Dead & Company Soar Through Night One and Two at Oracle Park in San Francisco
Dead & Company Soar Through Night One and Two at Oracle Park in San Francisco
Photo Credit: Bill Kelly
Dead & Company commenced their final trio of performances at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday night. The Bay was in special form leading up to the band’s arrival at the waterside venue, as large numbers moved through the city, clad in t-shirts adorned with logos that beckoned the Grateful Dead and their rich musical legacy in the region. Night one was a full display of fan favorites and a second set jam featuring a mash-up of “Dark Star” and “Big River,” prior to a memorable cover of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” with featured images of original Grateful Dead members such as Jerry Garcia, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Brent Mydland and other departed players.
As a special treat, the band started the night with The Crickets’ classic, “Not Fade Away.” The song served as a distinctive nod toward the band’s looming conclusion before fading into “Shakedown Street” to really ignite the energy of the evening. With cool breezes moving off the water, it seemed fitting to land on a weather tune, with “Cold, Rain & Snow” sung by John Mayer. Bobby Weir took over lead vocals next, adding another staple song, “Ramble on Rose.” The line: “I know this song it ain’t never gonna end” felt especially weighted. Classics continued with “Brown Eyed Women” and “New Speedway Boogie” before hitting a nerve with “Wharf Rat,” a locationally fitting choice given the nearby landmark. From the instrumental depths of the previous number emerged the last song of the frame, a lively “Don’t Ease Me In.”
Set two was about pairs during night one, as the band started out with “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know Your Rider.” Weir and Mayer shared lyrics on “He’s Gone,” another tune that brought the reality of these final shows to the forefront. The aforementioned song ran over into “Scarlet Begonias” before Oteil Burbridge took over on “Fire on the Mountain,” which merged into the Mickey Hart-led second frame staple, “Drums” > “Space.” From the cosmic depths of Hart’s conjuring emerged a massive jam composed of “Dark Star” and “Big River.” “Standing on the Moon” represented another emotional moment with the fitting lines that touched on the month and location. The band revived the party atmosphere with “Casey Jones” and a set ending “U.S. Blues.”
The night’s encore was thoughtful, with black and white images of deceased Grateful Dead members popping up on the oversized screens during a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” After time to rest and warm up, night two started in spectacular fashion with a run-through of Sam Cooke’s “Good Times Roll.” “Hell in a Bucket” came next, building the crowd’s energy as they locked into a heartfelt “It Hurts Me Too.” “Jackstraw” had the audience on their feet before tapping into their feelings on “Big Railroad Blues.” “Cassidy” saw one of the best jams of the night, with leads by Burbridge and exemplary keys courtesy of Jeff Chimenti, which carried over into a 1973 style “They Love Each Other” and a high-flying finale for the first set, “Turn on Your Love Light.”
“Deal” kicked off the second frame arriving before “Playing in the Band” and a partial “The Other One.” With the arrival of the first notes of “Lady With a Fan,” folks in certain sections hugged and yelled out in excitement at the music that was to come as the band built into “Terrapin Station.” “Drums” > “Space” ran into “Uncle John’s Band.” A reprise of “Playing in the Band” brought out the final part of “The Other One” before a noteworthy “Morning Dew” delivered with deep feeling by the bandleader. For the final song of night two, Dead & Company picked “Ripple.” Of note, Jay Lane donned a protest shirt which read, SELL, to raise awareness about the Oakland A’s proposed move to Las Vegas.
After last night’s show, the band will play one final performance set to take place this evening at 7 p.m. P.T. Livestream options are available here.
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Dead & Company
Oracle Park – San Francisco
July 14, 2023
Set I: Not Fade Away > Shakedown Street > Cold, Rain & Snow, Ramble on Rose, Brown Eyed Women, New Speedway Boogie, Wharf Rat > Don’t Ease Me In
Set II: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, He’s Gone > Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Drums > Space > Dark Star Big River Jam > Standing on the Moon, Casey Jones, U.S. Blues
Enc.: Knocking on Heaven’s Door
Dead & Company
Oracle Park – San Francisco
July 15, 2013
Set I: Good Times Roll, Hell in a Bucket, It Hurts Me Too, Jackstraw, Big Railroad Blues, Cassidy > They Love Each Other (‘73 style), Turn on Your Love Light
Set II: Deal, Playing in the Band, The Other One > Lady With a Fan > Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Uncle John’s Band > Playing Reprise > The Other One > Morning Dew
Enc.: Ripple
Source: jambands.com
