Circles Around the Sun on Tour

Originally formed to play during interludes in Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well 50-year anniversary concerts in 2015, Circles Around the Sun has taken on a life of its own. Since then, the Los Angeles-based band has amassed a huge fanbase that seriously digs their progressive instrumental jams that meander into unexpected and delightful places.

After the untimely passing of bandleader/guitarist Neal Casal in 2019, the band carried on following his wishes with a rotating cast of guitarists. They had already recorded seven tracks for a new record before he died, which became the basis for their self-titled third album, released in 2020. Reminiscent of Steely Dan without vocals as well as funky, instrumental disco and prog rock, Circles Around the Sun won over critics and fans alike. AllMusic said, “It stands head and shoulders above instrumental recordings from most rock musicians.”

While there’s plenty to like about the band’s studio albums, performing live is where this cast of stellar musicians truly shines. Don your best tie dye garb and grab tickets for when they hit North America on their 2022 “Language Tour.”

Circles Around the Sun Live in Concert

Circles Around the Sun formed in 2015 at the behest of Justin Kreutzmann, who asked the musicians to perform during intermissions on tour for his dad’s band, Grateful Dead. Featuring a lineup of renowned musicians including Neal Casal, Adam MacDougall, Dan Home, Mark Levy, and John Lee Shannon, Circles Around the Sun won over the massive crowd of Deadheads at the concerts and realized they were onto something.

They decided to record an album without having prepared any material in advance of entering the studio, drawing on their skills as expert musicians to compose live on the spot. This became the band’s well-received debut album, Interlude for the Dead, released by Rhino. A series of tour dates with a terrific fan response followed, and the band surpassed any expectations for an instrumental jam band.

After releasing a double album, Let It Wander, in 2018 and laying down tracks for a third album with Grammy-winning producer Jim Scott, the band played a crowd-pleasing set at the LOCKN’ Music Festival. Less than a week later, Casal tragically passed away, leaving his band members in a state of shock. He reportedly gave express instructions in a note he left behind that the band continue on without him. The other three members grew close over the next few months while deciding whether to carry on. They ultimately made the collective decision to release their third album, the self-titled Circles Around the Sun, and to remain a band.