Modern-day Grateful Dead offshoot Dead & Company returned to the stage at Las Vegas, NV’s Sphere on Thursday night to begin the tenth and final three-show chunk of the group’s 30-show Dead Forever residency. Even with 27 Sphere shows already in the rearview, the band comprised of Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, and Jay Lane found new ways to surprise and enchant attendees on Thursday night.
After beginning the show with New Orleans favorite “Iko Iko” and longtime go-to “Eyes of the World” as the venue’s immersive LED ceiling displayed its customary blast-off from 710 Ashbury Street in San Francisco, the band moved into a slow, smooth rendition of the Ron “Pigpen” McKernan/Robert Hunter-penned “Mr. Charlie”, a staple of early-days Dead setlists only ever officially released on the iconic Europe ’72 (1972) live collection. While it marked the fifth “Mr. Charlie” of the Sphere residency, Thursday’s rendition was paired with new visuals incorporating the album art illustrations from 2011’s Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings box set, all of which were created by Scott McDougall using the original Stanley Mouse– and Alton Kelley-designed album art as inspiration.
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“Playing in the Band” offered the band a chance for some patient, deconstructed improv before one of the most consistently engaging elements of Dead & Company—the intuitive creative connection between John Mayer on guitar and Jeff Chimenti on keys—served as the highlight of the ensuing “Brown-Eyed Women”.
While slow tempos have always been a calling card for this incarnation of the Dead, the band revved its engines on longtime Bob Weir/John Barlow live standout “Let It Grow” and sped into some of the most energized improv of the night as the Sphere’s overhead dome took viewers on a motorcycle joy ride down a rainbow road. The song had only appeared at Sphere one time prior, way back on weekend two, and its return to the mix was undoubtedly welcome on Thursday.
Although the Sphere setlist expansion has leveled off in recent weeks, Dead & Company dug deep into their bag to start set two with their first rendition of the Phil Lesh– and Peter Monk-penned Terrapin Station track “Passenger” since 2018. The last Dead & Co “Passenger” came on 6/20/18 at Blossom Music Center during the group’s 100th overall show—a milestone few thought the group would reach when it started. After the Sphere residency, that total will be north of 260.
Dead & Company – “Passenger” – 8/8/24
[Video: Steven Leitman]
The band wound from there through an extended “St. Stephen” and a sing-along “Uncle John’s Band” before Mickey Hart stepped into the spotlight for what has consistently been the best part of each Sphere show, “Drums” > “Space”, his thundering rhythms shaking the bones of the crowd via in-seat haptics and mind-bending visuals alike. However you might feel about the Sphere, it’s hard to argue against the notion that this building provides the optimal environment for Mickey’s cosmic percussion adventures.
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The third “Black Peter” of the residency provided a soft, welcoming landing strip before the group closed out the set with “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” and “Throwing Stones”. A “Casey Jones” encore finally offered one last burst of precarious acceleration to send Deadheads back to their hotel rooms in high gear.
Below, view the full 8/8/24 Dead & Company Sphere setlist and check out a selection of crowd-shot clips from Thursday’s show. Dead & Company return to Sphere on Friday night, August 9th—the 29th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s passing—for their penultimate Dead Forever performance.
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Setlist: Dead & Company | Sphere | Las Vegas, NV | 8/8/24
Set One: Iko Iko, Eyes of the World, Mr Charlie, Playing in the Band > Brown-Eyed Women, Let It Grow
Set Two: Passenger [1], St. Stephen, Uncle John’s Band, Drums > Space, Black Peter, Going Down the Road Feeling Bad, Throwing Stones
Encore: Casey Jones
Notes: [1] First performance by Dead & Company since 6/20/18 at Blossom, which was Dead & Company’s 100th overall show.
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Let the good times keep rolling after the Sphere run ends at Golden Road Festival 2024 in Sanger, CA on November 8th, 9th, and 10th. Attendees will get to catch guitarist/vocalist Stu Allen (Mars Hotel) with original members of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman‘s live group Jim Kerwin (upright bass) and Joe Craven (fiddle, percussion) alongside mandolinist Andrew Collins with Jerry & Dawg Revisited. Immerse yourself in three full days music from over 25 amazing artists, interactive presentations, sports, arts, and activities in the stunning foothills of the Sierras. This 200-guest “micro-festival” offers an all-inclusive, intimate VIP experience where every detail is curated and covered. Learn more and grab your spot here.
The post Dead & Company Begin Final Sphere Weekend With New Visuals, First “Passenger” Since 2018 [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
