Eggy & Real Estate

One More Saturday Night

Eggy and Real Estate honor Bob Weir and the music that never stopped.
 

Troy Bass, contributor
 

What should have been a normal ending to a four-night run between Eggy and Real Estate arrived in Portland, Maine as anything but ordinary.
 

The co-headlining stretch had started in Rhode Island at The Met, moved through a two-night stand at Empire Live in Albany, and then rolled into Port Chester at the legendary Capitol Theatre before landing at the State Theatre in Portland. But as I made my way north from southern New Hampshire, my phone lit up with news the jam community could only describe as heavy: Bob Weir had passed away peacefully at the age of 78, surrounded by family. A founding member of the Grateful Dead, Weir was a pillar of the jam community for six decades, an unbelievable feat in its own right. He lived a remarkable life spreading love and music across the world, inspiring millions of fans and musicians alike. A truly heartbreaking loss.
 

The moment immediately brought me back to August 9, 1995. A night that has lived on as legend within the jam community. Weir’s band RatDog was scheduled to perform at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom when news broke that his longtime bandmate and friend Jerry Garcia had died. Speculation that the show would be canceled was quickly shut down. Weir knew the show had to go on, as Jerry would have wanted. Above all else, the music could never stop, it had to be celebrated. And celebrate they did, as Deadheads flooded the 2,000-seat venue and packed the surrounding area. One can only imagine Weir uttering the words he lived by: “There’s work to do.”
 

Eggy and Real Estate found themselves in a similar position. Not directly tied to the Grateful Dead in the way those events were, but as members of a community in need of celebration, rather than sorrow.
 

Real Estate opened the night. Though I was unfamiliar with the New Jersey–formed indie rock band prior to this run, I was immediately impressed by their tight, laid-back sound. Their music made me want to get in the car and drive aimlessly along the coastline. A blissful sonic mix that any Deadhead could appreciate. While they didn’t perform a Dead cover, they acknowledged the moment, saying they were glad we were all enjoying “One More Saturday Night” together. A subtle nod to Weir. Ironically enough, he passed on a Saturday. A classy touch.
 

Eggy followed, starting patiently before ripping into a monstrous sequence of jams that felt motor-driven and purposeful. The playing was intricate, the grooves deep, and the vibes immaculate throughout the entire set. And just when it seemed like they were finished without yet addressing the weight of the day, they closed with a cover of “Cassidy,” a clear nod to Weir and a staple Dead tune famously associated with him. The line “Let the words be yours, I’m done with mine, fare thee well now” rang through the room and sent us into the encore.
 

That’s when Eggy finally spoke, offering a heartfelt tribute to Weir’s influence on music and the world before bringing members of Real Estate back to the stage for a communal callback of “One More Saturday Night.” It was the perfect way to end the evening: uplifting, celebratory, and deeply respectful of Weir’s legacy.

I was grateful to be in a room where a life so well lived could be honored in real time. Bobby was at peace. He once famously said, “I look forward to dying. I tend to think of death as the last and best reward for a life well-lived.”
 

And well lived it was. Rest easy, Ace.