The Grateful Dead inspired collective known as Dead & Company made their debut at Citi Field on Saturday, and returned to the stadium venue once more to give New York fans some straight up jams! As the saying goes, never miss a Sunday show, as the band was on point throughout a powerful performance.
The band once again welcomed Donna Jean Godchaux into the fold, as her familiar vocals give Dead & Company an additional essence of credibility. Their sound harkens back to the mid-1970’s era Grateful Dead, thanks in large part to the guitar work of John Mayer. The band got rolling with a remarkable “St. Stephen” and never relented, jamming into favorites like “The Music Never Stopped,” “Bertha,” and the Bob Weir led “Black Throated Wind.” The band then broke out into “Peggy-O” for the first time in 2016, before playing their second-ever “Box Of Rain” and ending the set with “Goin Down The Road Feelin’ Bad.” Moments after a “Let Oteil Sing” shirt was shown on the display above the stage, the bassist obliged, taking vocals for a verse of “Down The Road,” only adding to the musical magic of the evening.
When a set opens with “Truckin’,” you know you’re in for a treat. That’s how the second set started, and brought more of the heat to Citi Field. “He’s Gone”, in all its simplistic beauty, was impressively showcased through Mayer’s soulful lead vocals, as well as the loose, grooving swell of the song’s outro “vocal jam.” A powerful “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower” kept things rocking into a pulsing “Drums/Space,” before a keyboard solo from Jeff Chimenti slid softly into Weir-sung ballad “Days Between.” Donna Jean then returned to bring the set home with “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider.” Finally, the band tore the whole building down with their second tour debut of the night, the biblical tale of “Samson and Delilah,” putting an exclamation point on a successful two-night run in the City.
Check out video highlights and a setlist below!
Bertha
Black Throated Wind
Box of Rain
Truckin’
Samson and Delilah
