Photo Credit: Chloe Weir

On Saturday, June 8, Dead & Company returned to Las Vegas’ state-of-the-art Sphere location to close out their fourth residency weekend. After dotting their venue-specific repertoire with special moments, sit-ins, song additions to the setlist rotation, complementary visuals, and tributes during previous weeks, the band was prepared to encapsulate the essence of their kaleidoscope stroll down memory lane during last night’s concert. Rearranging the song presentation, typical second-set plays arrived during the initial set and a first-time play for this location, on “West LA Fadeaway.”

Favored riffs and the onset of lyrics: “Well, I married me a wife, she’s been trouble all my life” served as the opening to Saturday’s stand. From “Cold Rain and Snow,” the band ditched the weather and beguiled feelings in favor of Wake of the Flood originator “Mississippi Half Step,” leading into the latest song addition to Dead & Company’s Las Vegas rotation, “West LA Fadeaway” which also served as a bust out, last played on July 12, 2022 at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pa. Following “They Love Each Other” and “Jack Straw,” the band went with a rare first set, “One More Saturday Night,” a typical show closer on this day of the week.

Continuing to play with placement, the typical set one opener, “Good Times,” served as the first song of the latter frame. The Sam Cooke cover gave way to “Sugar Magnolia” and “Althea” before entering the depths of “Terrapin Station,” which merged into Mickey Hart-led second set instrumental interlude, “Drums” and “Space.” The rhythmic display birthed “Standing on the Moon,” equipped with complimentary cosmic visuals. Switching the tempo, the band lifted the mood with “Good Lovin’” before an ode to Sin City on “Deal.” 

Dead & Company closed their second set after Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which, as is typical for the residency format, gave way to an old news broadcast of the Grateful Dead (not unlike John Mayer’s move on his Solo arena tour). Taking the final slot before closing the box of the first four weeks of residency concerts at the Sphere, the band reminded fans they are here to stay–a nod to its enduring legacy with “Not Fade Away.”

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist. 

Dead & Company 

Sphere – Las Vegas 

June 8, 2024 

Set I: Cold Rain and Snow, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Bertha, West LA Fadeaway+, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, One More Saturday Night 

Set II: Good Times, Sugar Magnolia, Althea, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Standing on the Moon, Good Lovin’, Deal, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door 

Enc.: Not Fade Away 

Notes:

+ First time at Sphere venue 

Setlist via Setlist.FM.