Bill Kreutzmann marked the 20th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s passing with a surprise appearance in Golden Gate park during the annual Outside Lands festival. The founding Grateful Dead drummer emerged during Alex Bleeker & the Freaks’ set to play drums on the Dead staples “The Other One” and “St. Stephen.” Darkside guitarist Dave Harrington and Little Wings mastermind Kyle Field also sat in during the set, which was promoted under the title Play Dead. Harrington joined Kreutzmann and The Freaks for “St. Stephen” while Field sang lead on “Mexicali Blues.”

The tribute was an outgrowth of the Brooklyn Is Dead show originally put together for Relix’s 40th anniversary in February. Real Estate’s Alex Bleeker and his band the Freaks served as the house band for the event and played a similar set of Dead classics at Chicago’s City Winery during Fare Thee Well. Harrington, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, Jenny Lewis, Ryley Walker and several other guests sat in throughout that performance.

The Grateful Dead played many free, seminal shows in the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park during the 1960s. A celebration of Garcia’s life was also held in the park shortly after his death. Kreutzmann has only played Golden Gate Park a few times in recent years, but he has returned for select gigs including an appearance with 7 Walkers during Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.