Photo Credit: Chloe Weir

For Deadheads, August 1 is much more than the start of a new month and the continuation of summer. In the wake of Jerry Garcia’s passing (August 9), the date has provided fans with an annual occasion to celebrate, come together, and remember one of music’s most influential players. Such was the case last night at Las Vegas’ Sphere, where after a two-week break in residency performances, Dead & Company returned to the unmatched venue, using the concert to celebrate the late Grateful Dead figurehead with customized moments intended to spark memories.

Out the gate, it was clear the band had intentions for the night beyond the regulatory experience as whispers spread and rumors rose, eliciting a scheme of what could be as the evening progressed. Yet, rather than lay out their cards, Dead & Company kept it close to the chest and caught the audience up with the political happenings of the last two weeks with a spirited rendition of “Man, Smart Woman Smarter.” Next, the opening chords of “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” seamlessly paired with the slow reveal of the Dead’s Haight Ashbury home, slowly ascending to the heavens and, inevitably, the cosmos. 

The night’s high point was, hands down, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” With eyes shut, the instrumental start could have tricked the mind into believing Garcia’s voice would cascade the Marvin Gaye classic. Yet, at his best, Mayer took on primary duties and captured riffs that seemed to emulate the celebrant. From the emotional depths of the previous play, a lighter “Jack Straw” was paired with paint-by-number imagery, and at the corner of the screen, an animated Garcia beside a Terrapin turtle. 

“Me and My Uncle” was complemented by a skull-crusted screen with a live video at the center, revealed only after Pendleton blanket-inspired curtains parted. The location switched again, taking the audience to Egypt during “Ramble On Rose.” Prior to the start of their follow-up, John Mayer broke into dance. For fans of the live act and familiar with Mayer’s taste, this tipped off what was to come, or at the very least, narrowed down the options. “Althea” produced one of the best visual displays of the night; inky jets of color bled across the screen, at times conjuring a recognizable brief yet distinct bloom of Garica’s smiling face. 

During the set break, the tribute continued. With Garcia’s quote, sprawling the screen: 

What we’re thinking about is a peaceful planet. 

We’re not thinking about anything else.

We’re not thinking about any kind of power. 

We’re not thinking about any kind of struggles. 

We’re not thinking about revolution or war or any of that. 

That’s not what we want. 

Nobody wants to get hurt. 

Nobody wants to hurt anybody.

We would all like to be able to live an uncluttered life. 

A simple life, a good life.

And think about moving the whole human race ahead a step.

Or a few steps.

“Franklin’s Tower” started the night’s latter portion. “China Cat Sunflower” had a slight twang to its start, percolating a tone akin to “Viola Lee Blues.” At times, it was unclear if the band would extend into “I Know You Rider,” taking the listener on an instrumental journey that quivered with tradition and collision of the sequenced pairing. “Playing in the Band” started in a standard fashion, eventually twisting and turning into one of the night’s most significant jams. At times, it took on a darker, moody tone, emanating the emotions associated with the holiday, yet crashing to reveal the full force of band vigor and return to iconic licks. 

The to-be-expected second set instrumental interludes, “Drums” and “Space,” conjured a sense of generational connectedness, with the trio of Hart, Jay Lane, and Oteil Burbridge working as a team during the former. With just Hart on stage, Weir joined his longtime bandmate. As a duo, the pair performed “Lazy River Road.” The intensity of the stripped-down rendition was the night’s undoubted scorcher, due in part to obvious emotions felt by Weir and captured on the larger-than-life screens–a flicker of knowing light in his eye. 

The remaining band members retook the stage and resumed their performance of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” before clearly nodding to the tone of the night with “He’s Gone.” A spotless “Truckin’” ensued just before the night’s secondary emotional pull, with “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” For the final song, following a reel of old news clips, Dead & Company spoke to their audience, reminding them: “I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be,” for a final “Not Fade Away” to close the night. 

Elsewhere across the country, other bands and musicians paid tribute to Garcia, performing songs plucked from the artist’s archive, from Phish’s Mike Gordon, who sat in during a birthday celebration put on by Jake’s Leg at Broadway Oyster Bar in St. Louis, adding to “Shakedown Street” and “Bird Song.” Vampire Weekend also kept the spirit alive, nodding to the date with Jerry Garcia Band standard “Ruben & Cherise,” which saw Chris Tomson pick up the guitar, like he has on recent covers from the Dead and Phish repertoire. 

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist. Dead & Co return to Sphere tonight in continuation of their second to last residency weekend at the Las Vegas venue. 

Dead & Company

Sphere – Las Vegas 

Aug. 1, 2024 

Set I: Man Smart, Woman Smarter, Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodeloo, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Jack Straw, Me and My Uncle, Ramble on Rose, Althea 

Set II: Franklin’s Tower, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Playing in the Band > Drums > Space > Lazy River Road+&, All Along the Watchtower > He’s Gone > Truckin’, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door 

Enc.: Not Fade Away

Notes:

+ Live debut 

& Just Bob Weir and Mickey Hart