Photo Credit: Chloe Weir

Call it a pilgrimage: Hoards of tie-dye-clad hippies of all ages, accepting near inhumane heat for the sake of shared experiences steeped in Grateful Dead music. As much as the masses came for a concert, the exchanges, shared laughs, and commentary further enriched this past weekend’s Sphere experience. As if reading the room and assigning the ideal start based on said notion, Dead & Company struck a feel that carried through on night two opener, “Good Times,” performed on Friday, August 2, a line tosser between bandmates reverberated by the jubilant audience.

True to format, the band took their crowd to Haight Ashbury after the exposed interior of the venue faded: Projected gates parted in a perfect 13-point lightning bolt to reveal the original lineup’s old San Francisco stomping grounds as the “The Music Never Stopped” began, emulating into spacey territory as the venue mimicked lift off and entered the cosmos. Perhaps it was the tailwind coming off their July break; still, spirits were exceptionally high as Mayer danced between songs, harnessing added excitement to an ensuing “Bertha” and keeping it lifted through “Tennessee Jed.” 

A nod toward the JGB archive, the group positioned a crowd-appreciated “They Love Each Other,” which quickly took a top spot on night two. Mayer performed with valiant effort—eyes shut; one could slip into an improvisational trance. The group extended recognition to Sin City to close the frame with “Deal,” another Garcia and Robert Hunter original. Song lyrics and Garcia quotes stretched across the screen between sets, which seemed to take on a sunset-like effect: a fade of red, pink, and purple. 

Set two favored tender offerings: “Dark Star,” “Stella Blue,” and “Brokedown Palace,” a feeling that extended into night three, Saturday, Aug 3, with formal recognition of the time which spans Garcia’s birth and death, on “Days Between.” The latter held a sense not unlike that felt during Weir and Hart’s August 1  duo rendition of “Lazy River Road.” Perhaps an instance of reflection, Weir’s eyes seemed to glass over at times, showing a sparkle of light shining against the black and white filtered live shot. 

Beyond the sentiment of remembrance, Dead & Company’s Saturday stand was much lighter than nights prior, with glee present throughout the two-set performance, particularly shining on “Shakedown Street.” The aforementioned number showcased a top arrival of the weekend: Chimenti and Mayer taking part in a musical back-and-forth. At times, the keyboardist placed his hands on his hips as if to challenge the guitarist, who jubilantly responded in an exchange that lasted multiple minutes—a peak improvisation of the weekend. 

Carrying a feeling of fun, the crowd quickly picked up on the opening notes of “Uncle John’s Band” and accepted an ensuing tight take on “Mr. Charlie.” Given that the band does not play on Sundays during their Sphere residency, they used their nearest slot for “Samson and Delilah,” one of Weir’s strongest performances during the three days, mustering a certain sense of gospel with the biblically-infused lines. 

Pulling another from Garcia’s catalog, Mayer excelled on “Sugaree,” with particularly potent instrumental builds. All things considered [a banged-up finger], the artist’s musicianship on this particular song showed his commitment to the gig, the band, and it’s lionized catalog of music. On the other side of Saturday night’s set break, the crowd ignited with starter “Scarlet Begonias.” “Fire on the Mountain” gained momentum on the outro licks of its sister tune, sending the crowd to the heavens as they merged. Hart seized the opportunity, adding “rapped” lines that unleashed a firestorm of cheers in a rather rare delivery from the percussionist. 

“Terrapin Station” hit the tracks but never made it to the final destination, instead merging into “Drums” and “Space,” the most sensory-heavy experience of the band’s Sphere residency. Perhaps the highpoint of Friday and Saturday was the continued odes to Garcia, with Weir’s rendition of “Daze Between” serving as the centerpiece of the weekend’s continued tone of reminiscence, further amplified after Saturday’s set two “Morning Dew” closer, and encore “Ripple.”

Following this weekend’s second-to-last residency stretch at Sphere, Dead & Company will conclude their Sin City residency next week, beginning Thursday, Aug. 8. Tickets remain on sale.

Dead & Company 

Sphere — Las Vegas 

Aug. 2, 2024 

Set I: Good Times, The Music Never Stopped, Bertha, Tennesse Jed, They Love Each Other, New Speedway Boogie, Deal 

Set II: Dark Star, Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World > St. Stephen > Drums > Space > Stella Blue, Brokedown Palace 

Enc.: Turn On Your Love Light

Dead & Company 

Sphere — Las Vegas 

Aug. 3, 2024 

Set I: Cold Rain and Snow, Shakedown Street, Uncle John’s Band, Mr. Charlie, Samson and Delilah, Sugaree 

Set II: Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain+, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Days Between, Brown-Eyed Women, U.S. Blues, Morning Dew 

Enc.: Ripple 

Notes: 

+ Mickey Hart rap on FOTM