Grateful Guitars Foundation Heads to Pittsburgh for a Benefits Double-Header and Followup Gift to Fostering Music

On December 4 and 5, 2026, GGF is the beneficiary of a double-header Dead celebration weekend in the Steel City with our friends Brown Eyed Women and Reuben’s Painted Mandolin, and is thrilled to announce we will honor the occasion with a gift of $5000 to Fostering Music in support of music education for kids in foster care in Western Pennsylvania.

Fostering Music provides musical instruments and instruction to children currently in the foster care system as well as to those who have been adopted out of it.  They partner with local foster care agencies to identify kids who want to participate, then coordinate with local music stores to source instruments and teachers.  We are proud to return to Pittsburgh in support of Fostering Music and will present the $5000 on Friday, December 4 at the Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall during the evening with Brown Eyed Women in which GGF will also receive a portion of the proceeds from the evening.

GGF first met Fostering Music when we selected them as the beneficiary in honor of our gift of a “Wolf” to Eric “Pappy” Weingrad of Reuben’s Painted Mandolin in 2025, and we are honored to also receive a portion of every ticket sold to their show on December 5 at Moondog’s.  RPM is a tribute to the music of the Jerry Garcia Band and was started by Pappy as a compliment to his his work in Pittsburgh’s own theCAUSE.

Singer Jill Simmons, who also appears theCAUSE, takes the stage the night before with the world’s only all-female Grateful Dead tribute Brown Eyed Women the night before at the Thunderbird with her bandmates Denise Parent, Caroline Killoh, Jen Rund, Liv Zutphen, and Patti Spadaro.

Tickets to both nights are available now:

12/4 – Brown Eyed Women at Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall-TICKETS
12/5 – Reuben’s Painted Mandolin at Moondog’s-TICKETS

Learn more about Fostering Music or give directly here.