Dead & Company recently wrapped up two nights at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The weekend run saw the six-piece Grateful Dead act deliver an exciting mix of tour debuts, acoustic songs, and surprise moments all around. Undeniably, this tour is on a triumphant stride as the combined efforts of Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzman, Mickey Hart, and veteran keyboardist Jeff Chimenti seamlessly integrate the new energy of John Mayer and Oteil Burbridge. The last few shows have been unanimous instances of just how alive the spirit of the Grateful Dead is, especially now with the vocal contributions of bassist Burbridge.
Burbridge, also a student of Col. Bruce Hampton‘s “no boundaries” approach, has broken into new territory, taking the lead vocals on “China Doll” at Shoreline and Folsom Field and “Fire On The Mountain” on Sunday at Fenway Park. It is more obvious than ever, that beyond these new responsibilities, Oteil Burbridge is having the time of his life with Dead & Company.
Rock An Official “Let Oteil Sing” T-Shirt, And All Proceeds Will Go To Charity
This whole experience with the Grateful Dead music has become a spiritual awakening for Burbridge, who previously played in the Allman Brothers Band. Perhaps one of Burbridge’s greatest game-changers was when he consumed Owsley LSD at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA on July 23rd. “I felt like an octopus with tentacles connecting to each person in the band—and each person on that vibe in the audience. And it was heavy,” Oteil told Alan Paul in a follow-up interview back in 2016.
So, Here’s Oteil Burbridge Playing A Sick “Eyes Of The World” Bass Solo On Acid
While Burbridge has notably loosened up this summer, Sunday night’s performance at Fenway Park stuck out as a particularly jubilant experience for Burbridge. Perhaps it was the spirit of two-night runs with Dead & Company, perhaps it was from having his family along on the road with him, or perhaps it was from Owsley LSD — the same LSD that influenced the Grateful Dead in their earliest days.
The reason we bring all this up is because some Internet hero combined multiple different moments from Sunday night’s performance that really let Oteil shine. Thanks to skriddler, you can relive the glory below:
Thanks to Sean Roche, you can watch Oteil sing “Fire On The Mountain” in the video below:
And in case you’re wondering what Oteil thinks of all this, check out his Instagram post below.