Dead & Company got the good times rolling once again on Monday night with a performance at Charlotte, NC’s PNC Music Pavilion to kick off the Grateful Dead offshoot’s 2021 fall tour.

The band strode onstage for the first time since September 18th at Wrigley Field and let the “Good Times” roll on the Sam Cooke cover that’s become a setlist staple this year. Bob Weir/John Perry Barlow favorite “Cassidy” followed, allowing the band to wind through some dissonant improv before gliding into the southern swagger of “Tennessee Jed”, a nimble-fingered Jeff Chimenti providing tasteful accents on the piano.

Dead & Company – “Let The Good Times Roll” (Sam Cooke), “Cassidy” [Pro-Shot] – 10/11/21

Next up came the first 2021 rendition of Robert Hunter favorite “It Must’ve Been the Roses”, sung with delicate emotion by John Mayer as Oteil Burbridge, Weir, and Chimenti provided vocal harmonies.

Dead & Company – “It Must Have Been The Roses” (Robert Hunter) – 10/11/21

[Video: The Zalewski Law Firm]

A quick blast of blues energy followed with a Mayer-sung “Mr. Charlie” before the band capped set one with a two-song, thirty minute flight through “Looks Like Rain” and “Bird Song”, a beautiful segment well worth revisiting for any fan.

The band returned for the second set with a tried-and-true favorite, “Scarlet Begonias”, but rather than taking it into its faithful companion, “Fire On The Mountain”, the band opted instead for a detour through “Uncle John’s Band”. After finally climbing back to “Fire On the Mountain”, the band dove into a powerful rendering of “Terrapin Station” that eventually rumbled into Drums/Space for Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann‘s nightly workout.

Dead & Company – “Scarlet Begonias” [Pro-Shot] – 10/11/21

Rather than spilling into a tender ballad, Dead & Company emerged from “Space” in the shadows with a brooding “New Speedway Boogie”. After ten minutes of grooving on the Workingman’s Dead classic, the darkness gave way to “Black Peter”, which proved to be an unlikely launchpad for some howling moments of catharsis. Capitalizing on that energy, the band dove into a steadily hastening “Casey Jones” to bring the high-energy set to a close.

Dead & Company – “Black Peter” – 10/11/21

[Video: Zachary Godfrey]

Returning for their first encore of the fall tour, Weir, Mayer, Hart, Kreutzmann, Burbridge, and Chimenti offered up a heartfelt rendition of “Ripple”.

Following a memorable summer tour and a delayed start to the fall leg, Dead & Company is back and ready to make more memories with Deadheads everywhere. Next up is a show in Atlanta tonight, Tuesday, October 12th. Find a full list of upcoming Dead & Company 2021 tour dates here.

Setlist: Dead & Company | PNC Music Pavilion | Charlotte, NC | 10/12/21

Set One: Let The Good Times Roll (Sam Cooke), Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Must’ve Been The Roses, Mr. Charlie, Looks Like Rain, Bird Song

Set Two: Scarlet Begonias > Uncle John’s Band > Fire On The Mountain, Lady With A Fan, Terrapin Station, Drums/Space > New Speedway Boogie > Black Peter, Casey Jones

Encore: Ripple

Stream a full audio recording of the show via Nugs.net.