Dead & Company Closes Out Boulder Run At Folsom Field

Dead & Company featuring Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann along with Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge and John Mayer concluded a two-night stand at Folsom Field in Boulder on Sunday night. The shows were the first concerts held at the huge venue on the campus of the University of Colorado since 2001.

The six-piece opened with a well-jammed “Feel Like A Stranger” ahead of the night’s lone tour debut, “Next Time You See Me.” Mayer sang the blues classic which was also a Dead & Company debut. Sunday night in the Grateful Dead world usually means “Samson & Delilah” and last night’s show was no exception. The first set rolled out with Bob and John sharing lead vocals on “West L.A. Fadeaway.” Then, “Bird Song” gave the band a chance to show off its improvisational chops before concluding the set with “New Speedway Boogie.”

Dead & Company kicked off the second set with a short but powerful “China Cat Sunflower”/”I Know You Rider” pairing and then worked “Smokestack Lightning” within “He’s Gone.” Both the “He’s Gone” segment and the “Let It Grow” that followed were the evening’s big jams. Billy & Mickey’s “Drums” sequence saw The Rhythm Devils lay the base of a throbbing beat before they toured their massive rig and pounded away on various percussive instruments. The evening’s “Space” was a more melodic affair than on previous nights and eventually gave way to “Dark Star.” Chimenti and Mayer shined on “Dark Star” with the guitarist also digging deep for a powerful “Morning Dew” solo as part of the second set closer. The sextet said farewell with “Brokedown Palace” and the Independence Day shout out “U.S. Blues.”

Next up for Dead & Company is a Thursday night show in Clarkston, Michigan.

Watch Dead & Company’s first-ever “Next Time You See Me” captured by Sean Roche:

Audio (Taped by Jeff Frank)