Reconnecting with John “Spiff” Macario

My friend, John Macario, returns to the show and we pick up right where we left off back in late 2024 when he first shared his amazing story. 

It’s been 19 months since John lost the love of his life and fellow Deadhead, Meg, at age 52 to complications following a liver transplant.  We catch up on how he and their 12-year old daughter, Gloria, are doing facing the world together as the dynamic duo.  John shares how single parenting is going, and how every now and again he gets out to fuel his soul with live music, including the likes of Bulgarina-American pianist, Kristina Marinova.  Marinova’s recent solo release, The Bus Came By and I Got On, is unlike any Grateful Dead music that I have ever heard before and is a must-listen.

In honor of our beloved Bobby “Ace” Weir, John insists that we tune into NPR’s Tiny Desk with Bob Weir & Wold Brothers, where Mikaela Davis sits in on harp. Their rendition of Birdsong is simply magical and instantly transports the listener with its first few notes. 

We wrap up with John’s story of Gloria’s early love of Jerry Garcia, and how at just 5 years old she became attached to Jerry Garcia Band’s 1980 rendition of After Midnight.  “More Jerry, Dad!”  How cool is THAT, I mean really.

Finally, John reveals for the first time how he got the nickname I never knew even existed - “Spiff”!

Join us, and let’s see where the energy takes us!

Morning Dew / Kristina Marinova
Smells Like Teen Spirit / Nirvana
Please Don't Bury Me / John Prine
Birdsong / Wolf Bros
I Know You Rider / Grateful Dead
After Midnight / JGB

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