It turns out, John Mayer’s superlative guitar work sans his left index finger wasn’t just for Jerry Garcia’s birthday. Despite his recent injury, the restricted axman was once again at the top of his game during Dead & Company’s dynamic show at Sphere on the first Friday of August.
The now-legendary “Three-Finger Johnny” flexed that prodigious muscle early and often. As Sphere’s millions of LEDs presented the nightly liftoff from Haight Ashbury into the galaxy, the 46-year-old tickled his way through a spectacular solo while “The Music Never Stopped”. His axmanship was just as precise and precocious during “Tennessee Jed” amid a tropical downpour that gave way to a rainbow-bound blue sky.
Perhaps his best work of the night, though, came during the second set. Mayer melted many a mind with a killer solo on “St. Stephen” that included a heaping helping of clever tapping. All of that came as the Sphere transformed into the interior of a lava lamp.
Vocally, it was a relatively light night for Dead & Company’s youngest member. John’s voice did, however, shine through most prominently during an energetic first set. He gave a rousing performance during “Bertha” as a rose-crowned skeleton dropped petals onto the band.
Dead & Company – “Bertha” – 8/2/24
[Video: Sojahsey1]
That continued on the Jerry Garcia-penned “They Love Each Other” and “Deal”. The former came over a visual voyage from Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden en route to the Hampton Coliseum and, ultimately, a rocking stadium filled with dancing skeletons and a blimp flying above. The latter, which closed out the first set, occasioned the return of undead Uncle Sam’s psychedelic motorcycle ride, now complete with a skyward leap featuring a skeletal Lady Liberty and a bald eagle, among numerous eye-popping touches.
Jeff Chimenti got in some kicks of his own. He earned a partial vocal feature during a night-opening rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Good Times”, set inside a rocket hangar. His skills on the keys were on particularly poignant display during a deeply jammy “Eyes of the World”. That song also brought out a brilliant bass solo by Oteil Burbridge on the way to a smidgen of samba, as the dome screen filled with neon dancers performing interpretive versions of Deadhead spins.
By and large, Bob Weir spent the night as the main man on the microphone. The 76-year-old came out of setbreak lending his texture and gravitas to “Dark Star”, accompanied by a journey to a distant planet. He carried right on through “Estimated Prophet” while the Wall of Sound behind him morphed into a Rainbow Road through the cosmos.
Coming out of a particularly rumbly “Drums” and “Space”—with Mickey Hart, Jay Lane, and Oteil going to town on percussion in front of a ski-filled kaleidoscope—Bob took the mic again on “Stella Blue”. At one point, as the room itself turned blue for the song, he appeared to get a bit choked up, only for the audience to pick him back up with a roaring round of cheers.
Dead & Company – “Brokedown Palace” – 8/2/24
[Video: Sojahsey1]
That applause seemed to give Bob all the juice he needed to finish off the 26th night of Dead & Co.’s historic Sphere residency. He serenaded the fans with a fond fare thee well during a heartwarming “Brokedown Palace” that brought the evening’s mission into deep space back down to Earth. Following the nightly news broadcast from the early days of the Grateful Dead, Bob gave an impassioned performance of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light” over a photo montage from the band’s nearly-60-year history.
All of it added up to a beautifully balanced show, one whose occasional blemishes and imperfections only made it feel that much more momentous and memorable.
Saturday’s weekend capper figures to bring plenty of fan favorites to the fore. For those who haven’t yet trekked out to Sin City to see the spectacle that is Dead Forever, next weekend will mark the last opportunity to do so—at least during this run. That final set of shows is shaping up to be especially emotional, with the Friday performance coinciding with the 29th commemoration of Jerry’s untimely passing.
Dead & Company – “Estimated Prophet” – 8/2/24
[/expanding]Setlist: Dead & Company | Sphere | Las Vegas, NV | 8/2/24Set 1: Good Times (Sam Cooke), The Music Never Stopped, Bertha, Tennessee Jed, They Love Each Other (Jerry Garcia), New Speedway Boogie, Deal (Jerry Garcia)
Set 2: Dark Star, Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World > St. Stephen > Drums > Space > Stella Blue, Brokedown Palace, Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby “Blue” Bland)
Did you successfully call that “Stella Blue” coming out of “Drums” -> “Space” last night?
Guessing the set list comes with bragging rights, but that’ll be an impossible game to win at Golden Road Festival 2024. The One More Saturday Night Mega-Jam will bring together legendary artists including Oteil Burbridge, Jason Crosby, Mihali, John Kadlecik, Quinn Sullivan, Nikki Glaspie, Lamar Williams Jr., Alan Paul, Junior Mack, Andy Aledort, John Morgan Kimmock, David Gans, Dave Ellis, Jill Simmons, and guests for an intimate late-night party. Come the rockin’ stroke of midnight, the whole place is gonna fly! Expect the unexpected this November 8th, 9th, and 10th at Wonder Valley Ranch Resort. Learn more here.
[Video: Steve_Avers]
Setlist: Dead & Company | Sphere | Las Vegas, NV | 8/2/24
Set 1: Good Times (Sam Cooke), The Music Never Stopped, Bertha, Tennessee Jed, They Love Each Other (Jerry Garcia), New Speedway Boogie, Deal (Jerry Garcia)
Set 2: Dark Star, Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World > St. Stephen > Drums > Space > Stella Blue, Brokedown Palace, Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby “Blue” Bland)
Did you successfully call that “Stella Blue” coming out of “Drums” -> “Space” last night?
Guessing the set list comes with bragging rights, but that’ll be an impossible game to win at Golden Road Festival 2024. The One More Saturday Night Mega-Jam will bring together legendary artists including Oteil Burbridge, Jason Crosby, Mihali, John Kadlecik, Quinn Sullivan, Nikki Glaspie, Lamar Williams Jr., Alan Paul, Junior Mack, Andy Aledort, John Morgan Kimmock, David Gans, Dave Ellis, Jill Simmons, and guests for an intimate late-night party. Come the rockin’ stroke of midnight, the whole place is gonna fly! Expect the unexpected this November 8th, 9th, and 10th at Wonder Valley Ranch Resort. Learn more here.
The post John Mayer Leads Dead & Company Through Expeditious Friday Show At Sphere Despite Injured Finger [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
