~ Day 3 – Return to the Scene of the Crime ~
Friday, June 7
“Maybe it meant something.
Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world.
Whatever it meant.”
– HST, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The post show extravagancies after show #1 were plentiful and very Vegas-y and ended up with an insane room service order at 3am local time that was necessary so as to ensure that the next day would go off without a hitch.
“Where’s the goddamn ice I ordered? Where’s the booze? There’s a war on, man! People are being killed!”
Every so often – and far more infrequently as you age – you get a Day of Days, a completely amazing, unforgettable experience where everything is perfect from the time you rise until the time you fall and oh my friends Friday, June 7, in the year of our lord 2024 was one of those days. I’ve already written way more than anyone is going to read but put it this way…I woke up to realize that my Game 1 of the Finals bet won back what I lost at the Blackjack table, I ate breakfast outside and spent the entirety of the day in a poolside, shaded cabana, eating and drinking like a king in the height of relaxation and luxury, all the while swimming back and forth in shaded and shady waters. There was no stopping me. The world was my oyster.
And the entire time I was soaking my tired body in abnormally warm publicly shared water and soaking my brain with cold, fruity cocktails and more Corona’s than you could shake a stick at, I was ready to get back into the venue and do it all over again. Las Vegas was growing on me…and I started to wonder what kind of logistics and hoops I’d have to jump through to get back before this run was over. But for now, there was a show to go to.
Over the past few years I have, for some reason, decided to start collecting concert posters. For whatever reason (I’m assuming excitement) I didn’t bother to even look at the merch the night before. I was also considering skipping these altogether and trying to get them on eBay later. There were posters for each night and they weren’t giving out hard tubes. I didn’t want to try to lug two separate posters back to the east coast. However, before the second show we peeled off and there was one for the entire weekend so I grabbed it.
For the second show we were one section further to the right, and honestly, the difference was sort of significant as it related to the visuals. The audio was similarly amazing, and the experience was a little bit different. As to be expected some of the visuals are recycled, this allowed me to revert at times back to my normal “eyes shut while the music is playing” experience. UJB > Franklin’s Tower really got the crowd up and moving. The echo of the crowd singing back to the band is a little different in the Sphere so the “Roll away…the dew” portion of Frank’s was pretty special. I’m not one to sing during concerts, and frankly I’ve been to many major concerts that were ruined because I could hear my neighbors singing louder than the artist. But hearing this interaction between band and crowd at this specific time reminded me of all the years and years of hearing these songs in fields and arenas and sheds throughout the country. What a time to be alive.
Loose Lucy and Ship of Fools made up the middle segment of the first set and the latter incorporated song specific graphics that nearly made me fall down at one point. The set ended with a fantastic Help > Slip > Eyes of the World. Musically it was probably my favorite set of the run. They seemed on point and the tempo was sufficient.
I did a little bit of reading and research on the run while laying in bed before succumbing to Cabana life and was informed that this show was the 11th of the run. When they opened the second set with St. Stephen, despite desperately needing to use the bathrooms, I stuck around anticipating an Eleven that never arrived. But in its place was Scarlet Begonias, which I was delighted to hear. I love that song, and if this is my last D&C show, I’m happy they played it. A methodical He’s Gone followed and went into a spacy Dark Star.
I carefully watched Drums enjoying every second of watching Mickey weird out with all of his contraptions and gadgets. I was pleasantly surprised having LL Rain come out of Space and Truckin’ > Throwing Stones made up a nice post Drums set. The Casey Jones closer was the banger the crowd needed to head out into the Vegas night.
It was over. It was spectacular. It was worth every cent.
After the show we soaked up the atmosphere, grabbing every last drop of Las Vegas that we could before heading back home. Bonus drinks, bonus laughs, and bonus wagers. The trip was obviously wrapping up but collectively we were all holding on to that last strand of the Day of Days, knowing full well it would likely be a good, long time before all six of us would occupy the same time and place in such a carefree environment again.
Dead & Company – 6/7/2024 – Sphere – Las Vegas, Nevada
Set 1: Uncle John’s Band > Franklin’s Tower, Loose Lucy, Ship of Fools, Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Eyes of the World
Set 2: St. Stephen, Scarlet Begonias, He’s Gone, Dark Star > Drums / Space > Looks Like Rain, Truckin’ > Throwing Stones, Grateful Dead Radio Advertisement, Casey Jones
Boiler in the Basement Music 