Following the death of Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir, John Mayer has launched a weekly SiriusXM series called Grateful Dead Listening Party. Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on the Life with John Mayer channel and debuting March 8, the two-hour episodes feature Mayer's favorite Grateful Dead and Dead & Company tracks with his commentary, aiming to unite grieving fans.
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead co-founder and guitarist, died in January 2026 at age 78. John Mayer, who played with him in Dead & Company since 2015, announced the Grateful Dead Listening Party on Instagram amid feelings of isolation while grieving through the band's music. "In the days after we lost Bobby Weir, I tried listening to Grateful Dead music as a way to be soothed. I found it harder than I’d thought. I felt as if I was listening alone, like the mainframe that connects all who listen at any given time had gone offline. (It turns out that a presence like Bobby’s makes for an immeasurable absence.) After talking with friends who felt the same, I knew I wanted to start Grateful Dead Listening Party," Mayer wrote. "Every Sunday night at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific on SiriusXM’s Life with John Mayer channel, I’ll be playing two hours of my favorite Grateful Dead and Dead & Company recordings, talking a little about each one. It’s a way for those who have felt lost to “meet up” and listen to the music together. It’s not live, but I’ll be tuning in. Sometimes the least you can do is also the most you can do… we shall find a way forward."
The debut episode airs March 8 at 9 p.m. ET on Life with John Mayer (Channel 4) via car radios and the SiriusXM app. It will rebroadcast during the week on the Grateful Dead Channel (Channel 23) and be available on demand afterward. The Life with John Mayer channel features a continuous stream of music curated by Mayer, including his own work, collaborations, influences, exclusive interviews, and new music segments.
This initiative follows Mayer's emotional eulogy and 'Ripple' performance at Weir's January memorial in San Francisco. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Mayer reflected on their onstage synergy—reading Weir's cues from head movements, sharing a 'clock' in jams, with Weir signaling solo ends—alongside tributes from Mayer, Mickey Hart, and others on Weir's 'beautiful second act.' The series builds on Mayer's longstanding appreciation for the Grateful Dead.