Don Was to Celebrate Detroit and the Grateful Dead on Fall Tour
Six-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, producer, and composer Don Was will continue to spread the gospel of Detroit this fall with a new round of tour dates with his band, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble. Together, they’ll be celebrating their debut album, Groove in the Face of Adversity, as well as performing a live rendition of The Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah. That portion of the show will honor the classic album’s 50th anniversary and Was’s longtime association with the late Bobby Weir.
Was and crew will be on the road in August as part of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour. The new dates begin in September with a pair of nights in Austin, Texas. The Pan-Detroit Ensemble will then head north to Michigan before covering New England. The final date on their schedule is set for October 18th at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, Maine. See below for their full itinerary.
If you’re unfamiliar with the band, Was says the key is to understand the importance of the sound of Detroit. “There’s a unique sound and feel to Detroit that permeates the music in a way that resonates all over the globe,” he explains. “There’s a rawness, a lack of pretension, and an unmistakable underlying groove that reflects the people and culture of the entire city.”
Hear the band in this killer Tiny Desk Concert at NPR from May 2026:
Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble 2026 Tour Dates:
| Date | Location | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 3 | Phoenix, AZ | MIM |
| Aug 5 | Tucson, AZ | La Rosa |
| Aug 6 | Santa Fe, NM | The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing |
| Aug 7 | Telluride, CO | Telluride Jazz Festival |
| Aug 8 | Fort Collins, CO | The Gardens on Spring Creek |
| Aug 9 | Boulder, CO | Boulder Theater |
| Aug 10 | Beaver Creek, CO | Vilar Performing Arts Center |
| Aug 18 | Maryland Heights, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 19 | Shakopee, MN | Mystic Lake Amphitheater (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 21 | East Troy, WI | Alpine Valley Music Theatre (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 22 | Clarkston, MI | Pine Knob Music Theatre (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 23 | Noblesville, IN | Ruoff Music Center (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 25 | Chicago, IL | Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 26 | Cincinnati, OH | The Ludlow Garage |
| Aug 28 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell at Jones Beach Theater (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 29 | Bethel, NY | Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Aug 30 | Saratoga Springs, NY | Albany Med Health System at SPAC (Outlaw Music Festival Tour) |
| Sep 29 | Austin, TX | Antone's Nightclub |
| Sep 30 | Austin, TX | Antone's Nightclub |
| Oct 1 | Houston, TX | The Heights Theater |
| Oct 2 | Dallas, TX | The Kessler Theater |
| Oct 3 | Kansas City, MO | Knuckleheads |
| Oct 4 | Minneapolis, MN | Dakota (Early Show) |
| Oct 4 | Minneapolis, MN | Dakota (Late Show) |
| Oct 6 | Traverse City, MI | The Alluvion (Early Show) |
| Oct 6 | Traverse City, MI | The Alluvion (Late Show) |
| Oct 7 | Lansing, MI | Grewal Hall at 224 |
| Oct 9 | Kent, OH | The Kent Stage |
| Oct 10 | Nelsonville, OH | Stuart's Opera House |
| Oct 11 | Buffalo, NY | Asbury Hall |
| Oct 13 | Homer, NY | Center for the Arts of Homer |
| Oct 14 | New York, NY | Le Poisson Rouge |
| Oct 15 | Fairfield, CT | The Warehouse at FTC |
| Oct 16 | Boston, MA | The Sinclair |
| Oct 17 | Groton, MA | Groton Hill Music Center |
| Oct 18 | Bar Harbor, ME | Criterion Theatre |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
