Melonious Funk

Melonious Funk has been playing the Grateful Dead in Nashville since 1991, which by their own account and Exit/In's makes them the city's longest-running Dead tribute. The name is a pun on Thelonious Monk, and the band leans into being hard to find — they describe themselves as "most elusive" and surface for occasional shows rather than a steady gig calendar. Their October 2026 Exit/In date is a two-set scholarship benefit tied to a Vanderbilt class reunion, which is characteristic of how they turn up. They keep a SoundCloud page and a YouTube channel but no streaming-service catalogue, since the repertoire is the Dead's. Booking goes through booking@meloniousfunk.com.