About this Event
About This Event
Two nights after Half Step fills this nave with the music of the Grateful Dead, we go deeper. There is a reason music sounds right in a Gothic cathedral. There is a reason Deadheads follow the music across the country with the devotion of pilgrims, gather in community with the fervor of a congregation, and speak of certain concerts the way mystics speak of transcendence. And there is a reason a 20- foot sculpture of our fragile, luminous Earth — suspended in a sacred space — stops people in their tracks the way a peak moment at a Dead show does.
Thomas A. Coogan’s Deadheads and Christians takes all of this seriously — and under Gaia, author Coogan sits down with Kyle Sabo, Dean’s Verger at the Cathedral of the
Incarnation and the Cathedral Close’s resident Deadhead, for a genuine meeting of minds. Two people who have lived inside both worlds will dig into what the Church and the
Dead share: the hunger for beauty, the need for belonging, the search for something that holds in the face of how brief and breakable all of this is. Audience questions welcome.
The Setting
The Cathedral of the Incarnation 36 Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530
Built in 1885, the Cathedral of the Incarnation is the historic cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. From April 25 through May 31, 2026, its soaring Gothic nave is home to Gaia — Luke Jerram's internationally acclaimed 20-foot rotating sculpture of planet Earth, built from detailed NASA imagery and lit from within, accompanied by a specially commissioned surround sound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones. Gaia has been experienced by more than eight million people in over 30 countries; this is its first exhibition in a U.S. house of worship.
The Zamor recital is performed within the installation — making it one of the most singular concert experiences available anywhere this spring.
Parking is available on the Cathedral Close. The building is accessible.
About Thomas and Kyle
Thomas A. Coogan graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. For more than twenty years, he has been a member of Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey, serving as elder and deacon. Coogan says he is equal parts Deadhead and Bible student. For some readers, it might be impossible to think of a “Christian Deadhead,” but yes, they exist (there are dozens of us).
Kyle Sabo serves as Dean's Verger and principal aide to The Very Rev. Canon Michael T. Sniffen, Dean of Long Island. He manages the Dean's communications, calendar, and strategic initiatives, and assists on special projects related to the cathedral's sacred spaces — including the recent High Altar restoration, the current forecourt accesibility project, and the future establishment of a columbarium. As the principal verger in the diocese, he coordinates cathedral liturgies and ceremonial, oversees the care of vestments, sacred vessels, and artwork, and serves as liaison between the Dean's office and the Bishop's office.
Kyle holds degrees from Hofstra University and CUNY Hunter College in history and education, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church, and is a Fellow of the VGEC. The Cathedral Close's resident Deadhead, he has followed the history of the band with the same devotion he brings to liturgy — a pilgrim in both worlds — making him the natural conversation partner for an evening exploring what the Church and the Grateful Dead might share. He and his wife Miriam enjoy road trips with their two vizslas, Jellicoe and Sultan.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
46 Cathedral Ave, 46 Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, United States
USD 0.00
