the original, that's really not the intent here.

[@mattemmer307]

I appreciate them giving it a try, but seriously, how does this group of roots-oriented musicians reach their respective ages and levels of musicianship without ever listening to the dead, unless there’s some major pretension and avoidance going on?

[@rebeccaa1621]

Wow! This Deadhead approves! ❤️⚡️💙 Great version of Uncle John’s Band (written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter).

[@JoshDanielMusic]

Weird

[@thejamnasium6447]

seriously how can you perfectly cover 2+2=5 by Radiohead and NOT know how to even play the BASIC form of UJB? it's fucking preposterous

[@thejamnasium6447]

look I know these guys are super talented and all that and yes I also know they're not good down home country boys they're all rich private school kids from New England but god damn man - how are you going to be in a legitimate bluegrass band and NOT know Uncle John's Band? it's a 3 chord slice of fucking AMERICAN PIE. I bet they don't know Ripple either. god damn shame. stick to the Radiohead covers boys. leave Jerry and Robert outta this.

[@bassfacekillah]

it's a big wide world of music, dude. You could study for a lifetime and still not know the "standards" of every genre. Not everyone knows the same music you know.

[@robfowler6112]

Dude, they are NOT rich private school kids from New England. Chris and Gabe are from California. Not everyone lives in your world so get over yourself a bit.

[@CorneiliusLibowitz]

@@robfowler6112 And Noam is from Skokie, IL....he graduated from the same high school as me............