Dead & Company rolled into the penultimate stop on their 2022 summer tour on Tuesday with a show at The Pavilion At Star Lake. The Grateful Dead offshoot’s first performance at the Burgettstown, PA venue since 2017 was highlighted by an encompassing second set “Dark Star”.
Bill Kreutzmann remained sidelined by a positive COVID-19 test for Tuesday’s show, tapping his understudy Jay Lane to fill in on drums as he has for much of the summer tour. Joined by Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti, Lane counted the band into the opening “The Music Never Stopped”. Dead & Company then threw it back to 1970 as Mayer helmed “Dire Wolf” off Workingman’s Dead and Weir retorted with “Friend of the Devil” from American Beauty, both released that year.
The band executed its third-ever take on “Foolish Heart”, the Built To Last gem first debuted back on June 18th at Dead & Company’s second of two shows in Boulder, CO. That concert at Folsom Field also marked Kreutzmann’s last full performance of the tour thus far.
The back-and-forth between Bobby and JonBo continued as the pop star offered a slightly more optimistic love song with “They Love Each Other”. Out of the lovestruck bounce of the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter composition, Dead & Company switched gears for the seedy underbelly anthem “West L.A. Fadeaway”. The In The Dark cut then paved the way for a set-closing pairing of “Lost Sailor” and “Saint of Circumstance”.
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Returning for the second frame, Mayer belted out Noah Lewis‘ “Big Railroad Blues” ahead of the improvisational centerpiece of set two, “Dark Star”. The selection of the Dead’s open-ended opus—the fourth of the tour—arrived the same day that NASA shared the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. The band’s groupmind traveled to comparably far reaches of deep space before Weir—armed with acoustic guitar—brought the jam in for a close encounter with Marty Robbins‘ “El Paso”.
The vintage pairing led to the meat of the second set with a transition into “He’s Gone”. The reliable Dead & Company improvisational vehicle served as a launchpad for the fan-favorite “Eyes Of The World”, with Weir disrobing his acoustic in favor of a Stratocaster as Burbridge provided the bedrock of the jam. After Mayer and Chimenti connected on the jazz-infused breakdown and following a final refrain, Weir, Mayer, Burbridge, and Chimenti faded out as Lane and Hart took over for “Drums”.
The traditional rhythmic breakdown saw Hart droning on the Beam before the rest of the group subbed in for “Space”. Keeping the intergalactic possibilities open, Dead & Company returned to the second verse of “Dark Star” to chart one more journey of sonic exploration. Returning to a tangible form, Weir led the band through his ’80s rocker “Hell in a Bucket” ahead of the first rendition of The Beatles‘ “Dear Prudence” all tour. Without taking rest, Dead & Company segued into the patriotic banner “U.S. Blues” to close the second set. Taking the Pavilion at Star Lake stage once more, acoustic-clad Weir and Mayer took the band through “Ripple” to close the show.
Check out fan-shot videos from Dead & Company in Burgettstown on Tuesday courtesy of The Zalewski Law Firm. The band’s tour wraps this weekend with shows at Citi Field in New York City on Friday and Saturday.
Setlist: Dead & Company | The Pavilion At Star Lake | Burgettstown, PA | 7/12/22
Set One: The Music Never Stopped, Dire Wolf, Friend of the Devil, Foolish Heart, They Love Each Other, West L.A. Fadeaway, Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance
Set Two: Big Railroad Blues (Noah Lewis), Dark Star > El Paso (Marty Robbins) > He’s Gone > Eyes of the World > Drums > Space > Dark Star > Hell in a Bucket > Dear Prudence (The Beatles) > U.S. Blues
Encore: Ripple
Note: With Jay Lane on drums in place of Bill Kreutzmann.