Lukas Nelson tearing into the Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” just feels right.

Even though he’s the son of country music legend Willie Nelson, Lukas remains one of the most underrated artists in the genre. His songwriting and vocals can compete with the best of them. Last summer, Lukas Nelson released his first solo album, American Romance. The son of the Red-Headed Stranger used the record to carve out his own path, delivering a handful of standout songs that showed he could thrive on his own and step beyond his years with his former backing band, Promise of the Real.

Now, in 2026, Nelson is still out on the road, showing off his talents and sharing his music with fans. And when he isn’t picking through one of his own songs, Lukas and his band have been dipping into the Grateful Dead’s catalogue for covers that have become some of the highlights of his sets.

At one of his recent appearances, he opened with “Althea,” which, in my opinion, is the best Dead song there is. More often, though, he’s been working another track into his shows: the song that brought the most commercial success to the band once led by Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, “Touch of Grey.”

As you’ll see in this video, Nelson looks completely at home playing one of the Dead’s biggest hits, and he even manages to put his own spin on it:

Yeah, I could listen to that all day.

Fans of Nelson clearly agree. They praised his talent while also giving him credit for choosing to take on a Grateful Dead song:

“Lukas could sing a phone book.”

“What a great cover.”

“Lukas Nelson never dissapoints.”

“Incredible song and Lukas rocked it.”

“Lukas does a spectacular job covering the Dead… keep it up.”

Speaking of keeping it up… what if Lukas Nelson did more than simply cover the Grateful Dead? What if he helped make sure the music never stopped?

For decades, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead have continued performing together for the countless Dead Heads who still follow the band. After the passing of frontman and music legend Bob Weir earlier this year, the only surviving members of the original band are Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.

The most recent incarnation of the group was known as Dead & Company. The “Company” refers to the other musicians who help complete the lineup, including the incredibly talented and often underrated John Mayer. While it’s certainly sad that so few original members remain, it’s still pretty remarkable to think that the band Dead Heads have followed religiously has continued to exist in some form since the mid-1960s.

For perspective, imagine if the surviving members of The Beatles were still touring together.

As I mentioned, the official Grateful Dead lineup broke up shortly after frontman Jerry Garcia died in 1995. But various versions of the group have continued carrying the Grateful Dead’s spirit forward, confusing as the whole history may be. And the two artists the surviving members have trusted to take on long-term roles that honor Garcia rather than attempt to replace him are John Mayer and Sturgill Simpson.

Mayer has historically performed with the version of the group known as Dead & Company, while Simpson has also stepped in on plenty of occasions. Now, without Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead, if it is going to continue, needs two new frontmen to step up.

That raises an interesting question: Could John Mayer, Sturgill Simpson and Lukas Nelson, and maybe even Billy Strings, be trusted to keep the Grateful Dead’s music going?

If nothing else, this video shows that Lukas Nelson can absolutely hold his own. John Mayer and Johnny Blue Skies have already proven they have what it takes.

I’d be perfectly happy with that lineup. I suppose the only thing left would be up to the Dead Heads.