Dead & Company Shine ‘Lovelight’ To Open Final Sphere Dead Forever 2025 Weekend

Nearly two months after playing the first show of their 2025 Dead Forever residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, last night Dead & Company initiated the final weekend of the 18-show run. Fans inside the technologically advanced venue were treated to the first “Friend Of The Devil” and “Turn On Your Lovelight” performances of this year’s Sphere concerts.

Show 16 got rolling with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, alongside guitarist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and drummer Jay Lane easing into “Let The Good Times Roll.”

“Shakedown Street” landed in the second slot as the Dead Forever visual adventure took off from Haight Ashbury in San Francisco to the outer realms of space. Two songs from the Grateful Dead’s two 1970 albums followed as “Uncle John’s Band” from Workingman’s Dead came ahead of “Friend Of The Devil” from American Beauty.

Having last played it at the Sphere on July 4, 2024, Weir had a slight fumble with his “Friend Of The Devil” verse. As usual, Dead & Co. tacked on Robert Hunter’s extra lyrics.

The band then delivered their third offering of Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally,” following its debut earlier this year. A somewhat rare first-set arrival of “Terrapin Station” was driven into Thursday’s set break.

Upon returning from intermission, Dead & Company selected “Bertha” for the second set opener. “Jack Straw” fell into set two’s second slot. From there, the audio and visual journey proceeded with “China Cat Sunflower” and its frequent companion “I Know You Rider.”

“He’s Gone” was the lead-in to “Drums” and Hart, Lane and Burbridge getting into a percussive excursion. The signature improvised segment transitioned into “Space” as the open-ended format progressed.

Weir helmed the “Standing On The Moon” that ushered in the post-“Drums/Space” portion of set two. The energy shifted upward with the prevailing runs through “Brown-Eyed Women” and “Hell In A Bucket.”

The tender American Beauty favorite “Brokedown Palace” brought the Dead Forever visual experience back to the Dead’s former house in San Francisco. The show’s replay of an early Grateful Dead news report played over the P.A. before “Turn On Your Lovelight” made its first Dead & Co. setlist of 2025.

Two shows remain of Dead & Company’s 2025 Dead Forever Sphere residency, which will take place tonight (Friday, May 16) and tomorrow (Saturday, May 17). Scroll on for The Skinny, videos posted by Mystery Matrix and audio taped by Hunter S II.

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