Their anticipation and excitement as they took the stage was palpable even though they tried to play it off, with Weir casually strolling up in his Birkenstocks and capris and Mayer tossing his hair out of his face.
They kicked off with “Touch of Grey,” their first time opening with the MTV hit in five years. It usually serves as their triumphant closer, but the message of survival hits hard these days, and it was a perfect way to set the tone for the evening.
The first set was concise yet loose, as they grooved into “Shakedown Street” and closed with the gem “New Speedway Boogie” from. The band rarely spoke to the crowd, save for a twinkling of a moment when Weir announced they were taking a short break. The second half was packed with fan favorites like “Truckin’” and “Franklin’s Tower,” and during the latter, the camera focused on a guy in the pit wearing an Owsley Stanley shirt, blissfully dancing back and forth.
The band sprinkled “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” into the set — Dead & Company’s first time playing theused to sing — before closing with a sprawling “Not Fade Away.” Six years after forming the band, Mayer appeared confident and even comfortable performing Jerry Garcia’s parts, interlocking guitars with Weir and sharing vocal duties throughout the night.mostly throughout the east coast before heading out west for a three-night stand at L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl ending on Halloween.
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