On Wednesday evening, Dead & Company continued their Fall run with a performance at Philips Arena in Atlanta GA. Gambling is a common thematic thread in the Grateful Dead‘s extensive catalogue, but on this night in Georgia, the latter-day Dead incarnation bet heavy on the nods to games of chance. In the end, the bet paid off, and the band turned in yet another top-notch performance.

The “game” began at a leisurely pace, as the band took the stage and eased into a meandering “tune-up” jam that hinted at the long, strange trip to come before cashing in their chips for “Truckin'” to start the show in earnest. A quick Bob Weir-led “Smokestack Lightning” slipped in smoothly from there.

Watch the opening “Truckin'” from Atlanta via the Dead & Company YouTube page:

Next up was reliable early-set energy boost “Feel Like A Stranger”, followed by a spirited John Mayer-led reading of “Dire Wolf” featuring a ferocious piano solo from Jeff Chimenti as they played cards with the song’s titular murderous monster. “Loser” followed, featuring Weir at the helm and a heated riff battle between Mayer and Chimenti to boot. Next, the band rode their inside straight through a heavily improvised show-highlight “Cassidy” > “Bird Song” before, finally, the “Deal” came ’round for some blistering in the set’s final “hand.”

The second set began in classic Grateful Dead fashion with “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower”, the “Slip” portion receiving the majority of the segment’s creative attention. Next, Oteil Burbridge got the call to deliver his now almost-nightly turn as lead vocalist, this time on Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter ballad “Comes A Time”, a song that’s become a heartstring-tugging favorite in Dead & Co’s repertoire since its debut last summer at Citi Field.

Watch pro-shot footage of the entire “Help” > “Slip” > “Franklin’s” set-opening segment below, via the band’s YouTube page:

The slinky “Viola Lee Blues” gave Mayer a chance to let loose, showering the thick groove with increasingly intense blues riffing. From there, it was time for Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart to do their thing on “Drums” > “Space” their nightly foray into the rhythmic ether that’s become increasingly interesting as this tour has gone on. “Wharf Rat” drifted in from there, and it’s breezy bob was matched by the steady charge of the “Throwing Stones” that followed. Finally, “U.S. Blues” closed the set as the “we’re all confused, what’s to lose” line echoed the show’s gamblin’ man theme–whether it was by design or merely coincidence. An earnest and emotional “Brokedown Palace” rounded out an excellent evening of Dead in ATL.

Listen to crowd audio from Dead & Company’s Atlanta show below via taper Dillon Fries:

Dead & Company’s tour continues tomorrow in Dallas, TX. For a full list of upcoming performances, head to the band’s website.

SETLIST: Dead & Company | Philips Arena | Atlanta, GA | 11/29/17

I: Truckin’, Smokestack Lightning > Feel Like A Stranger, Dire Wolf, Loser, Cassidy > Bird Song > Deal

II: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower > Comes A Time > Viola Lee Blues > Drums > Space > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > U.S. Blues

E: Brokedown Palace

Check out the full gallery below from photographer Emily Butler.