Pro-Shot Video & Full Show Audio: Dead & Company Brings Supreme Love For Smart Women To Virginia

After a harrowing 48 hours in which Oteil Burbridge nearly lost his brother, the bassist returned to the loving embrace of his Dead & Company family ready to go for Thursday’s concert at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. After more than 60 shows as a band, Dead & Company continues to expand their repertoire as they trotted out two debuts in Bristow.

The ordeal started for the Burbridge brothers on Tuesday, when Kofi was rushed to a hospital in Atlanta and Oteil was on stage at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, New York. Kofi suffered a major heart issue that necessitated emergency surgery. The younger brother immediately left the stage and headed to his sick older brother’s bedside at a hospital in Atlanta. With Kofi’s prognosis improving, Oteil traveled from Atlanta to Bristow to rejoin the tour.

The bassist shared wonderful news just before returning to the stage:

Great news! I was just able to speak with my big brother Kofi and he sounds really lucid and grateful. I really want to thank Laura Holl, Derek Trucks, Blake Budney, Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell and Yonrico Scott for being there for Kofi before our family could get to him. And a big thank you to everyone for all of your love and support and well wishes. I dare say he’s going to be surprised at the outpouring of love. I’m thanking God that my big brother is still with us! It’s time to get some Burbridge brothers music made!

Meanwhile, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart had the honor of visiting Congress and their friends Senators Patrick Leahy and Al Franken along with U2 frontman Bono. At 7:06 p.m. on Thursday it was time to put the focus back on the music and what better way to start than with “Shakedown Street?” The smile on Burbridge’s face said it all as there was a euphoric feel to the start of the first set which also featured “Uncle John’s Band,” “Althea” and “Bertha” – three songs directly in the six-piece’s wheelhouse – as well as Bobby time with “New Minglewood Blues” and “Peggy-O.” Yet the biggest surprise lay at the end of the opening frame. Dead & Company debuted their version of “Man Smart, Woman Smarter,” a calypso song Weir started singing with the Grateful Dead in 1981.

Dead & Company still abides by the Grateful Dead’s tradition of focusing more on songs in the first set and improvisation in the second set. Thursday’s closing stanza was a seamless, 104-minute affair that showed Weir, Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and the younger ones are still game to explore. D&C began the second set with “Playing In The Band” and quickly moved beyond the normal parameters of the tune.

Guitarist John Mayer and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti exchanged licks throughout the “Playing” jam ahead of a transition into “New Speedway Boogie.” Dead & Company toyed with the tempo and pacing of the song as they did with “Watchtower” on Tuesday. Eventually, “New Speedway” faded and Mayer kicked into “He’s Gone,” one of the most played tunes of the tour. The young guitarist/vocalist put tons of emotion into his phrasing of the vocals he handled. Mayer then unleashed a bluesy solo that showed why world class musicians Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan formed a blues trio with him. Up next was “Fire On The Mountain,” a number that has a new spark since Oteil was given lead vocal duties starting last weekend at Fenway Park.

“Fire” came to an awkward end and perhaps “seamless” was overstating it as there was a minute of silence before the Rhythm Devils started doing their thing. Mickey and Billy pounded out a four-on-the-floor beat and then went a more tribal route. Hart focused on creating a beautiful drone note to serve as the base of “Space.” Mayer and Weir honed in on a pretty pattern.

John, Bobby and Jeff then connected on the main riff of “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane. The instrumental had previously been played by Phil Lesh & Friends, Ratdog and The Dead, but Thursday was the first Dead & Company version. It stands with the “Milestones” from Atlanta as the best post-“Space” moments of the tour.

However, Dead & Company weren’t done yet. Weir gave a powerful vocal performance of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” The sextet followed the emotional cover by weaving its jam into the familiar “Playing In The Band Reprise” chords. While it took Dead & Company nearly half the tour before adding “Throwing Stones” to the rotation, they waited just three shows to perform the politically-charged tune again. The second set then came to a close with the energetic romp through “U.S. Blues.”

When Dead & Company returned to the stage they offered up a reprise of “U.S. Blues” and another patriotic ditty, Garcia/Hunter’s “Liberty.” Next up for D&C is a return engagement at Citi Field in Queens on Saturday night. A webcast is available via nugs.tv.

Watch pro-shot footage of “Shakedown Street,” “Uncle John’s Band” and “New Minglewood Blues”:

Listen to a complete audience recording of last night’s show taped by taperjeff:

Setlist (via Ratdog.org)

Set One: Shakedown Street > (bw), Uncle John’s Band (all), New Minglewood Blues (bw), Althea (jm), Peggy-O (bw), Bertha (jm), Man Smart, Woman Smarter (bw)

Set Two: Playing In The Band > (bw) New Speedway Boogie > (bw) He’s Gone > (bw, jm) Fire On The Mountain > (ob) Drums > Space > A Love Supreme > A Hard Rains Gonna Fall > (bw) Playing In The Band (Reprise) > (all) Throwing Stones > (bw) U.S. Blues (jm)

Encore: U.S. Blues (Reprise) > (all) Liberty (bw)