Dead & Company In Talks To Mount Sphere Residency In 2024, Per 'New York Post' Report

Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead offshoot fronted by Bob Weir and John Mayer, is in talks to play a residency and the recently opened Sphere in Las Vegas in the summer of 2024, per a report from the New York Post. According to the Post report, which cites “three sources close to the situation,” a potential Dead & Company residency at the $2.3 billion entertainment arena could take place “next summer.”

The Post was notably among the first outlets to indicate that Phish was in talks to mount a residency at Sphere. The Vermont-native jam quartet—long a fixture at Sphere boss James Dolan‘s “other” venue, New York’s Madison Square Garden—later confirmed a four-night run at the new venue set for April 2024. Dead & Company has a longstanding relationship with MSG, too: The band played its second-, third-, and sixth-ever shows at the New York arena in 2015 and returned for two-night stands in both 2017 and 2019.

The fact that Dead & Company’s lengthy 2023 stadium swing was widely touted as the band’s “Final Tour” wouldn’t necessarily negate the possibility of a Sphere residency. Members of the band individually hinted at their thoughts on Dead & Company’s future throughout the final tour.

Drummer Mickey Hart, for instance, said in a June 2023 recent interview, “Who knows what the next page is, we’re just turning the page. … It’s not final anything. We never said we’ll never play again, but we’ll never tour again.” Bassist Oteil Burbridge later commented when asked why the band was stopping, “Excellent question. And one that no one seems to have an answer for.”

John Mayer wrote in his post-tour reflections that “Dead & Company is still a band – we just don’t know what the next show will be.” He went on to say, “I speak for us all when I say that I look forward to being shown the next shaft of light… I know we will all move towards it together. This band changed my life, and I love you all for it. An incredible tour, an unforgettable ride, and a beautiful world of memories to visit. I’ll be seeing you….”

As a Post source notes in the new report, “What the band said was they were done touring. What a tour for them meant was 15 to 18 cities, four days a week,” a music source said, also arguing that a Sphere residency wouldn’t count as a tour. … They don’t consider that [a residency in one venue] a tour. It’s cutting a fine line, but that was the final tour.”

Still, it’s likely wise to take the report with a grain of salt. As the Post itself noted, “Sources cautioned that talks for a residency for Dead & Co. … are still in the works and not 100%.” The Post also incorrectly stated that the Dead & Company Final Tour went on for eight years (While the band toured for eight years, the Final Tour took place over the course of two months this past summer). Representatives for Sphere and Dead & Company both declined to comment as part of the Post report.

The purported finality of the band’s Final Tour is not the only question mark surrounding future Dead & Company engagements. It’s also unclear whether or not Bill Kreutzmann would be involved in a potential Sphere residency. The Grateful Dead drummer was a member of Dead & Company from its inception in 2015 through the spring of 2023. Jay Lane assumed Kreutzmann’s duties on drums following his departure while Kreutzmann has ramped up activities with his own Dead offshoot, Billy & The Kids.

Prior to the Jazz Fest gig, the band announced, “After many long discussions and some good old-fashioned soul searching, we are letting you know that our brother Bill Kreutzmann will not be joining us on our final summer tour.” While the statement only directly referenced the 2023 tour, leaving open the possibility of Bill’s return on future dates, it also cited “a shift in direction” as a reason for the split, seemingly indicating a permanence more steadfast than the 2023 tour’s billing.

In the time since U2 began its ongoing inaugural residency at Sphere, various outlets have reported that the venue has experienced difficulty booking future engagements due to the high cost of producing shows that utilize its unique technical features, including the sprawling video screens that cover its interior and exterior. The Post noted that acts like Beyoncé and Coldplay are also in talks regarding Sphere residencies, while previous reports have made similar assertions regarding The Eagles.

James Dolan himself seemed to corroborate that speculation in a September interview with The New York Times in which he stated that Sphere’s next two acts had already been booked. While he declined to comment on specifics, he noted that they were “big names.” Only one additional act Sphere act, Phish, has been officially announced in the time since.

For a complete list of confirmed upcoming shows at Sphere in Las Vegas, NV, head here. For a full recap and breakdown of Dead & Company’s The Final Tour, head here.