Dead & Company brought their Final Tour to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Thursday night. The return to the home of the Philadelphia Phillies saw the band swinging for the fences and splitting “Dark Star” between the first and second sets.
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The syncopated rhythm of “Man Smart, Woman Smarter” made for a somewhat surprising first song selection. The calypso favorite was played for the first time this year and the seventh time overall by Dead & Co.
The rarity opener led by guitarist Bob Weir was followed by setlist staple “Shakedown Street.” Bassist Oteil Burbridge showed off his skillful interpretation of the funky “Shakedown” groove, injecting a fresh approach to the familiar groove. Burbridge would prominently assert himself throughout the evening, regularly making a meaningful impact on the performance.
The funky “Shakedown” jam was trailed by guitarist John Mayer captaining an energized run through “Cold Rain And Snow.” Weir and Mayer, both rocking a sleeveless look, teamed up on the reflective offering of “Jack Straw” that followed. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti displayed his deft boogie-rock piano skills within the “Brown-Eyed Women” that came next.
The first set then entered the “Dark Star” universe. The musicians slid into its expansive psychedelic rock realm. Drummers Mickey Hart and Jay Lane augmented and accentuated the intricate interplay between Mayer and Weir, Chimenti’s Fender Rhodes and Burbridge’s agile low end. The drawn-out development of “Dark Star” led to Weir delivering the song’s first verse before a transition into “El Paso.”
Six out of the 13 times Dead & Company has covered Marty Robbins’ “El Paso” it has immediately followed “Dark Star.” The Grateful Dead paired “Dark Star” with “El Paso” four times, notably on August 27, 1972 in Veneta, Oregon. Thursday’s performance of the cowboy tune saw Weir playing acoustic guitar. Weir returned to electric guitar for a set-concluding dash through “Don’t Ease Me In.”
The second set started with Burbridge lighting up “Fire On The Mountain.” The bassist’s beautiful lead singing was matched by equally sweet bass playing within the vibrant, welcoming “Fire” jam. The eerie blues of “New Speedway Boogie” landed in the second slot and shifted the tone onstage at the ballpark.
After ending “New Speedway Boogie,” Mayer mistakenly started playing “Eyes Of The World,” but quickly stopped himself and set the guitar he was playing on the ground as self-punishment. Weir then counted off the proper next song on the setlist, “Estimated Prophet.” The grinding “Estimated” jam was punctuated by Burbridge cutting through the mix alongside a flurry of Mayer’s fluttery guitar runs. The elongated “Estimated” ultimately teed up the “Eyes Of The World” Mayer was eager to play.
“Eyes” is one of the primary showcases of Burbridge’s instrumental voice and from the start of Thursday’s rendition, the trend continued. As much as you can count on Burbridge to shine during “Eyes,” when Dead & Co. plays the song you can also bank on Mayer spending time hovering over and responding to Chimenti’s piano. Burbridge’s “Eyes” bass solo bridged the path into “Drums” and he soon joined Hart and Lane in a deep percussive improvisation.
Hart capped the “Drums” sequence by layering in the heavy drone produced by The Beam. Employing a bow on his signature stringed instrument, The Beam drone was accompanied by what sounded like indecipherable recordings of radio calls. Upon the reassembling of Weir, Mayer, Chimenti and Burbridge, “Space” was initiated and held true to a fully free-form, loosely held construct of atmospheric weirdness.
As “Space” wound down, Chimenti was the first to hint at the slowly developing return to “Dark Star.” Carrying over the prevailing openness, “Dark Star” strolled along, teetering in out of its recognizable form. At one point Chimenti, Mayer and Lane fully locked into an almost call-and-response motif that led to Weir providing the song’s second verse. Weir held on to the “nightfall” lyric,” repeatedly howling it out as “Dark Star” dissolved.
A jovial take on “Cumberland Blues” injected the set with an upbeat and lively jolt and featured a nifty little jam for good measure. Weir then belted out the pensive “Standing On The Moon.” Just like how the show started the show with a well-known drum beat, the second half ended with the easily identifiable rhythm of the “Not Fade Away” closer.
Weir and Mayer played acoustic guitars for the touching “Ripple” encore, bringing an end to Dead & Company’s final visit to Philadelphia.
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