Donna Jean Godchaux Remembered by Grateful Dead Members
Billy Strings Halloween
Relix Daily
November 04, 2025
November 4, 2025
NEWS
On Sunday, November 2, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay passed away at age 78. The powerful voice that elevated classic 1970s concert standards like “Playing in the Band,” “Not Fade Away,” “Dancing in the Street,” and “Scarlet Begonias,” with harmony and breathy wails that demonstrated a willingness to project emotive layers atop Garcia’s fretwork and Weir’s cadence, from 1971-1979, was remembered by her bandmates, Bill Kreatuzmann, Mickey Hart, Bob Weir, and Trixie Garcia, on behalf of the Garcia family.
RECAP
In what has become a lauded Halloween tradition, Billy Strings staged a spectacle at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore on October 31. Before the band made their grand entrance, the stage screen mimicked the start of an old-school Universal Pictures intro, but for this occasion, it showed “A Billy Strings Production” and listed the participants in the night’s performance. The pre-music move demonstrated attention to detail in the concert’s construction and was complemented by a compelling, tension-building string arrangement that led into the ensemble’s arrival.
Bring color, nostalgia, and movement to every gift with officially licensed Grateful Dead wrapping paper. Featuring three distinct designs — playful Dancing Bears stripes, the timeless Skull & Roses by Lia Burke Libaire, and a watercolor checkerboard of iconic imagery, this collection transforms wrapping into an art form. Printed with GreenGuard UL Certified inks on USA-made paper, these sheets are as eco-conscious as they are vibrant. Make your gifts unmistakably Dead.
NEWS
Widespread Panic have announced a two-night engagement in Austin, Texas, as their first US tour dates of 2026. On Feb. 14 and 15 of next year, the jam legends will appear in the Live Music Capitol of the World for a Valentine’s Day double-header at the famed Moody Center. This will be Panic’s first appearance in Austin since their six-show residency at the ACL Live at the Moody Theater side-stage in April 2023, continuing a recent theme of visiting cities that had fallen out of their road rotation.
It took 10 years to finally lure Waylon Jennings to the Austin City Limits stage, but true to form, he showed up only when he was good and ready. Waylon, ever the skeptic, reminded everyone that “it don’t matter who’s in Austin, Bob Wills is still the king.” The second ACL appearance captured Jennings at his raw, driving best—the sound that blew past Nashville’s boundaries and fueled the country “Outlaw” movement, which he always shrugged off as marketing hype. From his early days as a West Texas DJ and teenage bandleader to playing with Buddy Holly, Waylon forged his own path and left an indelible mark on American music. A class act to the end, they called him Hoss. Spin both of these legendary performances on vinyl now.
RECAP
On Sunday, Nov. 2, fans gathered at Live Oak, Fla.’s Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park for the fourth and final day of 2025’s Suwannee Hulaween. The 12th annual iteration of the beloved four-day Halloweekend bash brought performances from some giants in jam, electronic dance music and everything in between, and its last bill culminated in a headline set from Goose. Through their two sets on the Meadow main stage, the rapidly rising indie groove quartet celebrated the holiday with a mix of their tried-and-true classics and some very ‘80s surprises.
RECAP
Over the weekend, Gov’t Mule capped off their Back in the Saddle Tour with two special performances in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. The celebrated Southern rock quintet’s shows at the Warner Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera House on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 brought the long-awaited resurrection of Mule-O-Ween, their holiday tradition that was last presented in 2022. In keeping with the annual custom, Gov’t Mule’s special shows included full tribute sets, this year honoring Aerosmith.
RECAP
The Disco Biscuits set out on a new chapter in their three-decade story over the weekend as they returned to the stage for their first shows with a new lineup. After last week’s departure of Allen Aucoin, their drummer of 20 years, the enduring livetornica quartet formally introduced their refreshed sound with newcomer Marlon B. Lewis through performances at Suwannee Hulaween and Nashville, Tenn.’s Brooklyn Bowl; in three very distinct stagings, the band celebrated the occasion with several setlist curveballs.
On rotation in our office and broadcasting to readers worldwide on Spotify. Stay tuned for updates every Friday, and send anything you think we have to hear to [email protected].
GALLERY + RECAP
On Friday, Oct. 31, moe. Rolled into New Orleans for their highly anticipated co-headline engagement with The Infamous Stringdusters. Onstage at the historic Joy Theater, the foundational jamband and their progressive bluegrass peers presented a very special Halloween engagement themed as “Jamalot: A Quest for the Grail.”
RECAP
On Friday, October 31, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country hosted its Halloween concert at the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wis. The evening’s contents hovered around the ensemble choice Udder Invasion theme, evoking references to outer space and pastoral life, confluences of the Cosmic Country umbrella that were distributed as references to song titles, a vast majority of which turned up as first-time covers and revived material that had been otherwise collecting dust while sitting in waiting.
The Ethics of StreamingHow important is fair compensation for artists on streaming services to you? |