Record Store Day has announced its 2026 lineup, including a limited-edition vinyl of the Grateful Dead's June 11, 1976, performance at Boston Music Hall. The five-LP set captures the band's energetic return to the road after a hiatus. This marks the group's first such release since the death of guitarist Bob Weir last month.
On February 5, 2026, Record Store Day unveiled its annual list of over 350 special releases, highlighting independent record stores with exclusive titles. Among them is the Grateful Dead's live album from their show at Boston Music Hall on June 11, 1976, the third of four nights in the venue.
The album, pressed on 180-gram vinyl across five LPs and limited to 7,600 copies, draws from the 2020 CD box set June 1976. It underwent tape restoration, speed correction, and remastering by Jeffrey Norman, with production overseen by band archivist David Lemieux. The setlist blends older tracks like "Candyman" and "Eyes of the World" with newer material such as "Might As Well" and "Lazy Lightning > Supplication," alongside fresh arrangements of classics including "St. Stephen" and "Dancing in the Street."
Lemieux praised the performance in a statement: "The fifth show of the Grateful Dead’s comeback tour in June 1976 finds the band firing on all cylinders as they settle back into life on the road." He highlighted the band's precision without their Wall of Sound system, noting the intimate theater setting and standout vocal harmonies on songs like "Looks Like Rain" and "The Music Never Stopped." Many fans consider the 1976 vocals a peak for the group, especially with drummer Mickey Hart's return.
This release coincides with another Grateful Dead project: On the Back Porch Vol. 3, a collaboration with Dogfish Head Brewery. Both are the band's initial Record Store Day offerings following Bob Weir's death at age 78 last month. The event itself is scheduled for April 18, 2026, with Bruno Mars serving as ambassador.
The tracklist spans sets with staples like "Scarlet Begonias > Looks Like Rain," "Brown-Eyed Women," and an encore of "Johnny B. Goode."
