Photo Credit: Katie Friesema

Dead & Company rolled through Chicago over the weekend. The ensemble delivered two nights of music at Wrigley Field on the North Side of the Windy City. Both shows included Jay Lane, who sat in for the founding Grateful Dead drummer, Bill Kreutzmann while he took some time away from the kit to rebuild stamina. Despite the mostly sans Kreutzmann gig, the percussionist did take the stage during “Drums” on night one, lending his signature beat to the beloved second set staple. 

Friday night’s show was a politically charged masterpiece that acted as a musical response to the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, which formerly gave women the legal right to an abortion in the United States. In support of the right to choose, Dead & Company began their first night at Wrigley Field with a rousing cover of “Man Smart, Woman Smarter,” along with protest imagery projected on the massive stadium screen. “Eyes of the World” was next, followed by a John Mayer-led “Bertha.” 

The first set continued with a cover of the blues tune, “Next Time You See Me.” Then, the first verse of  “Dark Star” arrived before the band jammed into Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” with Bobby Weir and Mayer trading off the iconic lyrics. Dead & Company reprised “Hey Jude” next before wrapping the set with fan favorite, “Althea.” 

The second set of night one in Chicago got underway with the protest anthem “Throwing Stones,” which included a fitting lyrical switch to reflect the day’s historic ruling when Weir added “Money green’s the only way you can buy the whole goddamn Supreme Court today.” Then, Dead & Company offered their first-ever second set take on “Brown-Eyed Women.” “Estimated Prophet” landed next, there the band teased in a taste of “The Other One” before the second verse of the first set’s unfinished “Dark Star.”

Dead & Company offered a cover of “Sing Me Back Home,” which bled into “Truckin’” with a brief “Foxy Lady” jam as another nod to America’s women. As is tradition, “Drums” and “Space” happened during the middle of the second set, with Oteil Burbridge sitting in on the action. Kreutzmann also stepped out for the percussion section, lending a beat alongside fellow Rhythm Devil Mickey Hart. 

After “Drums” and “Space,” the band continued their response to the current political affairs by playing a selection of tunes that included blues references. To kick it off, they debuted the Miles Davis composed “All Blues,” followed by “Cumberland Blues” and “Stella Blue.” Finally, for the last song of the Friday night’s show, Kreutzmann joined his bandmates once more for a fitting “Not Fade Away” closer. 

After Friday night’s display, the band returned to the stage on Saturday with a complete offering of fan favorites. Night two at Wrigley Field in Chicago heated up with the first set opener, “Scarlet Begonias.” “The Wheel” was rolled out next, ahead of “New Speedway Boogie” into “Big Railroad Blues.” Next, a fun take on “Dancing in the Street” occurred before a Weir-led “Tennessee Jed.” Then, Mayer sang through the Robert Hunter penned “Sugaree” to cap the first set. 

Set two heated up with “Casey Jones” performed for the first time as a second set opener by Dead & Company. They followed with “Ramble On Rose” into a classic pairing of “Help on the Way” and “Slipknot!” Then, “Franklin’s Tower” was segued in and was capped with “Drums” and “Space.” After a Hart-led return from the mystic corners of the cosmos, Weir led the band through “Days Between.” “Fire on the Mountain” arrived next before a fitting “One More Saturday Night” set closer. 

For their encores, Dead & Company performed a tender take on “Brokedown Palace” before a “Touch of Grey” send-off. Although all Saturday night’s show featured Lane on drums, Kreutzmann responded by posting a photo of himself and his sub with the caption, “… with a little help from our friends.” Following the band’s Chicago run, they will take a few nights off the road before returning to the stage on June 28 at Ruoff Home Mortage Music Center in Noblesville, Ind. 

Tickets are still available for Dead & Company’s gig in Noblesville, Ind. Tickets can be purchased here. 

For those unable to catch the action in person, livestream options are available for purchase via Nugs.net. 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bill Kreutzmann (@billkreutzmann)

Dead & Company

Wrigley Field – Chicago

June 24, 2022

Set 1: Man Smart, Woman Smarter > Eyes of the World > Bertha, Next Time You See Me, Dark Star 1 > Dark Star* > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude Reprise > Althea 

Set 2: Throwing Stones, Brown-Eyed Women, Estimated Prophet& > Dark Star 2 > Sing Me Back Home > Truckin’^ > Drums$ > Space > All Blues% > Cumberland Blues > Stella Blue > Not Fade Away

Notes:

* Preceded by a “Wharf Rat” jam

& “The Other One” tease

^ “Foxy Lady” jam

$ With Bill Kreutzmann and Oteil Burbridge

% Dead & Company debut

Dead & Company

Wrigley Field – Chicago, Ill.

June 25, 2022 

Set 1: Scarlet Begonias > The Wheel > New Speedway Boogie > Big Railroad Blues, Dancing in the Street, Tennessee Jed, Sugaree

Set 2: Casey Jones, Ramble On Rose, Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower > Drums > Space > Days Between, Fire on the Mountain, One More Saturday Night

Enc.: Brokedown Palace, Touch of Grey