Dead & Company celebrated Memorial Day Weekend on Sunday with a show at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta. The Grateful Dead offshoot’s final swing through Georgia did not feature any overt references to the national holiday with the band instead opting to light off some onstage fireworks.
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, John Mayer, Jay Lane, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti began the show with a freewheeling jam that ultimately revealed itself as “Cassidy”. The ensemble immediately dove into the deep end of improvisation with an opening movement of “Cassidy” into “Deal” that stretched past 25 minutes, a harbinger of things to come.
Dead & Company – “Cassidy” [Pro-Shot] – 5/28/23
While Chimenti laid the groundwork for Mayer’s lofty fretboard explorations on “Cassidy”, it was the pianist who took over on organ for the fiery “Deal”. John kept the intensity high with rapid-fire leads all the way up the neck of his guitar as the momentum built from behind him courtesy of Mickey and Jay.
After a solid 25 minutes of heavy sonic exploration, Dead & Company eased back on the throttle and dished out the traditional Sunday singalong “Samson & Delilah” followed by “Friend of the Devil” to extend the cool-down period. Mayer’s crooning became the instrument of focus before his nubile voice was juxtaposed by Bobby’s weathered singing in the lyrical baton race of “Friend of the Devil”.
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Up next, Johnny got the blues on “It Hurts Me Too”, returning to his first love with the traditional Delta-style playing on the Elmore James classic. While not venturing out too far, Mayer’s spastic solo and Chimenti’s swelling organ made for a short but sweet jam.
Dead & Company soldiered on with a nod to Georgia’s neighbor to the north with “Tennessee Jed” before Oteil took his moment in the sun for the serene Shakedown Street deep cut “If I Had The World To Give”, played for only the tenth time since its debut on 11/25/17. The bassist’s beautifully delicate vocal performance only added to a night of strong singing led by Mayer. Finally, the band ramped the energy back up with “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” to end set one with a bang.
Returning to the stage, Dead & Company embarked on the second frame with one of Mayer’s signature songs, “Althea”. The lead guitarist stuck to his strengths throughout the bluesy number, with Bobby popping on his slide to smooth out the backdrop for Johnbo.
Dead & Company – “Althea” [Pro-Shot] – 5/28/23
With the pluck of Oteil’s wah-infused reggae bass drop, set two fully kicked into gear with “Estimated Prophet”. Aside from the opening “Cassidy” > “Deal”—a spectacle itself—the band so far had stuck close to home on jams. That would all change in the pre-“Drums” segment of set two.
Breaking the possibilities open with an “Estimated Prophet” jam that rose above the gentle bobbing of the groove to some staggering peaks, the beat kept going into “China Cat Sunflower”. The perennial pairing of “China” and “I Know You Rider” kept the band in the proper improvisational mindset but merely served as a primer for the “Eyes of the World” to come. Clocking in at over 23 minutes, the jazz-infused telling proved a highlight of the show and the lengthiest jam of the evening.
Dead & Company – “China Cat Sunflower” – 5/28/23
[Video: The Fabulous Philipe]
While tempo has consistently been a sticking point with many for Dead & Co, the band kept this “Eyes” upbeat. Connecting with the song’s roots in jazz and venerable improvisational legacy, this version stepped outside the song’s open-ended confines and served as a springboard into “Drums” > “Space”.
After Mickey, Jay, and Oteil took audiences around the world of rhythms—and Hart into outer space with the Beam—it was back to Earth and all aboard for “Lady with a Fan” into “Terrapin Station”, the band executing the movements with calculated precision. Finally, rather than breaking momentum and leaving for an encore, Dead & Company took one look back at the scorched Earth and bid farewell to Atlanta with a crushing “Morning Dew”.
Dead & Company’s Final Tour continues tomorrow, May 30th, with a show in Charlotte, NC. Tickets and full tour details are available on the band’s website.
Dead & Company – Lakewood Amphitheater – Atlanta, GA – 5/28/23 – Full Audio
[Audio: Eric Lugassy]
Setlist: Dead & Company | Lakewood Amphitheater | Atlanta, GA | 5/28/23
Set One: Cassidy > Deal, Samson & Delilah, Friend of the Devil, It Hurts Me Too, Tennessee Jed, If I Had the World to Give, Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
Set Two: Althea, Estimated Prophet > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Eyes of the World > Drums > Space > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin Station > Morning Dew
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