This past weekend, Dead & Company continued their final tour in Chicago. The Windy City performances occurred on Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10, at Wrigley Field. The band’s initial stadium appearances brought a stunning second-set start to “The Other One,” which was returned to during their final stand the following night. Also Saturday saw the ensemble deliver a tour debut of “Smokestack Lightning,” last performed on June 17, 2022, at Boulder, Colo.’s Folsom Field. 

The group, comprised of Bobby Weir, Mickey Hart, Oteil Burbridge, John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane, worked their way into “Playing in the Band” to start their Chicago stand. The band added instrumental elements as they noodled into the Ace favorite with the recognizable rhythm, which enticed the audience and brought them to their feet. “Playing in the Band” merged into “Deal” and eventually “Tennessee Jed.” After boasting a trio of dance-provoking tunes, the group calmed things down by adding a Mayer-led “It Hurts Me Too.” 

The six musicians landed on “Ramble on Rose” before an ensuing take on “Brown Eyed Women.” The first set presented an elaborate display of “Crazy Fingers,” with Weir crooning the Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter composed number. The aforementioned tune segued into “Dancing in the Streets,” which catapulted the band into a set break. Upon their return, the second frame opened with “Sugaree” before the players landed on “Estimated Prophet.”

From the imaginative conjuring of Weir’s 1977 lyrical construction of “Estimated Prophet,” Dead & Company followed up with an unfinished “The Other One,” which merged into the favored pairing of “Lady With A Fan” and “Terrapin.” The Hart-led “Drums” and “Space” pairing emerged from the cosmic depths of Hunter’s creation and eventually ran into “Stella Blue.” 

“Sugar Magnolia” unfolded before “Scarlet Begonia” and a set ending “Sunshine Daydream” For Friday night’s encore, the band performed “U.S. Blues.” Continuing their time in Chicago, Dead & Company retook the stage the next night, picking up “Truckin’” before a “Smokestack Lightning” tour debut, which ran over into “Althea.” The band added “Mississippi Half Step” to the set before Burbridge took the lead on “High Times.” From the emotional depths of the aforementioned number emerged “All Along the Watchtower,” paired with “Bertha.” Then, they capped the first frame of Saturday night with “Good Lovin.” 

With some time to breathe and regain their energy, the troop returned to the stage for the final frame of their Chicago stand, which kicked off with “Help on the Way” into “Slipknot!” Mayer led “Franklin’s Tower,” which bled into “St. Stephen” and eventually “Drums” and “Space.” Hart’s rhythmic experience birthed “Uncle John’s Band” and “Cumberland Blues.”  Then, the band picked up the remainder of “The Other One,” which had been left unfinished on night one. “Morning Dew” marked the end of the main frame. For their encore, Dead & Company ran through “Brokedown Palace” followed by a “Playing in the Band” reprise, which kicked off their first night of music in Chicago. Then, for their finale, they picked up a fitting rendition of “One More Saturday Night,” nodding toward the day of the week with the fan-favorite.

After this weekend’s gigs, Dead & Co will return to the stage tomorrow, June 13, for a sold-out stop at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Scroll down to view the setlists from Friday and Saturday nights. 

Dead & Company 

Wrigley Field – Chicago 

June 9, 2023

Set I: Playing in the Band > Deal > Tennessee Jed, It Hurts Me Too, Ramble on Rose, Brown Eyed Women, Crazy Fingers > Dancing in the Street

Set II: Sugaree, Estimated Prophet > The Other One (V. 1) > Lady With A Fan > Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia > Scarlet Begonias > Sunshine Daydream 

Enc.: U.S. Blues 

Dead & Company 

Wrigley Field – Chicago 

June 10, 2023

Set I: Truckin’ > Smokestack Lightning > Althea, Mississippi Half Step, High Time > All Along The Watchtower > Bertha > Good Lovin’ 

Set II: Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower > St. Stephen > Drums > Space > Uncle John’s Band > Cumberland Blues > The Other One (V. 2) > Morning Dew
Enc.: Brokedown Palace, Playing in the Band (Reprise) > One More Saturday Night