Dead and Co. Concert (Recap)

Last night was the Grateful Dead (Dead and Company) Concert at the Verizon Center in DC.

My boy Dave is a HUGE Grateful Dead fan. And although he wasn’t around to see THE GRATEFUL DEAD (Rip Jerry), he appreciates the culture, the music, and the artistry behind the Grateful Dead on a level that is beyond his years.

So it was no question that he bought two tickets as soon as ticket sales opened up, and asked me to be his plus one!

Official Dead & Co. screen print for the Concert. Dave loves collecting artwork from the concerts he attends, and last night’s concert was no exception! Artwork By: AJ Masthay

Set 1:

A super blues-y and mellow first set. It really got everybody dancing, and feeling good. It was great to see Dave so elated, as he was able to name each song as the band segued to the next one. The lighting was my favorite visual, and the deep blues and purples realy fit the vibe of the music. I was absolutely hypnotized by the drummers (Micky Hart and Bill Kreutzmann). I was so focused on them, that I noticed Bill Kreutzmann drop his mallet part way through the first set. I gasped, and without missing a beat, he acquired an extra mallet, and he left his fallen one on the ground for the rest of the set. It was insignificant and unnoticable to many, but to me, it really put his years as a professional musician into perspective for me.

“no biggie, I just dropped my mallet part-way through a song in front of thousands and thousands of people…”

I would’ve freaked out. He was flawless.  Anyway the first set included:

Set List acquired from: Dead & Co. Set List 11/6/15

Set 1:

1. Truckin’
2. Big Boss Man
3. Brown Eyed Women
   (John Mayer sang vocals, and it was a solid performance. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from him. I don’t listen to John Mayer, but he has incredible talent).
4. West L.A. Fadeaway (John Mayer turned and faced our section at this point, and all the girls, myself included, went apeshit. All the guys were like, “what happened?! what happened?!” JOHN MAYER! Dave was amused by my reaction. I don’t even listen to John Mayer, but when John Mayer turns to your section and smiles, YOU SQUEAL LIKE A TEENAGER DAMMIT).
5. Loser
6. Lost Sailor

7. Saint of Circumstance

WOW. It was such a feel good first set. Dave held me excitedly, letting me know that the 2nd set was going to “melt my face off”.

Set 2:

A far more upbeat set, with high energy dancing, insane solos (drums), and an Encore that left you dazed. I was much more familiar with the songs from the 2nd set, and was thrilled that mine and Dave’s “song” was included on the set-list. It was a very special moment for us.

Set 2:

1. Bertha (*Sappy sidenote* Dave’s first car was named Bertha, and also the place where we shared our first kiss. So with the 2nd set starting with Bertha, we knew we were in for a good time).

1. Eyes of the World
2. Scarlet Begonias (Mine and Dave’s song. I won’t bore you with details, but the second I heard the familiar notes that began our song, we embraced. I would also like to mention that Dave had texted me the day before saying, “I’m not a betting man, but if I was, I’d bet we’re going to be getting a “Scarlet Fire” tomorrow night).
3. Fire on The Mountain (Just as Dave predicted).
4. Drums (WOW. WOW. WOW)
5. Space
6. The Wheel
7. Looks Like Rain (I made a joke: “Looks Like Drain”. But Bob Weir came on for vocals and I screamed).
8. In the Midnight Hour

Encore:

1. Touch of Grey (Perfection)

All in all, I’d have to say that this was one amazing concert. I am new to the Grateful Dead scene, so if you want a “Dead Head Review” of this concert, you’ll have to go elsewhere. But from the perspective of a person who loves good music, and is always down to listen to new artists, this is it! John Mayer was such a delightful surprise! I could hear that there were things he could do with his voice that JG didn’t do (or couldn’t?) but he brought his style of singing into the group, and it really wasn’t bad. I think I’ll download a couple of his songs from Itunes, and give him a decent listen-to.

My review is based on a number of things. The music, the fans, the atmosphere, and my current company. Dave is my favorite person to go to concerts with. He has completely changed my outlook on music. He’s about the artistry in the music, which is something that I think has been lost in the age of “auto-tune” and “pop culture”. It’s nice to be able to go to concerts like these with somebody who truly loves the jam music scene. I look forward to my next concert with Dave, and hope you all enjoy my recap of the Dead and Co. Concert!

B