Photo Credit: Dino Perrucci

In continuation of their final tour, Dead & Company turned up at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pa., approximately 25 miles outside Pittsburgh. Last night’s concert occurred after the musicians–Bobby Weir, Mickey Hart, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane–closed out the Southern leg of their final tour on Saturday night in Bristow, Va. After some rest, Monday evening saw a return to the stage and a stacked setlist brimming with favored material from across the Grateful Dead’s expansive catalog of live and recorded music.

Monday night’s concert began with “Hell in a Bucket,” led by Weir. From the night’s wailing starting point, the band cascaded into the second number, “Alabama Getaway,” followed by “Jackstraw,” a tune inviting most concertgoers to their feet. From a trio of high-flying fan favorites, the group tapped into their bluesy side with the arrival of “Big Boss Man,” helmed by Mayer. The first set brought forth “Bertha” next, which ran into “Cassidy.” The Ace favorite unleashed a massive jam, which served as a high point of the night’s first half before closing on Henry Thomas’ “Don’t Ease Me In.” 

After the set break, the group returned to the stage and eagerly cut into the Cannon’s Jug Stompers’ original “Viola Lee Blues,” which merged into a collaborative delivery of “Truckin’.” From some of the evening’s lighter moments emerged a heartfelt and emotionally-channeled “China Doll,” led by Burbridge, who accentuated the feeling of the lyrics and imparted them to the audience. The tempo shifted with the arrival of the “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” pairing, which twisted into Hart’s “Drums” and “Space” sequence. 

Prior to last night’s show, Hart alluded to the thematic decisions for the rhythm section’s display, writing on Instagram: “A unique Drums & Space inspired by the history of underwater diving. Did you know that Navy Divers have a relationship to Pittsburgh? Almost a year to the date back in 1945, the USS Pittsburgh was caught in Typhoon Viper. Her starboard scout plane was lifted off its catapult and dashed onto the deck by the wind. Speaking of lifting off, in a few hours we’ll catapult ourselves to a new dimension inspired by the mysteries of the deep.”

After evoking the historical elements through masterful sound and inputting them into the second set staple, the remainder of the band returned to the stage. Collectively, they slowly worked out of the cosmic depths of Hart’s creation, arriving on “Althea” before “Standing on the Moon.” For the final number of the second frame, the group gave a fitting delivery of “Not Fade Away.” Applause brought them back for their encore, a cover of “The Weight.” The night’s final moments represented a high, as Weir, Mayer, Chimenti and Bubridge each took a moment to embody The Band’s favored lyrics. 

Following last night’s concert, Dead & Company will take tonight off the road before arriving at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in St. Louis on Wednesday, June 7. For those unable to attend shows in person, watch every night of Dead & Company’s final tour on nugs.net. Stream the shows live or on-demand with 48-hour replay. 

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist. 

Dead & Company

The Pavilion at Star Lake – Burgettstown, Pa. 

June 5, 2023 

Set I: Hell in a Bucket, Alabama Getaway, Jack Straw, Big Boss Man, Peggy-O, Bertha > Cassidy > Don’t Ease Me In  

Set II: Viola Lee Blues > Truckin’ > China Doll, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider > Drums > Space > Althea > Standing on the Moon, Not Fade Away

Enc.: The Weight