Photo Credit: Katie Friesema

Last night, Dead & Company continued their summer tour in Maryland Heights, Mo., performing at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on the outskirts of St. Louis. The ensemble played two sets of music that touched upon a wide range of the Grateful Dead repertoire, including a bust out of “Box of Rain,” last performed on July 5, 2019, at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. 

With the thermometer verging on triple digits, the six-piece took the stage at the vast outdoor venue and laid down a fitting “The Music Never Stopped” opener, emphasizing the sweltering heat on the first official day of summer. Next, the group worked into an upbeat “Alabama Getaway” ahead of a Bob Weir-led “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.”

Sticking with a geographical theme, they landed on “Jack Straw” before working their way into a weather-oriented realm on “Easy Wind,” followed by “Black-Throated Wind.” For the final song of the first set, Dead & Company performed a jammed-infused take on the Jerry Garcia-penned “Bird Song,” with Mayer and Weir trading off lyrics. 

The second set got underway with a bust out of the Robert Hunter and Phil Lesh written “Box of Rain,” last performed in 2019. Watch the pro-shot video of the performance below. “Scarlet Begonias” came next before the band segued “Playing in the Band,” which was played in an illustrious jam alongside “Uncle John’s Band.” Following a reprise of “Playing in the Band,” the unit returned with “Fire on the Mountain,” with Oteil Burbridge leading the Shakedown Street epic. 

The Hunter and Mickey Hart penned “Fire on the Mountain” bled into the “Drums” segment, with Burbridge and Hart taking the lead on the improvised arrangement. Kreutzmann eventually joined in, pounding on his instruments until “Drums” faded into “Space.” Once in “Space,” Hart took to the Beam, and Burbridge offered his bass during a psychedelic deep dive made for the live stage. 

As “Space” dwindled, the remainder of the band took the stage and started on a “Spanish Jam,” an instrumental arrangement that appeared on Miles Davis’ Sketches Of Spain in 1960. Dead & Company segued in “Hell in a Bucket” next, ahead of the Workingman’s Dead classic, “Black Peter.” For the final song of the second set, the ensemble landed on “U.S. Blues.” Then, after a brief break from the stage, they returned to deliver their encore, a taste of American Beauty on “Ripple.” 

Following last night’s fun in Maryland Heights, Mo., the band will pop up at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati tonight as they continue trucking through summer tour. 

For those interested in watching tonight’s concert, livestream purchase options are available via nugs.net. 

Watch Dead & Company dust off “Box of Rain” below. 

Dead & Company

Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Maryland Heights, Mo. 

June 21, 2022 

Set I: The Music Never Stopped, Alabama Getaway, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Jack Straw, Easy Wind, Black-Throated Wind, Bird Song 

Set II: Box of Rain*, Scarlet Begonias > Playing in the Band > Uncle John’s Band > Playing In The Band > Fire on the Mountain > Drums > Space > Spanish Jam > Hell in a Bucket, Black Peter, U.S. Blues

Enc.: Ripple 

Note: Last played on July 5, 2019 at Folsom Field