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“Woody Harrelson Almost Ruined a Grateful Dead Concert While High on Mushrooms by Sitting on a Keyboard”.Viet

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Woody Harrelson Hilariously Recalls Nearly Ruining a Grateful Dead Concert While High on Mushrooms

Woody Harrelson shared a hilarious and unforgettable experience during his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on February 24. The actor recalled nearly ruining a Grateful Dead concert while high on mushrooms, a moment he described as both humorous and surreal.

Woody Harrelson attends the UK Special Screening of Searchlight Pictures', "Suncoast" at The Soho Hotel on January 28, 2024 in London, England. "Suncoast" streams exclusively on Disney+ February 9th, 2024; (L-R) Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Vince Welnick, and Bruce Hornsby of the Grateful Dead perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre on May 12, 1991 in Mountain View, California

Harrelson, who considers himself an “honorary member” of the Grateful Dead, reminisced about his first show in Northern California. He had attended the concert with a friend who was familiar with the band. “We imbibed some fungi and were just hanging out,” Harrelson said, adding that he had the opportunity to chat with the band between sets.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Woody Harrelson during Monday February 24, 2025 show.

During their backstage interaction, Harrelson met the band, and after a brief conversation with Jerry Garcia about the “universe expanding,” the band returned to the stage. Harrelson continued talking to Bruce Hornsby, who had sat on the back of his chair. In a relaxed moment, Harrelson followed suit and sat down—unaware that he was about to cause chaos.

Suddenly, a loud and discordant sound erupted. “Well, I think to myself, ‘Kinda genius!’” Harrelson recalled, thinking he had just witnessed a musical moment. But as he looked around, he saw the band members—Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Bobby Weir—staring directly at him with intense expressions. Harrelson quickly realized what was happening: he had sat on a live keyboard, and the roadies were yelling at him to get off.

“Bruce goes, ‘Woody, you’re sitting on a live MIDI!’ Which is a keyboard,” Harrelson continued, laughing at the memory. Colbert jokingly referred to the incident as Harrelson’s “ass solo” during the gig.

Music group The Grateful Dead with Ron Pigpen McKernan on keyboards, Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir perform on stage during "A Night at the Family Dog by the Bay on February 4, 1970 in San Franicsco, California.

Harrelson humorously added, “That was my first experience with them. I jammed with the Dead.”

The actor also spoke about his admiration for the Grateful Dead, particularly founding member Bob Weir, whom he described as “one of the most interesting, electric, spiritually deep people on the planet, and not a bad musician.”

Harrelson’s new movie, Last Breath, is set to premiere in theaters on February 28, adding another exciting project to his eclectic career.