Dead & Company made their way to Folsom Field in Boulder, CO last night, playing the first of two exciting July 4th weekend performances in the colorful state. The venue had not hosted live music since 2001, making these performances all the more special for local fans. What would Dead & Company do to honor the occasion?
The group brought some serious fire to the venue, opening up the show with a bouncing “Bertha” before jamming into the classic Dead cover, “Good Lovin’.” The band was smokin’ from the get go, and brought out jams like “Tennessee Jed” and “Cold Rain and Snow” to keep things moving. From there, Bob Weir took a moment to honor his lost friend, Rob Wasserman, who passed away earlier in the week. Wasserman was a member of Weir’s band Ratdog, and the Dead & Company band decided to debut Ratdog’s “Even So” in his honor. It was a touching moment.
The set finished up with “Uncle John’s Band” and “One More Saturday Night,” as the classic Grateful Dead numbers filled the air of the Colorado venue. The band then opened the second set with a great song pairing: “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain.” They were locked in and firing high, bringing out “Saint of Circumstance” before going into “Terrapin Station.” Dead & Company really showed off their improvisational prowess through the run of songs, and kept things going with a sick “Drums/Space.” “Stella Blue” brought the band back to Earth, and “Throwing Stones” and “Not Fade Away” closed out a wonderful second set.
Finally, the encore brought one of Dead & Company’s newer songs, as John Mayer handled vocals on “Black Muddy River.” Check out videos and the full setlist below!
Bertha/Good Lovin’
One More Saturday Night
Scarlet Begonias/Fire On The Mountain
Throwin’ Stones
Black Muddy River
Full Audio (via taper Jeff Frank)
The setlist can be seen below!