Thousands of fans celebrate life of legendary Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people gathered Saturday at San Francisco’s Civic Center to celebrate the life of Bob Weir, the legendary guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead who died last week at age 78.

Musicians Joan Baez and John Mayer spoke on a makeshift stage in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium after four Buddhist monks opened the event with a prayer in Tibetan. Fans carried long-stemmed red roses, placing some at an altar filled with photos and candles. They wrote notes on colored paper, professing their love and thanking him for the journey.

Several asked him to say hello to fellow singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia and bass guitarist Phil Lesh, also founding members who preceded him in death. Garcia died in 1995; Lesh died in 2024.

“I’m here to celebrate Bob Weir,” said Ruthie Garcia, who is no relation to Jerry, a fan since 1989. “Celebrating him and helping him go home.”

Saturday’s celebration brought plenty of fans with long dreadlocks and wearing tie-dye clothing, some using walkers. But there were also young couples, men in their 20s and a father who brought his 6-year-old son in order to pass on to the next generation a love of live music and the tight-knit Deadhead community.

The Bay Area native joined the Grateful Dead — originally the Warlocks — in 1965 in San Francisco at just 17 years old. He wrote or co-wrote and sang lead vocals on Dead classics including “Sugar Magnolia,” “One More Saturday Night” and “Mexicali Blues.” He was generally considered less shaggy looking than the other band members, although he adopted a long beard like Garcia’s later in life.

The Dead played music that pulled in blues, jazz, country, folk and psychedelia in long improvisational jams. Their concerts attracted avid Deadheads who followed them on tours. The band played on decades after Garcia’s death, morphing into Dead & Company with John Mayer.

Darla Sagos, who caught an early flight out of Seattle Saturday morning to make the public mourning, said she suspected something was up when there were no new gigs announced after Dead & Company played three nights in San Francisco last summer. It was unusual, as his calendar often showed where he would be playing next.

“We were hoping that everything was OK and that we were going to get more music from him,” she said. “But we will continue the music, with all of us and everyone that’s going to be playing it.”

Sagos and her husband, Adam Sagos, have a one-year-old grandson who will grow up knowing the music.

A statement on Weir’s Instagram account announced his passing Jan. 10. It said he beat cancer, but he succumbed to underlying lung issues. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, who were at Saturday’s event.

His death was sudden and unexpected, said daughter Monet Weir, but he had always wished for the music and the legacy of the Dead to outlast him.

American music, he believed, could unite, she said.

“The show must go on,” Monet Weir said.

Lee Rice of Palm Desert, Ca. attends a memorial for Grateful Dead band member Bob Weir in San Francisco on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Fans celebrate the life of Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir during a public memorial on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Sarah Black holds a rose while attending a public memorial for Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Musicians Joan Baez and Mickey Hart embrace during a memorial for Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. At left are Paul and Nancy Pelosi. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

John Mayer embraces Natascha Münter during a public memorial for her husband, Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

An attendee waves a flag during a public memorial for Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Steven Lewis, a third-generation Bay Area native, plays a guitar during a public memorial for Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Jonathan Levine, a music executive who worked extensively with the Grateful Dead, wears an eye patch during a public memorial for the band's co-founder Bob Weir at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Attendees gather during a public memorial for Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Attendees gather at Civic Center Plaza ahead of a public memorial for Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Judge doubled and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brice Turang each had two hits as the United States beat Canada 5-3 on Friday night to reach the World Baseball Classic semifinals.

The U.S. squad rebounded after an 8-6 loss to Italy in pool play left them needing help to advance to this round.

The Americans move on to face the Dominican Republic in a semifinal on Sunday in Miami, with Paul Skenes starting against the Dominicans' Luis Severino. It will be the team’s third straight appearance in the semifinals and the fourth overall.

It’s another big win for the U.S. over its neighbors to the north, coming after the U.S. hockey team beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal at the Milan Olympics last month.

Bo Naylor hit a two-run homer in Canada’s three-run sixth that cut the deficit to two runs. But the U.S. bullpen closed it out, capped by Mason Miller striking out the side in the ninth for the save.

Canada, which was in the quarterfinals for the first time, fell to 1-5 against the U.S. in the WBC.

Canada trailed by five runs when Owen Caissie walked with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a groundout by Abraham Toro. Tyler Black’s RBI single off Brad Keller cut the lead to 5-1.

Naylor’s shot to the second deck in right field came on Gabe Speier’s fifth pitch and got Canada within 5-3. It was the 10th home run the U.S. has allowed in five games in the tournament.

Canada had a shot to close the gap in the seventh when it had runners on second and third with no outs. But David Bednar retired the next three batters, with two strikeouts, to escape the jam.

U.S. starter Logan Webb allowed four hits and walked one with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Bobby Witt Jr. was on with one out in the first when Judge doubled before Witt scored on a groundout by Kyle Schwarber to give the U.S. an early lead. The double by Judge was the only extra-base hit of the night for the U.S.

Canada had a runner on first with two outs in the second when Witt made a leaping catch on a ball hit by Edouard Julien to end the inning.

The bases were loaded with two outs in the third when Alex Bregman singled on a ground ball to Toro. His throw to first sailed over Josh Naylor’s head and into the dugout and two runs scored to make it 3-0.

Roman Anthony singled with one out in the sixth before a walk by Cal Raleigh. Brice Turang singled on a grounder to center field to score Anthony and push the lead to 4-0. Crow-Armstrong sent the next pitch into center field for an RBI single before Witt grounded into a double play to end the inning.

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United States pitcher Gabe Speier delivers a pitch against Canada during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

United States pitcher Logan Webb reacts after striking out Canada third baseman Abraham Toro (31) to end the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Canada catcher Bo Naylor, hits a two-run homer against the United States during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

United States right fielder Aaron Judge celebrates his double against Canada during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

United States second baseman Brice Turang (13) hits an RBI single against Canada during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)