Mon. Mar 17th, 2025
Shakedown Sunday: a monthly musical tradition. This story was produced by Dillon Buck and Alex Fairchild.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Shakedown Sunday: a monthly musical tradition

Alex Fairchild: Shakedown Sunday celebrates the music of the Grateful Dead but with a twist. it’s hosted by Jeffrey Rodgers and he and his band, Dead to the Gore, are reimagining the music.

Jeffrey Rodgers: “All in an all acoustic format with great local musicians and special guests every month and, and, we are we have a celebration of that music and a little communities kind of built up around it.”

Fairchild: We’re about an hour from the show, and this place is filling up quickly. This is the 15th Shakedown Sunday hosted by The 443, and fun fact, they’ve all been sold out. Including today!

Fairchild: The event is hosted by The 443 Social Club and Lounge. Joining Dead to the Core today is special guest, Maureen Henesey

Maureen Henesey: “I’m a songwriter and, do original music, but also love the music of the Grateful Dead. And, we started a project called Dead to the Core, which performs locally as well as touring around the northeast.”

Fairchild: For a longtime local musician like Rodgers, throwing an event like this is a great way to connect with the community.

Rodgers: “I just love this place. This room. It’s hasn’t been here that long since 2019, but it’s really brought something to Syracuse that we never really had.”

Fairchild: With the event’s popularity and Rodgers’s enthusiasm, there doesn’t seem to be an end to Shakedown Sunday anytime soon.

Rodgers: “Long may it run as far as I’m concerned.”

Fairchild: With NCC News, I’m Alex Fairchild.

Syracuse, NY (NCC News) — Peace, love, and rock and roll is alive and well in Syracuse, thanks to Shakedown Sunday, an event that features music from the Grateful Dead performed by local band, Dead to the Core. 

Shakedown Sunday is hosted by the 443 Social Club and Lounge in Syracuse and has sold out every single time. It was created and hosted by Dead to the Core’s Jeffrey Rodgers, a local musician who puts his own twist on the music. 

“An all-acoustic format with great local musicians and special guests every month,” said Rodgers. “We have a celebration of that music and a little community kind of built up around it.” 

On Sunday, the 443 quickly filled up with local music lovers and fans. Special guest Maureen Henesey joined the band for the show.

“I’m a songwriter and I do original music, but also love the music of the Grateful Dead,” said Henesey. “We started a project called Dead to the core, which performs locally as well as touring around the northeast.” 

With the event’s popularity, Shakedown Sunday doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. 

“It’s really brought something to Syracuse that we never really had,” said Rodgers. “Long may it run as far as I’m concerned.” 

Maureen Henesey performs as a guest singer during Shakedown Sunday. © 2025 Dillon Buck
Maureen Henesey performs as a guest singer during Shakedown Sunday. © 2025 Dillon Buck

ByDillon L Buck

Dillon Buck is a Combat Videographer in the U.S. Marine Corps of 5 years and a native of Michigan. He found his love of both film making and music in high school by making simple parody YouTube videos and songs with his friends under the production of Forced Vacation Productions and as a band member in The Livewires. Over the past 7+ years that Dillon has been creating, he has always sought to challenge and experiment with the process of creating a song or video, which only strengthens his passion for each.