Following a successful battle against cancer last year, guitarist Bob Weir died January 10th, 2026 due to lung issues. Performing live perhaps more than any rock musician, Bobby's first career was 30 years in The Grateful Dead where he meticulously carved niches of colorful, often percussive, sounds as he interlaced the swirl of notes created by bandmates Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh. As with Garcia and Lesh, no one played like Weir; nor will anyone.
Similar to Phil, Bobby played another 30 years in various iterations (infrequently with Phil), often tapping the Dead's massive oeuvre. In this special, my aim is to offer a comprehensive listen to the quality and expansiveness of Bobby's work as a musician, composer, vocalist, and lyricist across seven decades; but be prepared for some disappointment. There's simply too much material, but I'll do what I can.
Today I will also air excerpts from my recent interview with Christopher Coffman, author of the newly available book, Clowns in the Burying Ground: The Grateful Dead, Literature, and the Limits of Philosophy. The entire interview will be available here after today's broadcast.
The first 'What Shall We Say?' featured music up to the hiatus. Today I'll pickup where the Dead did and enter the mid-80s.