Name: China Cats visit San Luis Obipso
Start: 2026-02-14T19:00:00-08:00
Location: SLO Brew

The Bay Area's longest running Grateful Dead tribute band returns to SLO Brew for one night only.
Based in Santa Cruz, the China Cats are the Bay Area’s longest-running Grateful Dead tribute band. The band has been playing throughout the state for the past 16 years with the same lineup, at venues such as The Siren (Morro Bay), SLO Brew (San Luis Obispo), the Westside Theater (Newman), Terrapin Crossroads (Marin), Sweetwater (Mill Valley), the Catalyst (Santa Cruz), Ashkenaz (Berkeley) as well as festivals including Skull & Roses (Ventura), Vintage Days (Fresno), Redwood Mountain Fair (Felton), Black Sheep Family Reunion (Oregon), Hog Farm Celebration (Mendocino) and many others. When former Grateful Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux last performed in California she used the China Cats as her backing band. The China Cats have also worked with members of Dead & Company, Jerry Garcia Band, and others.
"Instead of attempting note-for-note re-enactments, the China Cats try to re-create the spirit of the Dead with creative jam sessions. This Bay Area tribute band performs the songs of the Grateful Dead with spirited jams that carry their own genuine personality while paying homage to their musical forefathers.”
— Modesto Bee
“The Cats inhabit these songs with as much authenticity, skill, and intentional spirit as its originators. For my money, I’d see The China Cats over Dead & Co. Their interpretations feel more alive to me, less a seance and more new incantations from a cherished spell book. The Cats inhabit these songs with as much authenticity, skill, and intentional spirit as its originators.”
— Glide Magazine
"One of the premier tribute bands in Northern California. The group has spent years infusing the classic sensibilities of the Dead's catalog with their own flair and energy.”
— Good Times, Santa Cruz
NOTE: This show will feature guest musicians Jerry Saracini on drums and Larry Ryan on bass.