Dead & Company Delivers Outrageous ‘Eyes Of The World’ In Atlanta

Dead & Company continued The Final Tour on Sunday at Atlanta’s Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood. After working six tour debuts into the evening’s first set, the sextet treated fans to a barn burning, two-hour second set filled with fan favorites including a 23-minute “Eyes Of The World.”

The band featuring Grateful Dead members guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart along with bassist Oteil Burbridge, drummer Jay Lane, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and guitarist John Mayer opened the night in Lakewood by linking an adventurous “Cassidy” helmed by Weir and a high-octane “Deal” sung by Mayer. Dead & Company then reeled off six tour debuts in a row starting with Bobby’s Sunday sermon, “Samson & Delilah,” which was played for just the fifth time since 2020.

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Next came American Beauty classic “Friend Of The Devil” featuring Mayer and Weir trading lead vocal duties. Dead & Co. went with the slower tempo version of the tune the Grateful Dead trotted out after their 1974 – 1976 hiatus. John Mayer took a gorgeous solo before Chimenti unleashed barrelhouse rolls on piano. Mayer also shined on the ensuing blues standard “It Hurts Me Too” which was right in his wheelhouse both vocally and instrumentally. The guitarist didn’t try to emulate Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s singing or Jerry Garcia’s tone as instead his own sound came through. Chimenti prefaced Mayer’s solo by stringing together a series of powerful runs on the organ once owned by Grateful Dead keyboardist Brent Mydland.

Sunday’s first set rolled on with a loping “Tennessee Jed” sung with authority by Bob Weir before Oteil Burbridge starred on the ballad “If I Had The World To Give.” Burbridge, who once again wore face paint, has now sung the Shakedown Street gem 10 times with Dead & Company, seven more times than the Dead played the song live. The six-piece went on to cap the set with a rollicking “Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad.” Weir, Mayer, Burbridge and Chimenti each sang a verse with the latter receiving huge cheers from the audience for his rare turn on lead vocals.

Dead & Company got the second set in Hotlanta underway with “Althea” just as they did at The Kia Forum on the second night of the tour. Unlike at The Forum, the band delivered a full version of the cut from 1980’s Go To Heaven. Weir put his slide to good use treating fans to a solo to close the standalone take. Bobby then fronted the group on an expansive 15-minute “Estimated Prophet.”

The Terrapin Station standout saw impressive interplay from Mayer and Chimenti as the band built to a euphoric peak to the delight of the crowd during the first of two “Estimated” jams. John and Jeff engaged in a call-and-response segment within the second jam that paved the way for a drop into “China Cat Sunflower.”

“China Cat” led into frequent companion “I Know You Rider” which made for a potent 20-minute sequence. Mayer laced the “China”/”Rider” with psychedelic riffs urged on by the rhythm section of Lane, Hart and Burbridge. The band’s stellar chemistry was on display during the transition jam, as they locked into “Rider” and rode the traditional song to glory.

Dead & Company followed “Rider” with the aforementioned long and strong “Eyes Of The World.” Once again, it was the interplay between John Mayer and Jeff Chimenti that stood out over the first half of the beloved song. Both musicians played at the highest octaves their instruments allowed as they connected on multiple anthemic melodies. Burbridge took a dynamic solo towards the end of the majestic “Eyes Of The World” filled with scatting and fast-paced runs on his six-string. The six musicians came together for one last instrumental passage to bring the improvisational highlight of the night to a close.

The evening’s “Drums” segment came next as Jay Lane and Mickey Hart were left on-stage. Lane made full use of the huge rig set up behind him while Hart focused on the deep drone of The Beam. The two drummers then slid in next to each other and started pounding away intense rhythms. Burbridge emerged to join in on the action before Mickey returned to The Beam to lay the groundwork for “Space.” The instrumentalists explored vast ground over the nine-minute segment and united on a jazzy interlude once the drummers came back.

While Dead & Co. worked up a fast and intense progression, the music faded to near silence before Mayer kicked into “Terrapin Station.” The suite was played with passion and emotion as the band built to its typical inspirational crescendo. Burbridge’s bubbling bassline helped propel the stellar last “Terrapin” passage, which bled into “Morning Dew.” The Grateful Dead only played “Terrapin” into “Morning Dew” three times with each taking place in 1977. Weir was in fine form vocally and Mayer made the most of his solos on what turned out to be the show closer due to the venue’s 11 p.m. curfew.

The Final Tour for Dead & Company resumes on Tuesday in Charlotte. Purchase livestreams for the Charlotte show and all The Final Tour performances via nugs.net.

Audience Recording (Taped by Eric Lugassy)