On Thursday night in Las Vegas, Dead & Company welcomed a new weekend at Sphere with a set that was part jam session, part daydream, and all Dead. [Note: Find tickets to upcoming Dead & Company Sphere shows here.]
The April 24 Dead & Company Sphere show offered plenty of jaw-dropping spectacle as the band found (and kept) the groove. With a setlist that balanced big hitters, bluesy turns, and playful detours, the sextet of Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, and Jay Lane delivered a solid ride through space, memory, and Deadhead imagination.
For the heads who’ve been following this Dead Forever residency closely, Thursday night reaffirmed a growing trend: the Thursday shows are where things breathe—less frantic than the big Saturday blowouts, but never mailed in. If anything, this one felt a little looser, a little goofier, and at times, surprisingly heartfelt.
The night kicked off with “I Need a Miracle”, Bob Weir stepping to the mic beneath the digital roof of a giant rocket hangar. A clean, spirited opener, the song built slowly as Sphere’s screen warmed up for a wild ride.
Sphere launched from Haight-Ashbury into deep space alongside the joyful tune of “Franklin’s Tower”, which notably arrived without its longtime live preamble (“Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!”). Paint-by-numbers landscapes filled with rainbows, terrapins, and dancing bears whirled by while Mayer led vocals and let his Stratocaster do the rest. The jam didn’t sprawl, but it swung with purpose, carried along by Chimenti’s steady keys.
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“Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” shifted gears with a gorgeous, stop-motion-style, circus-of-life visual and a relaxed vocal from Weir, who kept the pace easy and unhurried.
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The transition into “I Know You Rider” was seamless, as Sphere jumped into full animation mode. Undead Uncle Sam rode through a pastel dreamscape while the band hit familiar grooves. John and Jeff turned the jam into a breezy back-and-forth—not flashy, just fun, and maybe the first moment where the band seemed to really cut loose.
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Next, “Feel Like a Stranger” kept the crowd swaying as Sphere reconstructed the Wall of Sound before converting it into a rainbow road orbiting Saturn. It was a wildly entertaining visual for a song that already comes built with bounce. Mayer and Chimenti again shared the spotlight here, even tossing in a few goofy glances as their solos danced around one another.
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Dead & Company closed the first frame with a tight, energetic “Bertha” under virtual lasers and smoke. John led this one with a little extra rock ‘n’ roll flair, tearing into his solo with just enough attitude to lift the room.
Set two got started with “China Cat Sunflower” as Sphere filled with golden sunflower heads raining from outer space to form a domed ceiling. The energy here was light and punchy, and Bob’s vocals hit nicely above the groove.
Related: Grateful Dead To Release 60th-Anniversary Greatest Hits Album, ‘Gratest Hits’
Then came “Loser”, and the show took a welcome turn into the weird. The visuals—part National Geographic, part acid trip—drifted into a chrome skull-and-roses centerpiece before launching into a red-and-blue-striped vortex. Bob sang it slow and steady, and John’s bluesy solo hit just right, matched by Jeff’s artful keyboard work. The two seemed locked into some private conversation, and the crowd was happy to eavesdrop.
“Truckin’” teased “The Other One” just enough to make you lean in close, then backed off. Bob kept the vocals gritty and Jeff went full mad scientist, commanding the keys like he was trying to pilot Sphere itself.
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The tease ultimately gave way to a full-blown “The Other One” during which Jeff busted out the Moog and let it chirp and squawk over kaleidoscopic lava lamp visuals. The jam stretched out nicely—loose, but controlled—and eventually dropped into a satisfying “St. Stephen”. Mayer teased The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” mid-solo before a brief return to “The Other One”, making the whole sequence feel like a playful, three-way nod to past and present.
Then came the inevitable (and beloved): “Drums > Space”. Mickey, Jay, and Oteil broke out of the stained-glass dome above and into full percussive thunder. Skeletons banged mushroom caps, and Mickey’s worldwide drum collection turned into a spinning laser cage. The haptics here were no joke; these rhythms were strong enough to tingle the spine.
During “Space”, Mickey returned to his celestial harp, the Beam, drawing constellations with each gesture as Sphere lit up with a lullaby of stars.
The rest of the band returned to the stage for the Reverend Gary Davis classic “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”. The visuals stripped back to a simple blue background behind a live feed of the band. Bob’s vocals were raw but sincere, and John dropped a smokey blues solo that landed like a closing argument while Jeff filled in the edges with elegant restraint. It was quiet, moving, and just the right amount of serious.
“Brown-Eyed Women” brought the light back, complete with flying neon posters and a tunnel filled with images of Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia tucked at the ends. John carried the vocals and Jeff, once again, went to town on keys.
The set closed with “Black Muddy River” as the band returning to Earth—both metaphorically and visually—as Sphere’s domed ceiling displayed a landing back in 1965 Haight-Ashbury. It was a calm landing after a set that covered a lot of ground.
Then, the encore: “Sugar Magnolia”. Bob gave it all he had as Sphere cycled through six decades of Dead history in a heartfelt photo montage. The crowd clapped along, swaying and smiling. A perfect Thursday capstone.
This wasn’t the wildest show of the run. There were no surprise guests or mind-melting detours. But Dead & Company found something special: a pocket of comfort and connection, equal parts celebration and reflection. Bob was steady, John stayed loose, and Jeff—well, he was the dark horse MVP candidate. Again.
The visuals were sharp but never distracting, the jams were tight but unhurried, and the band left room to breathe. For a Thursday night in Las Vegas, that’s more than enough. So, never miss a Thursday Sphere show, I suppose. Especially one that grooves like this.
Dead & Company return to Sphere on Friday and Saturday to round out the fourth weekend of Dead Forever 2025. Tickets for the remaining dates are available here.
Setlist: Dead & Company | Sphere | Las Vegas, NV | 4/24/25
Set One: I Need a Miracle, Franklin’s Tower, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, I Know You Rider > Feel Like a Stranger, Bertha
Set Two: China Cat Sunflower > Loser, Truckin’ > The Other One, St. Stephen [1], Drums > Space > Death Don’t Have No Mercy (Reverend Gary Davis), Brown-Eyed Women, Black Muddy River
Encore: Sugar Magnolia
Notes: [1] with Day Tripper (The Beatles) tease, The Other One tease.