EPK | Dead Ahead

A collective featuring Ryan Taylor, Lara Cwass and some of the Northeast’s finest musicians, rooted in the tradition of the Grateful Dead and the spirit of improvisation.

Watch Live Video Email Booking

Dead Ahead Booking · deadaheadbooking@gmail.com

“Dead Ahead carries the torch forward with style, creativity, and serious chops.”
— Aaron Schafer, No Simple Road Podcast

Lara Cwass on guitar performing with Oteil Burbridge on bass — Lara Cwass with Oteil Burbridge

Dead Ahead performing live on stage — Photo: Ellen Snyder Photography

Dead Ahead full band live at The Sanctuary in Maynard

Watch

Live footage from Dead Ahead shows.

Featured clip

“When there’s a detour on Shakedown Street”

A short live clip from Dead Ahead’s YouTube channel.

Open on YouTube

Full-Song Performances

Longer performances for a fuller sense of the band’s live show.

“Space Captain”NYE 2026

“Ramble on Rose” / “Jealous Guy”10.14.25

Dead Ahead live stream: Tuesdays, 8:15–11 PM ET, live from The Sanctuary in Maynard, MA.

Tuesday residency stream

A weekly window into the live band.

Our Tuesday residency streams from Sanctuary in Maynard, Massachusetts, 8:15–11 PM Eastern. Explore full-show replays or watch on a Tuesday night.

Watch the Residency

The Band

Led by Boston guitarist Ryan Taylor, featuring Burlington VT guitarist Lara Cwass, Dead Ahead is a soulful improvisational ensemble rooted in the Grateful Dead. The band brings a depth, soul, and authenticity to the deep tradition of this music, and has quickly earned a strong regional following at their vaunted Tuesday night residency at Sanctuary Maynard.

Featured players

Ryan TaylorGuitar · bandleader
Sonya Rae TaylorGuitar, vocals · lead guitarist for Gigi Perez, including Coachella 2026 and Hozier’s Unreal Unearth tour
Lara CwassGuitar · guest with Oteil & Friends and Grahame Lesh & Friends at the Capitol Theatre; has shared stages with Allman Brothers Band members Oteil Burbridge, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe
Jesse WilliamsBass · 12 years with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Al Kooper; North Mississippi Allstars; Jimmy Vivino; Berklee professor
Brian SayersDrums · Otis Grove, Bearly Dead

Lineups vary by date; not every musician appears at every show.

Players & Past Collaborators

Pete MacLeanDrums · touring drummer for funk legend Maceo Parker (James Brown, Prince, Parliament-Funkadelic)
Mark TeixeiraDrums · longtime drummer for Duke Robillard, including Grammy-nominated albums; has also played with Rick Danko, Al Kooper and Jimmy Vivino
Brendan TommaneyPercussion · Pink Talking Fish; The Rocket Band; A Band of Brothers (Allman Brothers tribute)
Justin LopesHammond organ, keys · formerly of Bearly Dead; Krewe de Groove; Legends of Mary (Legion of Mary tribute)
Kris YunkerKeys, organ · former keyboardist for Goose; Alan Evans Trio
Paul WolstencroftKeys · Slightly Stoopid
Richard JamesKeys, vocals · Pink Talking Fish; Neighbor
Max ChaseHammond organ, vocals · Sans Souci: Tribute to Jerry Garcia Band
Mark MunzerKeys, vocals · Playing Dead; The Knot
Jay FairesFounder of Jerry Tone Store

Show options

Dead Ahead performs in configurations from six to eleven pieces. Special productions have included Dead Ahead Presents The Last Waltz, featuring a three-piece horn section, and an Allman Brothers Band show.

Live Highlights

Home-market history · Sanctuary, Maynard, MA

Nearly two years of Tuesday-night residency performances at Sanctuary in Maynard, Massachusetts, as of October 2026.
Averaged 88 paid attendees on regular Tuesday nights in 2025.
Two sold-out shows on regular weeknights at Sanctuary.

These figures reflect the band’s home market and are not a projection for other cities.

Rooms played

Stone Church, Brattleboro, VT · returning Friday, November 13, 2026
Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
Neptune’s, Hyannis, MA

Upcoming shows

Press

“A soulful group fronted by the husband-and-wife team of Ryan and Sonya Rae Taylor.”
— The Boston Globe, January 7, 2026

“You leave feeling uplifted. It’s like church.”
— Audience member, as featured in The Boston Globe

“Dead Ahead is a living, breathing, metamorphosing jam creature.”
— Grateful Web

More Live Clips

Short clips from recent shows.

“Ain’t No Use”The Meters

“Scarlet Begonias” outro jam3.25.25

“Help on the Way / Slipknot!” → “Soul Sacrifice”

“Althea”

Show five more clips

“Ramble On Rose”10.29.24

“I Need a Miracle”

The Who & the Grateful Dead, Pt. 2April Fool’s Tuesday

“Spent a little time on the mountain”

“Gonna be a long long crazy crazy night”

Audience & Reach

8K+Combined followers & subscribers
Instagram · TikTok · YouTube

9.1KYouTube views
July 20–October 17, 2026

Followers & subscribers as of October 18, 2026: Instagram 3,507 · TikTok 4,056 · YouTube 460 (8,023 combined). Combined figure adds platform counts; it is not a count of unique people. Platform-reported figures.