Eager to hop back on the road following a more than successful tour throughout the summer, Dead & Company did just that, creating a limited engagement run on the east coast. With only six dates billed from the start, it was clear that guitarist Bob Weir and the rest of the band were simply missing the road and their impromptu jam sessions that occur at every show.
Kicking off the quick tour with two nights at Madison Square Garden, Bob Weir, John Mayer (guitar & vocals), Bill Kreutzmann (drums), Mickey Hart (drums), Oteil Burbridge (bass & vocals) and Jeff Chimenti (keyboards & vocals) made their way through New York for two more dates before hopping on a flight to Virginia for their final two shows of the fall trek.
Wrapping the show on November 9 at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia, Dead & Company produced a night to remember to finalize the end of the run. From a killer production and flawless setlist to unpredictable musicianship and their improvised instrumental battles, the Grateful Dead revival legends were sure to leave everything out on the stage.
Splitting the show into two separate sets, Dead & Company opened the night with a number of Grateful Dead hits amongst a few covers, setting a more loose and casual tone as the basis of the first act. To start, the band touched on a number of classic Dead tracks like “Truckin’,” “He’s Gone,” “Tennessee Jed” and “Friend of the Devil,” which featured an interesting accompaniment by Weir on acoustic guitar.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Dead & Company show without a few one-off hits and covers along the way. Led by the Blues icon himself, Mayer provided his unmatched guitar riffs and classic vocals on “Big Railroad Blues” before Weir stole center stage once again for simpler renditions of Jerry Gracia’s “Bird Song” and Weir’s own “One More Saturday Night.” Coupled with intricate lighting projections around the stage and arena, the first set made a lasting impact that would carry over into the rest of the night.
With a bit more energy looming on stage, Dead & Company opened the second set with an eleven-minute rendition of Weir’s “Playing in the Band” before reeling it back in for a Mayer led “Franklin’s Tower” and “Fire on the Mountain,” which had typically been sung by Burbridge prior to the Hampton show.
In between the Mayer leadership, Weir took over on the undeniable hit “Scarlet Begonias,” which saw a large crowd reaction to the fan-favorite. Switching up the instrumental, Burbridge put down his bass as he made his way to the drum kit for a killer version of “Drums.” As the beats slowed, the guys headed into a typical performance of the Dead’s “Space” which led straight into a cover of Miles Davis’ “Milestones” for only the third time in the history of Dead & Company.
Falling back into a more jazz inspired approach, Dead & Company continued the second act with a Mayer led “Uncle John’s Band” which featured an improvised reprise of “Playing in the Band” that ultimately turned into an instrumental jam session amongst the band. Stepping back to the mic to end off the set, Weir guided the band through extended versions of “Black Peter” and “Sugar Magnolia” which showed off Weir’s vocal range as he threw in a few screams to please the crowd.
Returning to stage for a one-song encore, Dead & Company ended the show, and ultimately their fall run, with an acoustic performance of “Ripple," bookending the tour the same way they started.
See the complete setlist from Hampton Coliseum here!
While Dead & Company’s fall run has come to an end, they have a few dates lined up at the end of the year and the start of 2020. To see those dates and check out ticketing information, visit Dead & Company’s official website!
