Dead & Company continued its summer tour this past weekend with stops in Michigan and Ohio. The Grateful Dead offshoot performed in Clarkston, MI and Cincinnati, OH on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Up first was DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston on Friday, where Dead & Co came roaring out of the gate with “Hell In A Bucket”. Guitarist John Mayer took vocal reins on “Alabama Getaway” before fellow guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir donned an acoustic guitar for “Friend of the Devil”. The tempo stayed low through “Row Jimmy” followed by the eerie “New Speedway Boogie”. The Jerry Garcia Band-favored “Dear Prudence” then came uncharacteristically early before being hitched to “Don’t Ease Me In” to close set one.
Dead & Company – “Hell In A Bucket” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21
Dead & Company – “Friend Of The Devil” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21
[Video: The Zalewski Law Firm]
Dead & Company – “Dear Prudence” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21
[Video: The Zalewski Law Firm]
Mayer got set two started off with an incendiary “Deal” before bassist Oteil Burbridge dusted off the first “Comes A Time” since 11/5/19. The second set never lost momentum as Weir delivered his reggae-soaked ode to California, “Estimated Prophet” ahead of the eternal pairing of “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider”. It was then the Rhythm Devils’ time to shine as Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart took center stage a “Drums” and “Space” segment that saw the latter tease the Peanuts theme. Upon returning to the stage, Bob Weir rattled off his lists of demands with “I Need A Miracle” prior to a “Black Peter” in the ballad slot and finally “Casey Jones” to close out the set. The band opted for a cover of The Band with “The Weight” to send everyone home.
Dead & Company – “Deal” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21
Dead & Company – “I Need A Miracle” > “Black Peter” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21
[Video: The Zalewski Law Firm]
Dead & Company – “Casey Jones” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21 – Partial Video
[Video: Sojahsey1]
Dead & Company – “The Weight” – Clarkston, MI – 9/10/21 – Partial Video
[Video: Aphasia]
The following evening’s show in Cincinnati marked a special occasion as it was drummer Mickey Hart’s 78th birthday, but more on that later. The show began with the ever-relevant “The Music Never Stopped”, which delved into the second “Easy Answers” of the 2021 summer tour before a fierce reprisal of “The Music Never Stopped”. Weir then took everyone down south for “Tennesse Jed” ahead of a luminous “Here Comes Sunshine”.
Dead & Company – “The Music Never Stopped” – Cincinnati, OH – 9/11/21
Dead & Company continued to fire off quick hitters with a bluesy “Loose Lucy” before the word came down from “Mr. Charlie”. Weatherman Weir’s forecast of “Looks Like Rain” then preceded a stomping “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” which closed the set.
Dead & Company – “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” – Cincinnati, OH – 9/11/21 – Partial Video
[Video: DooDahMon]
As the band returned for the second frame, Weir lead Kreutzmann, Jeff Chimenti, Burbridge, and Mayer in “making a hideous great spectacle out of something” by orchestrating a “Happy Birthday” for Hart. What better way for the percussionist to celebrate than by dropping into the rollicking beat of “The Other One”, which would ultimately link up with “Uncle John’s Band” after only the first verse.
Dead & Company – “Happy Birthday”, “The Other One” – Cincinnati, OH – 9/11/21
John Mayer hit the opening chords to “Help On The Way” as Dead & Co dug into the “Help” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower” movement, emerging out of blissful improvisation on the other side. The “Drums” and “Space” segment put the birthday boy on full display before Chimenti laid down some honky-tonk grand piano stylings on “Cumberland Blues” before the elusive second verse of “The Other One” came back around. The post-Space ballad slot went to “Stella Blue” prior to the obligatory “One More Saturday Night” wrapping up the set. Returning for the stage, Dead & Company joined in with the thousands of fans at Riverbend for the eternal anthem of perseverance, “Touch Of Grey”, to end the evening.
Dead & Company travels to Maryland Heights, MO for a show tonight, Monday, September 13th. For tickets and a full list of tour dates click here. Scroll down to listen to full show audio from Dead & Company in Cincinnati on Saturday courtesy of taper Toaste.
Dead & Company – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH – 9/11/21
Setlist: Dead & Company | DTE Energy Music Theater | Clarkston, MI | 9/10/21
Set One: Hell in a Bucket, Alabama Getaway, Friend of the Devil [1], Row Jimmy, New Speedway Boogie, Dear Prudence > Don’t Ease Me In
Set 2: Deal > Comes a Time > Estimated Prophet > China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider > Drums > Space [2] > I Need a Miracle > Black Peter > Casey Jones
Encore: The Weight
[1] Bob Weir on acoustic guitar.
[2] Peanuts music tease.
Setlist: Dead & Company | Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH | 9/11/21
Set One: The Music Never Stopped > Easy Answers > The Music Never Stopped, Tennessee Jed, Here Comes Sunshine, Loose Lucy, Mr. Charlie,
Looks Like Rain, Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad
Set 2: Happy Birthday [1], The Other One > Uncle John’s Band, Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower> Drums > Space > Cumberland Blues > The Other One > Stella Blue > One More Saturday Night
Encore: Touch of Grey
[1] Crowd and band sang to Mickey Hart for his birthday.
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