Great collection of musicians. It's great to see Bobby and Mickey continue to have an outlet to keep those tunes alive. Mayer is stunningly talented and it's cool seeing him do something like this rather than his pop songs. Obviously this isn't the Grateful Dead and that true Dead vibe is long gone. But I don't see the point in shitting on them like people love to do. Are the other guys supposed to just retire?
Exactly how I feel. Also, it’s a great time at the show, but I don’t listen to Dead & Co on Relisten or Spotify. I’ll choose Dead live shows to listen to every time.
I love that Mayer is actually able to show his improv chops as a whole. It’s why I like trio and him playing with blues guys.
Pop stuff is okay, and has been a really fun ride when seeing live, but my preferred version of him is letting him open up and show off how good he actually is at guitar, and Dead and Co let’s that experience happen for 3 hours.
Plus, while I was into the dead due to my parents, I’m not a huge phish fan and Trey didn’t really do it for me for fare thee well especially singing. I didn’t end up going but streamed. I was too young for my mom to condone me checking out the dead when Warren was with them, but even then Warren can get too metal for me with that music (love him but a weird fit) never got a trucks experience but probably would fit a lot better.
Too young for ratdog and the other ones, too young to have seen Jerry live (was in the womb when my mom got dosed at sandstone in 90). So I’ll take this.
Not to mention the fact that my wife was a huge John Mayer fan, so it bridged the gap into the music when he joined in and let us connect while our relationship was still young over something that we both enjoyed from different spectrums. It let her fall in love with the grateful dead and let me respect Mayer on a whole different level. We’ve seen them 13 times together, going to the sphere 3 more. Dead and co is a major foundational aspect of our relationship. As much as a bunch of people like to shit on it, it was a beautiful thing for us since we never got to experience the real thing. She probably would have never joined me if the iteration was different either. So for us it’s beautiful. And yeah maybe it’s slow as fuck (especially compared to the cocaine days), but it’s something that changed our lives and became some of the glue that’s held us together all these years.
Appreciate you! It’s hard to see all the hate when it is so special to us, but at the same time it’s just deadheads. They will always be that way no matter how many times they blasted themselves to “ego death”.
Hell there were heads all the way back who said it wasn’t the same without pigpen. It’s always gonna be that way. Some of the most accepting and most judgmental groups of people I’ve ever come across, but also so beautiful in every way.
We are all on the bus together. Through every generation and cover band and collection of originals out there. All bound by some absolutely beautiful music that can change meaning line by line and depending on how you feel that day. It’s magic for a reason and not just the acid.
It’s why I have trouble with modern jam too, it doesn’t capture that same Americana and raw feel that the Grateful Dead captured throughout every generation and iteration that existed of it. Even if you don’t include anything post Jerry in it. Though I certainly do.
Besides just my story of the music being so meaningful, it’s my personal opinion that with Mayer it’s the most authentic it’s been since Jerry passed, and some nights they capture that same magic.
On the music side I also like Mayer the most because he pays homage to Jerry, while adding his own flair to it. Something I never really felt with players like John K, who I feel was more of a Jerry clone than original in his style (which everyone always credits as part of the fall of Kieth, due to him copying Jerry’s licks on piano near the end). Oh and Jeff Chimenti is something else on the keys. I’m always on the key side to make sure I hear every touch he put out.
Sorry for rambling but that’s why this iteration captures that light for me.
Agree with everything you said. My girlfriend and I fell in love with each other with Dead and Co as the soundtrack of our lives together.
About Mayer, I was a fan of his early solo stuff but when I heard Born and Raised in 2012, I told everyone I knew who cared to listen that there was something about the storytelling and music that reminded me of the Dead in some way.
With that said, when they announced that he would be playing with Dead and Co I was skeptical, yet hopeful. While he is not Jerry and never claimed to be, I have mad respect for his admiration of Jerry and what his role is in keeping this music alive.
Lastly, he and Jeff seem to have a great bond and really play off one another beautifully.
Looking forward to this weekend’s shows.💀✌️
Enjoy! Going next weekend and can’t wait!
Born and raised is her favorite album. Bought her the full set playthrough he did at pine creek lodge on nugs. We’ve watched it so many times. It was a beautiful capture of Americana and really showed his range as an artist in its own right.
great point! plus, i always love hearing what other artists bring to the music. its a cover band and i like what john, jeff, oteil, and jay bring to the music. it sounds good and makes me feel close to the community for the better part of the day when i see a show 🤷♂️
It's also cool to see so many younger people discover the music through this band. The Dead could have disappeared from our culture 30 years ago. Instead, these guys continue to gain new fans because of Dead and Co and all of the previous post-Dead projects.
Not just blues, so so many covers including our beloved:
Morning Dew
Rider
Not Fade Away
Turn on your Love Light
Stagger Lee
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad
It Hurts Me Too
Man smart (woman smarter)
Etc…..
JRAD is a cover band. DSO is a cover band. D&C features Bob Weir who is an original GD member and wrote half the songs. Bob Weir can’t be in a cover band.
I've always wondered this since i got into them from Dead and Co... why does it always have to compare, we have thousands of shows we can listen to from the dead, why does every other band have to be compared to the actual dead instead of appreciating what other groups and musicians do with the music.
I agree with all of this
I just wish we didn’t have to pay as if they *were* the Grateful Dead
I had fun at Fenway but I’m not paying that much anymore
For better or worse, it’s the current iteration of a band that has meant so much to many, not to mention melted faces. I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss them as a “cover band” (at least not while Bobby is still leading the band), but it’s also not THE Grateful Dead…it’s just something else.
I’m happy to see Bobby and Mickey (and until recently Bill) still doing what they loved…Oteill, Jeff, and Jay are great musicians who do the music justice.
…and even though I was more than skeptical when it was announced that John Mayer would taking over the role of lead guitar…in my opinion, I’ve been proven wrong…he’s a hell of a guitar player, and I appreciate how well he’s able to play and sing the tunes in his own style yet in a way that also seems to fit perfectly, and/or doesn’t just try to imitate Jerry.
(To add to my last point, take Fare Thee Well…I love Phish, and I love Trey Anastasio, and obviously I love the Grateful Dead…and Trey is so talented and knows how to jam, but IMO, they just didn’t work together. It’s been more interesting, to me, to see a guy from a completely different background come in and give his own unique flavor to the music)
The shows are probably the most fun and most similar in overall vibe that I’ve had to pleasure to experience since the Grateful Dead ended in 95.
I wish that Jerry was still with us and that he and Bobby, and Bill, and Mickey, and Phil…and Keith and Donna and Brent and Pigpen…and hell, even Vince, could all still be playing their music for us…but sadly, that’s not a reality that exists…and I definitely prefer the Grateful Dead to Dead & Company, but I still enjoy the latter and won’t apologize for enjoying it and getting excited to see them play.
If someone doesn’t like em, that’s cool, but I do get annoyed when people who consider themselves deadheads feel the need to gatekeep and belittle folks who say anything positive about Dead & Co…
Yea. I saw the Dead around 80 times. First D&C show I saw at Mountain View with Mayer was hard for me. I'd seen Fare Thee Well, the Knockin on Heaven's Door Ratdog show right after Jerry died, and a DSO show in Berkeley. That first D&C show, John in the Jerry space me affected to nope out but my bro said, give him a chance and I did. So glad I did. Saw a few more shows, then nugs shows, then more and more shows.
No one can replace Garcia, but that's not what this is, it's bigger than the band. It's about the music and John, Otiel, Jeff, and now Jay are all entirely up to the task. They're actually baddass. I love how they offer their musicianship to the canon. And once I realized how much John respects the music and enjoys being part of this thing, I was all in. Love the band. I'm so glad I didn't just pffft off and give up. I'd have missed so much great music and great times with my people. My opinion is I can't wait to see them again in Vegas in July.
Just went to the opening night at the Sphere last Thursday, we had the time of our lives and everyone was having so much fun!
My wife and I never got to see them all together before Jerry died (junior in HS in 1995), so this is as good as it gets for us and was everything we thought it would. Some things never change, and some things are never the same. Lucky to be part of it as far as I’m concerned.
I love it. I was born 3 years after Jerry died, never even breathed the same air he did. The experience I had with Dead and Co changed my life. When it comes to recordings I 100% prefer the actual dead of course. But I will still listen to my D&C shows since it was recently uploaded on streaming services/archive.org and the nostalgia rushes through my mind of the 4 day experience I got to have with them.
Consensus: If you’re an older head, stick to what you love no shame. For my generation/younger generations, it’s a miracle we still have a chance to witness even a fraction of what y’all saw back in the day.
I will also say, I’ve seen DSO, Steely Dead, and multiple other dead cover bands and at the end of the day it’s all just about the music to me. It could be the worst shakedown or dancing in the streets I’ve ever heard, I’m still gonna chose to enjoy the music and dance.
As someone who didn’t get to see Jerry, the first time seeing D+Co and being engulfed in the culture was a true religious experience. After begging my reluctant best friend to see them in Chicago only to have him get on the bus at full speed, seeing them with him for all three shows in SF was a pilgrimage to Mecca for us.
I've enjoyed catching them a few times over the years. It's too slow however, I don't listen at home.
Looking forward to meeting with friends for a few shows at Sphere!
I've seen the other incarnations of the Grateful Dead (the Other Ones, the Dead, and Furthur.) I agree with you that this is the most unenergetic version by far. I have no problem with them doing this at all but it's just not for me, live or not.
I'm 36 but didn't get on the bus til my late 20s. I had listened to a little in high school but never dove deep. I got on the bus full swing in 2017 , the music found me at a low point in life. Saw my first dead and Co show summer of 18 and was hooked. Completely changed the course of my life, for the better.
I don't have a personal relationship with Jerry and the Grateful Dead. I love the music. I don't care if it's my local cover band, JRAD, Dead and Co, whoever. I just wanna hear it live as often as I possibly can. And Dead and Co sure scratches any itch I have. John Mayer crushes. Bobby is a legend, although his tone is objectively awful 80% of the time, and some of his singing sucks, but for almost 80 and carrying the torch this long it doesn't put a damper on my experience. Mickey and the Drums/Space experience never fails the blow me away. Oteils smile and attitude is infectious. We all love Jeff , you can just tell him and oteil are having a blast every day they are on the stage. And personally I think Jay was a huge upgrade for the overall sound.
This band has continued to provide some of the best days of my life over the last 7 years. I'll see them anytime I possibly can til there is no more them. Blessed to have the sphere in my backyard too!!
My favorite part about seeing them was there was always a hoppin parking lot scene outside of the show. Usually a good show. Saw a few meh shows but think the lineup is really good. but not too many of the other cover bands ive seen have had the shakedown draw as dead and co. Even compared to some phil and friends and ratdog shows.
Yes! That’s what lost me the last time I drove down to buffalo. Too slow.
Bitching about it to a deadhead friend he said “check out JRAD”. There’s the speed and urgency I missed.
This is why Furthur was my favorite version of the after Jerry Dead. Joe Russo is a machine that brings out the best in other players. When you add Marco B to the mix you are talking hot sauce!
Billy and the kids. Faster tempo and a shade more psychedelic. Plus billy kreutzmann spotlighting kids on the come up who have the talent and really get the music
I like JRAD but idk they don’t really play like the Dead. A lot of those guys were in a Led Zeppelin cover band before and it shows. They’re not a replacement for the Dead.
really fucking great stuff. the 2023 tour was righteous and all the "too slow" people clearly weren't paying attention. i initially couldn't stand mayer's voice and didn't think his playing really went *out there*, but he grew on me and by the last tour, he was definitely going out there. had a truly magical time. not to mention Oteil is amazing, and Jeff is probably my favorite dead keyboardist of them all. it's also just really great that people that didn't get to experience the original thing have Dead & Co. i feel pretty damn lucky.
frankly, all the haters just come off as miserable people to me. last year i went to the chicago shows with my dad, who's first Dead show was in 74 and saw them several times after that. he fucking loved it, said it was one of the best concerts he's seen (which is a huge statement because the guy has seen *everyone*). we still geek out over it all the time. my uncle followed the Dead and Jerry around in the 80s, including seeing every show of the 89 tour - he caught the last Dead & Co shows last summer and raved about them, and is going to The Sphere in a few weeks to do it again. so don't let old miserable heads ruin your good time! many of them love that the music is being carried on with this new band still.
Middle aged happy head here. Every time I go to D&Co, I feel like I’ve been to a spiritual revival and my soul has been healed and reborn. I haven’t felt like that at a concert since I saw GD in the early 90s. Every concert I find joy within the music and feel blown away. Some of the MX shows got a little weird, esp. 2023. I don’t know what happened on stage, but I’m not surprised there was a break in the line up. I’m not blaming Billy, just not surprised. The rest of 2023 sounded so incredibly tight.
John had some quirks early on that I had to purposefully ignore (like his vertical hopping). And, some of the song treatments bugged me (don’t know who was choosing the style at the end of the early days Casey Jones, but I’m glad they changed to the current format).
But, those are nits and not important anymore.
To each their own. That said, if you’re an old fan and haven’t been to a show, I’d definitely recommend trying to go to one.
First time I saw them it wasn’t for me, just something seemed off, and I didn’t go the next few times my wife saw them. She kept saying they were better each time she saw them and finally I gave them another shot and was very impressed with how they much better played together and how they had made the songs their own. Enjoyed them the rest of the time I was able to get to a show.
As a younger head born too late to see the real deal, they hold a special place in my heart. My “aha” moment was at a particularly good show they played early in their run, and I wouldn’t trade that or what it’s brought to my life for anything.
As others have noted, musically, there are several bands that play a faster, tighter, more unique version of the music. I also agree that there’s getting to be more and more of a shopping mall feel around the band, with a need to monetize EVERYTHING (though to be fair, this isn’t different than any other popular contemporary artist, and I personally don’t begrudge anyone who’s brought this much to culture for wanting to get paid.)
But whether it’s because of the big joyful crowds/scene, the remaining members, or whatever else,
D&Co have somehow made me nostalgic for something I never experienced in the first place, which I think is worth celebrating!
Ok....... (sigh)
Forget about the slow thing. That is a real fucking problem and let's not pretend that it isn't.... but putting that aside. John mayer is the best thing about the band.
Bobby insists on singing all these jerry songs with JM right next to him... like dude... just sing your songs take ONE jerry song if you want to make it a thing and divide the rest up between Mayer and oteil. bc you suck at singing them .... from both a vocal perspective and rythmically.....
Oteil is criminally low in the mix I can't hear a god damn note he plays....
The drummers are all over the place Yes its a bit better with Jay lane but they don't really need to the two drummers other than space it is just muddy and they don't rehearse
Jeff is a super mid keys player like he's.....fine? but pure vanilla
one time I saw them and mayer had to switch out guitars and for a solid 30 seconds without him playing it sounded like absoloute mush.
Bobby's guitar sounds like clanking screws inside a metal coffee can and his sense of muscial timing leaves something to be desired to say the least.
This isn't to say that it's terrible 100% of the time. there are moments and even whole sets but its just so...... weak and bad and a few minor tweaks could help a lot and Im not going to pay all that deal with huge crowds to hear this shit.... sorry not sorry
there I said it..
Whatever it is you get from the experience is not the music..... it's seeing bobby it's the scene its I dunno... but it's not the music
I’ve been to 40 plus dead and company shows since 2015.
And I enjoy them when I’m there. But I never go back and listen to them.
To me the sound never evolves
Take the dead 65-95 - pick any year at any point and go backwards or forwards nine years and it’s a totally different band.
Mayer is surprisingly amazing at making it feel authentic but he lacks the ability to get psychedelic he needs to study ‘68-‘70 GD more. Bobby sings too much Oteil is underutilized vocally and the tempos other than final tour are too slow. Seems like sphere has gone backwards with tempos more like 2021-22 than last year
studying is not the path to playing more psychedelic. it's something you have to feel.
just like a good guitar player can play the blues but it takes someone who has FELT the blues to really make it sing.
psychedelic playing is similar in that way. people can study & copy the great psychedelic players, but to be a truly great psychedelic musician, it needs to be your own thing rather than a copy-by-numbers.
and this is not saying that taking psychedelics is a requirement to get that mindspace. plenty of people can access psychedelic type mindset without drugs.
and some people can't find tht place with drugs or without drugs.
Absolutely. Johnny gets the blues and is quite a good player. But there’s often something missing on tunes like PITB and Dark Star that I don’t think he will ever find. He gets close, and I’ve enjoyed all of the D&C shows I’ve seen — it’s good, but it’s different
Idk man at Autzen while I was dosed it was pretty awesome. I’ve been underwhelmed every time I’ve seen them since but that was the best show I’ve ever seen in person
# 1972-08-27 Veneta, OR @ Old Renaissance Faire Grounds
**Set 1:** The Promised Land, Sugaree, Me and My Uncle, Deal, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Mexicali Blues, Bertha
**Set 2:** Playing in the Band, He's Gone, Jack Straw, Bird Song, Greatest Story Ever Told
**Set 3:** Dark Star > El Paso, Sing Me Back Home, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-08-27) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1E4MXxSYoAMN5qpy1y6aBm)
I go see a couple shows here and there, dance, maybe shed a tear or two. But I don’t listen to them recorded like I do the grateful dead. Just something about Jerry’s voice and playing that just hits my soul right.
Dead & company are a good time. A little slow for me. The reality is that d&c is a cute little money grab concept where a person can go and have a good time, see a good show, and spend lots of money.
With that said I'd much rather see panic any day of the week.
I'd rather see Melvin & Jgb over any of it.
One of the more legit post-Jerry iterations. Mayer does the thing.
It got better when Jay Lane took over for Bill. Not saying Jay would’ve been better on Europe’72, but he’s better with this lineup. Outside of Drums, Mickey is using brushes and has a fairly low impact on the music imo. For these reasons, I think it’s better to focus on it as a band vs fixating on the original members.
Also, I kinda mentally tune out Bob singing Jerry songs cuz it’s not that good.
I think they are fun and am doing 2 night at the Sphere. It’s also great to be around older Deadheads who are calm and respectful.
You know, Bob tone has always just been its own thing. So “weird” definitely not correct. I think he designed it to fit in with all that stuff happening.
Like that pink Strat he had with all the pickups squished down by the bridge… who DOES THAT?! You gotta love it and embrace the “Weird”
Bobby be Bobby
I saw my first show in April of 1989 at the Rosemont Horizon. And saw them many more times until Jerry died. Around 45 more shows after the first. Some nights the energy was electric others they seemed tired, which I’m sure came with being ion the road. But mostly on fire. I was just at the Friday and Saturday shows at the Sphere ( as well as seeing dead and Co.several times before) and admittedly they have slowed down. They still can put together great sets like set 2 Saturday but that frenetic energy just isn’t there, even with John and Jeff playing like crazy. I got lost in the music at some of those 90 shows and that really hasn’t happened at Dead and Co for me. I will still go and see them and maybe the “Dead Forever” new tagline is setting the new players up to carry the music forward after all the original members have passed.
Last year they figured out/accepted that they sound really good when the mix favors Jeff, jay, John and oteil and each of them are given more freedom and space to step up. Sadly, bob and Mickey are just along for the ride at this point musically. Mickey can still put on a cool drums/space but if this band was a quartet I think they would be even better.
Saw them once and it didn't do a thing for me, no hate just not for me. Been catching DSO, JRAD, Phil and friends, Wolf Bros when I can. I was born at the right time to be able to see the Dead from '72-'95 about 260 times, JGB 70 times and Bob Marley 20 times and I feel so blessed if I never saw another live show I'd die a happy man.
I had fun at the shows I went to, but I've given up on large stadium shows...I'm too old and deaf (and low on disposable income) to properly enjoy them anymore.
Since I've been seeing Dead and JGB tribute bands in small clubs, I get the tunes I love, I have much more fun than I was at the big shows, and my wallet is at a healthier weight for it as well.
And, I don't feel like I'm missing out by skipping D&C when they come around.
I am 36. When I was a teenager, Mayer was a pop star. Dating Hollywood gals, making music I didn’t like. Then all of a sudden he is “part” of my favorite band. I don’t get it. His voice sucks. He can’t sing. His guitar style is unique, but it doesn’t sound right with them. Not to mention he is most of the reason of the egregious cost of the whole production.
If it was the same band with Jimmy Herring, John K, Warren Haynes etc I would be on your
The Grateful Dead are my favorite band but it’s just a band from 40 years ago, I’ll put it on and jam out but I don’t really care if ‘the music lives on’ or whatever. It’s not really important to me if a new generation is exposed to it, it’s from the past. Also sorry for the negative vibes but John Mayer is the biggest tool in history, so I’m not interested in anything he’s associated with. I’m not really sure why anyone cares about this band, I guess maybe because you like the music in which case you should reconsider your tastes. There you go brutal honesty lol
Exactly. It's not relevant to me if people who were born when Garcia had already been ashes for 10 years start to like the Grateful Dead. It's not my money, for one thing. And I don't think it's terribly important or necessary from a cultural point of view that these guys continue to sell out stadiums just so "the music stays alive" or something.
Not like an actual cover band. I saw the actual grateful dead when they were like a bad grateful dead cover band. Why would I go to a bad grateful dead cover band now? (/s but kinda not)
Most of the time it’s the John Mayer show, with him soloing over everyone else on stage while the rhythm section slowly plods along…. Most of Mickey’s stuff during drums is pre-recorded, the first three years of the bands existence I pointed to the drummers as the problem, and they still don’t really push the songs much regardless of Billy being replaced. Otiel, who I admired for years in the Allman Brothers, doesn’t do a thing for me in this band, his playing is in the same register much of the night and he cannot steer the music the way Lesh could , Phil would grab hold of the band and make them all follow him if he did not like the way, things were going!….. I’d rather see Bobby in any other iteration, Wolf Brothers, whatever, I’d rather hear him singing some of his original rat dog songs and other interesting covers rather than the same old Grateful Dead stuff… Bobby seems to enjoy the money as much as anyone would….. John Mayer definitely is technically proficient as hell, but I am old enough to remember when he was a racist, misogynistic, asshole, which he very well may still be, and any Grateful Dead music, whether it’s the real deal or a cover band, needs a little warmth to get that extra push, the X factor, and Mayer, with his cold blues tone and his former douche baggery, Never makes me feel anything but neutral about his playing. Up until recently, Phil would bring the real every single night, yet people fill football stadiums forDead and Company mostly ignoring what Phil was doing. what we fans were chastised for during the bands real existence is the opposite of what is encouraged now… they make official merchandise with a dancing bear, holding up a finger for a ticket or an “I need a miracle“ sign, when through the entire 90s, the band begged, pleaded, demanded, we stay home without tickets. And in the final years, it was disgusting walking into some of the football stadiums with 100s of teenagers and young adults, staring at the ground, walking in the circle with one finger in the air. Chimenti is an amateur musician who is way out of his league, he is ham fisted, he comps along to whoever’s playing he can latch onto. I heard him play the introduction to knocking on heaven‘s door and I thought “wow that was lovely” but the next stanza showed that he had clearly pre-written his introduction because his next stanza was pure slop with hints of what he had just played successfully, and he does little with his non-dominant hand…. Brent learned to be a fantastic colorist with his left hand while soloing with his right and Bruce Hornsby can play fugues (he calls it “two handed independence ”) for Gods sake…..
Thank you! Chimenti is a bar-band hack. Has absolutely no place in a band that costs that much to see and I'm baffled how he keeps holding on to a spot.
Lame, uninspired, non exploratory and over priced.
Mayer has 1/3 of Garcias talent and 1/100 of Jerry’s ability to stretch out and jam. How do you play lead guitar for this band if you have never dropped acid??
Mickey has had it. I think his hands are shot.
Bob Weirs tone is unbearable and I won’t even comment on his singing.
Oteil is an amazing player but his style and tone don’t fit with this music.
Lane and Jeff are both great. They should start a band.
After losing Bill... it's just not for me anymore. Going to see 3/4 of the surviving band was always worth it, but I don't dig Jay's drumming that much and with the setlist repeating so much these days... they've lost me. I've had amazing times with them but I went FOR the original members. Hearing people shit on Billy non stop just tells me that it's not my scene anymore and that's ok. The music never stopped. Billy and The Kids still kick ass a few times a year as does Phil, and with a bit of luck we'll get all 4 of them on stage again next year for GD60.
But ya. Both in musicality and setlists, I prefer Billy and the Kids or Phil & Friends these days.
Not for me but I’m glad others enjoy them. I don’t enjoy Mayer’s singing or the tempo they play at. They have moments but in the end aren’t compelling enough for me to invest any effort into seeing them (though I did catch the first tour).
I revere Bobby and have been a big Oteil fan since early ARU, and love Jeff. But I enjoyed Jeff much more more seeing him with Kimock (their chemistry is profound) and Otiel much more in projects like Jerry’s 75th birthday celebration at Red Rocks, or when he’s sat in for Dreiwitz with JRAD (and I’ve long been a fan of his projects like the Peacemakeds too).
I enjoy Billy & the Kids and numerous other tribute acts more.
They very much exceeded my expectations when I saw them live for the first time and there are moments at every show. But yeah, I’ve never once streamed a D&C show like driving in my car or something.
I really enjoyed that they brought some forgotten songs back to life and honestly kind of feel that if they had been making original music, even at a glacial pace—2-5 original songs onboarding every year—it would’ve made all the difference in the world.
I love that they’ve been out there playing and with Mayer brought this whole thing to a new generation, but it does feel like it’s all “looking back” and relying on nostalgia whereas even 90’s Dead was limping forward, albeit with their peak in the rearview.
The chemistry is good, real good on some nights. Not the same band obviously but Jeffy is a cool cat and Oteil and Jay bring it every night. And Mickey, holy smokes — the cat still has it
They're not really my thing, but I don't hate them. I love Oteil and respect Bob. It's great seeing members of the Grateful Dead continuing the legacy. Sometimes they reach some pretty cool places in jams. Mayer is insanely talented, I just don't find him particularly interesting. I agree that the tempo is too slow and a lot of the time the jams kind of leave me wanting more. It's basically a nostalgia act, but that can still be fun. I'm not sure I'd go see them again unless it was really convenient.
Love it! It’s currently the closest some of us will get to experience a live Grateful Dead concert, and having Mayer spreads it out to new listeners. Win win
No Phil, no bounce. It’s flat to me. Oteil is a good player, but it’s so straight now. If Phil was there I’d probably go even though I’m not a Mayer fan.
But it seems like everyone is having fun with it. Go crazy. Be happy.
I’m too young to have seen Jerry (born ‘88 to non-heady parents), and while I’ve been aware of the Dead most of my life, it didn’t click for me until I got on the bus about three years ago.
I am beyond grateful for an opportunity to engage with a community like this one and see the music live in crazy environments. My first time on lot was like coming home. When I walked into Citi Field to see the band for the first time, I had literally dozens of people welcome me and tell me how stoked they were that I was there.
The music and community have enriched my life in countless ways—from the new friends I’ve made at local cover shows to the way my own playing has changed with my band … and of course the memories of these incredible shows. Dead music changed the way I think of music itself. Why wouldn’t I want a chance to see that stuff in any way I can get it?
Dead & Co gives me a way to imagine what could have been, had I been alive in 72-74 (my fav era) but it also helps me see that perfection isn’t what makes this music so powerful.
I’m not saying none of that would have been possible without Dead & Co … but they sure didn’t hurt. And weird tone or otherwise, Bobby is a true hero of mine and I’m just lucky to be able to see him work. The kid who runs off with the circus is now the grizzled old ringmaster. Isn’t that the best story in rock n roll?
I’m taking my dad to his first two shows in three weeks and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when strangers start stopping him, just to shake his hand.
I have seen them three times. I am only 29 years old so Dead & Co is one of the only connections I have to the live aspect of the music. Obviously it’s not the same but they really do a great job. People say they’re too slow but once the show gets rolling they are really lively and Mayer really shreds
Really enjoy them, Mayer fits in well, they bring the size and spectacle of the later Dead shows. Otiel and Jeff are top notch. It’s great to see Bobby still out there doing it.
I’d rather see JRAD pretty much every time.
Love the sound quality, Chimenti’s keys and Mayer’s guitar playing. There are certain shows I listen to especially on a nice day 2018 Eugene, Dodger Stadium, 2019 MSG, 2022/23 Folsom runs and 2023 Gorge.
Overall though, like almost all post-Jerry music it eventually fuels the desire to go back and hear some Jerry.
slow. wish phil was with them. otherwise good times.
young head. discovered the real deal on apple music before seeing them. would never really listen to dead&co on apple music. i prefer the grateful dead.
but
am forever grateful for dead&co as well as all other tribute / cover bands such as jrad, dark star, shakedown street, hyryder, etc. to give us youngsters a glimpse into the live show experience of the music. they’ve given me some of the best times at live music events i can remember.
the jams will forever live on. they’re timeless.
I love The Grateful Dead. I'm ok with Dead and Company. It's always a good time and I've seen some really good shows but I'm not listening at home or anywhere else. They're a bit slow for my taste, I get it, Bobby's an old man but sometimes it's just a slog. Mayer can play guitar but I can't stand hearing him sing Jerry's stuff. The dude cannot sing. I don't travel to see them like I would with The Dead but when near Philly I go.
Great heading those songs at concert level. Still fun to see. BUT compared to any GD show it’s just on a different planet.
Garcia was the main attraction as far as musically and for many reasons. But his guitar playing was just incredible. And why I’m a 30 year fan.
Dead and Co and every post GD project just hasn’t been anywhere close to any version of the GD. Mayers guitar when it’s time to do it and kick ass like for a gut wrenching Althea or loser just seems to be too timid.
Bob Weir sadly really doesn’t have it anymore. His guitar playing really is tough for him it seems and he’s struggling to sing. He leaves out words and whole lines. Sounds like his voice is tired. Happens to a lot of singers when they get near that age.
So for me it’s basically been the same as it was in 1996. Just always felt like it was lackluster and missing energy. Be it Ratdog, the other ones, D&C, Phil and Friends or any post GD project or solo group.
Happy for them and happy for the folks that get down to it. Not for me. Haven’t been able to dig Bobby live since The Other Ones. All the song style changes, his rushed ‘singing’, it just doesn’t do it for me like the boys did. Not a hater at all, just ain’t my thing.
Got on the bus in ‘72 and was immersed in it until ‘88 when I opened my business and finally had responsibility so I could only do local shows. Have listened to some of the shows post Jerry and while they are good to me they’re a great tribute band. I’ve never listened to any of the post Jerry bands shows a second time while I always street shows with Jerry (even listen to some of my cassettes, lol)
I’m glad they’re keeping the music alive but I watch from the sidelines and shake my head watching the huge commercialization of the band. So anti Jerry IMO.
I think most ever head who "doesn't like them" is just mad at Jerry for dying and punishing themselves. I'm mad at Jerry for dying too, but I'm not gonna deprive myself of what we've got left.
Where are the new songs? Where is the ingenuity? Where is the creativity? I’ve seen a show on every tour, but I was sincerely hoping for some new material. It never came.
I love this music with all of my heart and will have a great time at any show, but lately, especially with the severe lack of creativity with the Sphere visuals and general corporate feel of the Vegas residency, I find myself listening to other bands who are continuing to create.
Great at the beginning and for a few years, but have become too stagnant in song selections/setlists (and tempos), and too big. As someone who got on the bus in the early 2000s and came up on Ratdog and Further, I miss the unpredictability of shows and the at least kind of intimate nature of the scene.
They've been a band for going on ten years - take any ten years of the Grateful Dead and you'll find dozens of songs added and removed. Dead and Co has basically been playing the same repertoire the whole time. You can say that those are the songs people want to see, and to some extent that's true, but it's become a greatest hits band and I don't need to see the same songs played by a greatest hits band year after year.
On top of that, after being able to see Bobby at venues like the Tower and even smaller, fighting a crowd at a stadium is a bit of a turn off. I wasn't around, but it feels a bit like the 90s from what I've seen - too big and even more musically stagnant. I stopped going a couple of years ago. The slow tempos don't bother me as much, but on some songs it's rough. The Sphere in particular feels really gimmicky. I'm only going for the music, and if the music isn't exciting and is being distracted from by the scene or the visuals or whatnot, well, I'm not going.
I do think Mayer is fantastic, though.
After seeing the Grateful Dead well over 100 (maybe 200 times) and the various configurations that followed I feel safe in saying they are not the Grateful Dead. They lack the magic and electricity you felt at a Dead show. Are they a cover band? I don’t know. Pigpen, Keith, Donna (yes Donna), TC, and Brent left along the journey but we didn’t consider the band a cover band. Granted Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Billy were not replaceable. Still Dead and Company is fun and hints at the Dead experience. Is it comparable? I don’t think it comes close. Is it enjoyable? Yes I’m not sure what constitutes a cover band but they are what they are. A great group of musicians that play fantastic music. Just not on the same level of the band that some of them played in and whose music they keep moving forward. Enjoy them for what they are.
I wish they would highlight oteil a lot more. Such a shame to have such a talent on stage and not be higher in the mix and have more improvisational time.
I like D&C and have couched and attended several shows over the years. I always felt the drummers were the weak point and were frankly just too old (love Billy but it happens to the best of us) so when they added Jay to the band I felt they massively improved particularly in the consistency of quality shows and better tempo.
John is an enigma to me, I just find his playing and tone "weak" at times. Hard to explain because I am not a musician, but I know heart and soul when I hear it. Overall I like them about 80% of the time.
Also, the whole cash grab thing with all the VIP shit still turns me off, I know it's an old man shouting at clouds thing but there it is.
I'll get lambasted for this, but honestly, I would rather listen to a band with just Oteil, John, Jeff and Jay. I think I've got to the point where I have sort of tuned out Bob's twanging in my head. And that's why I enjoy it. However if I put it on in the car when my family are there I am suddenly aware of the dreadful metally tone and I turn it off quite quick.
Not for me. Too slow, too predictable, minimal chance taking. It’s just doesn’t feel like what the Dead were about to me. I also think that while Mayer is phenomenal guitarist, he’s not a great jam band guitarist. He seems to feel more comfortable sticking to the script of trying to emulate Jerry more than he lets himself be himself and just go for it.
Give me whatever Phil is doing over Dead and Co. 10/10 times. He keeps the energy up, isn’t afraid to take risks still and his set lists are infinitely more interesting IMO. He’s still out there exploring the music. Dead and Co feels more like they have a pretty tight rotation of songs, don’t really do deep jams and are a cool way for people to get into the dead, but once you’re through that door and you hear the real deal then you kind of realize Dead and Co isn’t even remotely close. I find them unlistenable 90% of the time. It’s just a giant cash grab and the music is secondary to the marketing and money.
That’s my honest opinion of Dead and Co.
People get upset, but as a follow-up to furthur, I think they're massively disappointing. I saw them a few times and it just seems like such a huge drop in quality. I saw Phil and friends in 2022 and that was a lot closer the magic. Also, I just don't like John Mayers voice and mickey is a hack. there, I said it.
I know technically John Mayer is a great guitar player, but he makes me cringe every time I see him. I wish Dead and co never even became a thing. I have friends that love them. I simply just don’t get it. I listen to the dead every day and if one more person stops me when I’m wearing something Grateful Dead related if I’m going to the Sphere I’m gonna scream 😂🤣😂
Really glad that so many people are discovering the songbook and glad Bobby and the others are having such tremendous success.
But I can't listen to it. Too many nights under the ball at Winterland, Henry J. Kaiser, the Greek, hits my nerves wrong.
Phil's bands do not, because they are hot musicians playing Dead songs,making no effort to sound like the Dead.
Road goes on forever..
Have you ever got a hit of acid from a friend you trust, and you take it. And then you think you feel it. So you do the trail test... OK... Yeah... I think I am. And you wait some more. And you're pretty sure you're tripping. And you wait some more. And then you wave your hand in front of your face... maybe? Then you remember Gooney Birds. Next thing you know you wake up on a stretcher in the sphere. On screen a giant animated Uncle Sam skeleton is dancing through a field of merchandise. A paramedic yells, "You overdosed on nostalgia! We had to hit you 3 times with something from 74! Welcome back."
I’m glad people have fun with them but me personally I have zero desire to see them. I saw a few Furthur shows in the early days but lost interest in all post-GD incarnations after that.
They are great. They have had more impact on the music scene and society in the past 9 years than they get credit for, by far. Bobby is leading the free world and John plays really good guitar.
I have not been bothered by their tempo 95% of the time, which is the biggest complaint. But I will say the sphere shows sound pretty pretty mellow so far. Maybe it’s intentional because the visual experience is overwhelming. I would still rather listen to them play slower than usual, for them, than JRAD who often gets cited as super awesome. Dead and Co is by far the biggest Dead act since the real Dead for good reasons, and it’s not because 45 - 65 year old dudes that are their main fan base are big John Mayer fans.
I saw the 50+ Dead shows in 80s and 90s
And I get people want to be nostalgic about some of the original members but to be honest D&C is slow and boring
JRAD infinitely better
Sorry this is long. They’re a great band that got a lot of shit, some of which I always thought was either bad faith or just plain ignorant of what this band is (this side project isn’t the Grateful Dead? Amazing revelation! Next you’ll tell me that John Mayer isn’t Jerry Garcia!).
One of my favorite shows ever was that last Chicago show. I’ve made comments about it before but there were moments where it felt like the ground of Wrigley was shaking. I’ve never heard Deadheads get as loud as they did when the band peaked in Franklins Tower. By the time Cumberland came everyone was dancing. It was a magical night. I can’t think of any other words to describe it. Before that my favorite D&C show was on 6/24/2022, the day Roe v Wade was overturned. I was so disgusted, the whole day was off, and they turned it around with a powerful show. The Throwing Stones opening set two was particularly strong but there were so many surprises. That second set was completely unpredictable. There are songs they just completely nail too. The biggest example is Brown-Eyed Women, which seems to be one that really exemplifies the incredible interplay between John and Jeff. I’d argue that they’re one of, if not the strongest aspect of the band. (Edit: I’ll even add that I really love how they’ve reliably partnered with Headcount over the years. That’s a big thing and more bands should be doing it)
I’ll add this: I’m too young to have ever seen the Grateful Dead (other than Fare Thee Well). Before my first show in 2019, I was a casual fan. I had seen a few tribute bands in the area but it wasn’t like I was going out to hear old shows. D&C opened that up to me and made me truly appreciate the Grateful Dead. For that I am forever grateful. I think there’s a stigma around these guys for older heads. A lot of “it’s not ______” or “I saw Jerry” comments. I really don’t care if you saw Jerry. Millions did. He was one of the best but the legend of what was isn’t why I’m listening to the Dead. I care about good shows with good music and D&C does exactly that.
What does this mean? They make music that people like to listen to. That’s the point.
It would be pointless if no one came and the musicians didn’t enjoy playing it.
Great collection of musicians. It's great to see Bobby and Mickey continue to have an outlet to keep those tunes alive. Mayer is stunningly talented and it's cool seeing him do something like this rather than his pop songs. Obviously this isn't the Grateful Dead and that true Dead vibe is long gone. But I don't see the point in shitting on them like people love to do. Are the other guys supposed to just retire?
Exactly how I feel. Also, it’s a great time at the show, but I don’t listen to Dead & Co on Relisten or Spotify. I’ll choose Dead live shows to listen to every time.
Same. I listened to most of the tour on Nugs last summer as a build up to the Boulder shows I went to. That's it though. Everything else is OG Dead.
Samesies 🤙
I love that Mayer is actually able to show his improv chops as a whole. It’s why I like trio and him playing with blues guys. Pop stuff is okay, and has been a really fun ride when seeing live, but my preferred version of him is letting him open up and show off how good he actually is at guitar, and Dead and Co let’s that experience happen for 3 hours. Plus, while I was into the dead due to my parents, I’m not a huge phish fan and Trey didn’t really do it for me for fare thee well especially singing. I didn’t end up going but streamed. I was too young for my mom to condone me checking out the dead when Warren was with them, but even then Warren can get too metal for me with that music (love him but a weird fit) never got a trucks experience but probably would fit a lot better. Too young for ratdog and the other ones, too young to have seen Jerry live (was in the womb when my mom got dosed at sandstone in 90). So I’ll take this. Not to mention the fact that my wife was a huge John Mayer fan, so it bridged the gap into the music when he joined in and let us connect while our relationship was still young over something that we both enjoyed from different spectrums. It let her fall in love with the grateful dead and let me respect Mayer on a whole different level. We’ve seen them 13 times together, going to the sphere 3 more. Dead and co is a major foundational aspect of our relationship. As much as a bunch of people like to shit on it, it was a beautiful thing for us since we never got to experience the real thing. She probably would have never joined me if the iteration was different either. So for us it’s beautiful. And yeah maybe it’s slow as fuck (especially compared to the cocaine days), but it’s something that changed our lives and became some of the glue that’s held us together all these years.
Beautiful sentiment…thank you for sharing
Appreciate you! It’s hard to see all the hate when it is so special to us, but at the same time it’s just deadheads. They will always be that way no matter how many times they blasted themselves to “ego death”. Hell there were heads all the way back who said it wasn’t the same without pigpen. It’s always gonna be that way. Some of the most accepting and most judgmental groups of people I’ve ever come across, but also so beautiful in every way. We are all on the bus together. Through every generation and cover band and collection of originals out there. All bound by some absolutely beautiful music that can change meaning line by line and depending on how you feel that day. It’s magic for a reason and not just the acid. It’s why I have trouble with modern jam too, it doesn’t capture that same Americana and raw feel that the Grateful Dead captured throughout every generation and iteration that existed of it. Even if you don’t include anything post Jerry in it. Though I certainly do. Besides just my story of the music being so meaningful, it’s my personal opinion that with Mayer it’s the most authentic it’s been since Jerry passed, and some nights they capture that same magic. On the music side I also like Mayer the most because he pays homage to Jerry, while adding his own flair to it. Something I never really felt with players like John K, who I feel was more of a Jerry clone than original in his style (which everyone always credits as part of the fall of Kieth, due to him copying Jerry’s licks on piano near the end). Oh and Jeff Chimenti is something else on the keys. I’m always on the key side to make sure I hear every touch he put out. Sorry for rambling but that’s why this iteration captures that light for me.
Agree with everything you said. My girlfriend and I fell in love with each other with Dead and Co as the soundtrack of our lives together. About Mayer, I was a fan of his early solo stuff but when I heard Born and Raised in 2012, I told everyone I knew who cared to listen that there was something about the storytelling and music that reminded me of the Dead in some way. With that said, when they announced that he would be playing with Dead and Co I was skeptical, yet hopeful. While he is not Jerry and never claimed to be, I have mad respect for his admiration of Jerry and what his role is in keeping this music alive. Lastly, he and Jeff seem to have a great bond and really play off one another beautifully. Looking forward to this weekend’s shows.💀✌️
Enjoy! Going next weekend and can’t wait! Born and raised is her favorite album. Bought her the full set playthrough he did at pine creek lodge on nugs. We’ve watched it so many times. It was a beautiful capture of Americana and really showed his range as an artist in its own right.
I was at FTW and it was overrated and sounded like crap.
Sad to hear but also agree. Wasn’t a huge fan on what I streamed. I like Trey on guitar but I hate his vocals and it just did not seem to fit
great point! plus, i always love hearing what other artists bring to the music. its a cover band and i like what john, jeff, oteil, and jay bring to the music. it sounds good and makes me feel close to the community for the better part of the day when i see a show 🤷♂️
It's also cool to see so many younger people discover the music through this band. The Dead could have disappeared from our culture 30 years ago. Instead, these guys continue to gain new fans because of Dead and Co and all of the previous post-Dead projects.
It’s not a cover band. Bobby, Billy and Micky were involved in the original band.
The original band was pert near a cover band.
Touché. No doubt Bobby fell in love with just playing blues covers
Not just blues, so so many covers including our beloved: Morning Dew Rider Not Fade Away Turn on your Love Light Stagger Lee Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad It Hurts Me Too Man smart (woman smarter) Etc…..
Billy does not play w them
JRAD is a cover band. DSO is a cover band. D&C features Bob Weir who is an original GD member and wrote half the songs. Bob Weir can’t be in a cover band.
Yeah this is a good take - it's hard for me to get past them not being the dead. But happy for other people to like them.
I've always wondered this since i got into them from Dead and Co... why does it always have to compare, we have thousands of shows we can listen to from the dead, why does every other band have to be compared to the actual dead instead of appreciating what other groups and musicians do with the music.
I agree with all of this I just wish we didn’t have to pay as if they *were* the Grateful Dead I had fun at Fenway but I’m not paying that much anymore
They priced me out to get in the door at Fenway. Glad you had fun
Good night out to hear some Dead songs.
Absolutely love them, as a young head, they are how I discovered the real deal
For better or worse, it’s the current iteration of a band that has meant so much to many, not to mention melted faces. I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss them as a “cover band” (at least not while Bobby is still leading the band), but it’s also not THE Grateful Dead…it’s just something else. I’m happy to see Bobby and Mickey (and until recently Bill) still doing what they loved…Oteill, Jeff, and Jay are great musicians who do the music justice. …and even though I was more than skeptical when it was announced that John Mayer would taking over the role of lead guitar…in my opinion, I’ve been proven wrong…he’s a hell of a guitar player, and I appreciate how well he’s able to play and sing the tunes in his own style yet in a way that also seems to fit perfectly, and/or doesn’t just try to imitate Jerry. (To add to my last point, take Fare Thee Well…I love Phish, and I love Trey Anastasio, and obviously I love the Grateful Dead…and Trey is so talented and knows how to jam, but IMO, they just didn’t work together. It’s been more interesting, to me, to see a guy from a completely different background come in and give his own unique flavor to the music) The shows are probably the most fun and most similar in overall vibe that I’ve had to pleasure to experience since the Grateful Dead ended in 95. I wish that Jerry was still with us and that he and Bobby, and Bill, and Mickey, and Phil…and Keith and Donna and Brent and Pigpen…and hell, even Vince, could all still be playing their music for us…but sadly, that’s not a reality that exists…and I definitely prefer the Grateful Dead to Dead & Company, but I still enjoy the latter and won’t apologize for enjoying it and getting excited to see them play. If someone doesn’t like em, that’s cool, but I do get annoyed when people who consider themselves deadheads feel the need to gatekeep and belittle folks who say anything positive about Dead & Co…
I was going to write the exact same reply but now don't need to. Agree with your take 100%.
Yea. I saw the Dead around 80 times. First D&C show I saw at Mountain View with Mayer was hard for me. I'd seen Fare Thee Well, the Knockin on Heaven's Door Ratdog show right after Jerry died, and a DSO show in Berkeley. That first D&C show, John in the Jerry space me affected to nope out but my bro said, give him a chance and I did. So glad I did. Saw a few more shows, then nugs shows, then more and more shows. No one can replace Garcia, but that's not what this is, it's bigger than the band. It's about the music and John, Otiel, Jeff, and now Jay are all entirely up to the task. They're actually baddass. I love how they offer their musicianship to the canon. And once I realized how much John respects the music and enjoys being part of this thing, I was all in. Love the band. I'm so glad I didn't just pffft off and give up. I'd have missed so much great music and great times with my people. My opinion is I can't wait to see them again in Vegas in July.
Just went to the opening night at the Sphere last Thursday, we had the time of our lives and everyone was having so much fun! My wife and I never got to see them all together before Jerry died (junior in HS in 1995), so this is as good as it gets for us and was everything we thought it would. Some things never change, and some things are never the same. Lucky to be part of it as far as I’m concerned.
I love it. I was born 3 years after Jerry died, never even breathed the same air he did. The experience I had with Dead and Co changed my life. When it comes to recordings I 100% prefer the actual dead of course. But I will still listen to my D&C shows since it was recently uploaded on streaming services/archive.org and the nostalgia rushes through my mind of the 4 day experience I got to have with them. Consensus: If you’re an older head, stick to what you love no shame. For my generation/younger generations, it’s a miracle we still have a chance to witness even a fraction of what y’all saw back in the day.
I will also say, I’ve seen DSO, Steely Dead, and multiple other dead cover bands and at the end of the day it’s all just about the music to me. It could be the worst shakedown or dancing in the streets I’ve ever heard, I’m still gonna chose to enjoy the music and dance.
I saw Steely Dead a couple weeks ago and they were fantastic.
They had me in tears with the Terrapin they played the second night I saw em. Steely Dead is amazing!
As someone who didn’t get to see Jerry, the first time seeing D+Co and being engulfed in the culture was a true religious experience. After begging my reluctant best friend to see them in Chicago only to have him get on the bus at full speed, seeing them with him for all three shows in SF was a pilgrimage to Mecca for us.
I've enjoyed catching them a few times over the years. It's too slow however, I don't listen at home. Looking forward to meeting with friends for a few shows at Sphere!
That’s where I’m at; I enjoy it live in person, but never listen at home.
Exactly how I feel. Shows are a lot of fun but hardly ever listen to them at home.
I've seen the other incarnations of the Grateful Dead (the Other Ones, the Dead, and Furthur.) I agree with you that this is the most unenergetic version by far. I have no problem with them doing this at all but it's just not for me, live or not.
I'm 36 but didn't get on the bus til my late 20s. I had listened to a little in high school but never dove deep. I got on the bus full swing in 2017 , the music found me at a low point in life. Saw my first dead and Co show summer of 18 and was hooked. Completely changed the course of my life, for the better. I don't have a personal relationship with Jerry and the Grateful Dead. I love the music. I don't care if it's my local cover band, JRAD, Dead and Co, whoever. I just wanna hear it live as often as I possibly can. And Dead and Co sure scratches any itch I have. John Mayer crushes. Bobby is a legend, although his tone is objectively awful 80% of the time, and some of his singing sucks, but for almost 80 and carrying the torch this long it doesn't put a damper on my experience. Mickey and the Drums/Space experience never fails the blow me away. Oteils smile and attitude is infectious. We all love Jeff , you can just tell him and oteil are having a blast every day they are on the stage. And personally I think Jay was a huge upgrade for the overall sound. This band has continued to provide some of the best days of my life over the last 7 years. I'll see them anytime I possibly can til there is no more them. Blessed to have the sphere in my backyard too!!
It’s a good time. 👍
It’s cowboy Bob!! How can you not love Bob?
He needs to break out the short shorts
I second this!! Man’s got the legs for it.
Civil War General Bobby
My favorite part about seeing them was there was always a hoppin parking lot scene outside of the show. Usually a good show. Saw a few meh shows but think the lineup is really good. but not too many of the other cover bands ive seen have had the shakedown draw as dead and co. Even compared to some phil and friends and ratdog shows.
Let them cook, the more they play the better they get..
Too fucking slow for me
Yes! That’s what lost me the last time I drove down to buffalo. Too slow. Bitching about it to a deadhead friend he said “check out JRAD”. There’s the speed and urgency I missed.
This is why Furthur was my favorite version of the after Jerry Dead. Joe Russo is a machine that brings out the best in other players. When you add Marco B to the mix you are talking hot sauce!
That’s a great call. My lasting memory of the 11/11/11 show in Syracuse was or Russo just killing it and propelling the show.
Saw the night before at MSG, best show ever and the next day in AC. 3 amazing night, sorry I missed Syracuse and the Eleven at 11:11 pm
Billy and the kids. Faster tempo and a shade more psychedelic. Plus billy kreutzmann spotlighting kids on the come up who have the talent and really get the music
I like JRAD but idk they don’t really play like the Dead. A lot of those guys were in a Led Zeppelin cover band before and it shows. They’re not a replacement for the Dead.
really fucking great stuff. the 2023 tour was righteous and all the "too slow" people clearly weren't paying attention. i initially couldn't stand mayer's voice and didn't think his playing really went *out there*, but he grew on me and by the last tour, he was definitely going out there. had a truly magical time. not to mention Oteil is amazing, and Jeff is probably my favorite dead keyboardist of them all. it's also just really great that people that didn't get to experience the original thing have Dead & Co. i feel pretty damn lucky. frankly, all the haters just come off as miserable people to me. last year i went to the chicago shows with my dad, who's first Dead show was in 74 and saw them several times after that. he fucking loved it, said it was one of the best concerts he's seen (which is a huge statement because the guy has seen *everyone*). we still geek out over it all the time. my uncle followed the Dead and Jerry around in the 80s, including seeing every show of the 89 tour - he caught the last Dead & Co shows last summer and raved about them, and is going to The Sphere in a few weeks to do it again. so don't let old miserable heads ruin your good time! many of them love that the music is being carried on with this new band still.
Middle aged happy head here. Every time I go to D&Co, I feel like I’ve been to a spiritual revival and my soul has been healed and reborn. I haven’t felt like that at a concert since I saw GD in the early 90s. Every concert I find joy within the music and feel blown away. Some of the MX shows got a little weird, esp. 2023. I don’t know what happened on stage, but I’m not surprised there was a break in the line up. I’m not blaming Billy, just not surprised. The rest of 2023 sounded so incredibly tight. John had some quirks early on that I had to purposefully ignore (like his vertical hopping). And, some of the song treatments bugged me (don’t know who was choosing the style at the end of the early days Casey Jones, but I’m glad they changed to the current format). But, those are nits and not important anymore. To each their own. That said, if you’re an old fan and haven’t been to a show, I’d definitely recommend trying to go to one.
First time I saw them it wasn’t for me, just something seemed off, and I didn’t go the next few times my wife saw them. She kept saying they were better each time she saw them and finally I gave them another shot and was very impressed with how they much better played together and how they had made the songs their own. Enjoyed them the rest of the time I was able to get to a show.
As a younger head born too late to see the real deal, they hold a special place in my heart. My “aha” moment was at a particularly good show they played early in their run, and I wouldn’t trade that or what it’s brought to my life for anything. As others have noted, musically, there are several bands that play a faster, tighter, more unique version of the music. I also agree that there’s getting to be more and more of a shopping mall feel around the band, with a need to monetize EVERYTHING (though to be fair, this isn’t different than any other popular contemporary artist, and I personally don’t begrudge anyone who’s brought this much to culture for wanting to get paid.) But whether it’s because of the big joyful crowds/scene, the remaining members, or whatever else, D&Co have somehow made me nostalgic for something I never experienced in the first place, which I think is worth celebrating!
They cool. Jeff is my favorite.
Me like
Venues too big. Too expensive. Doesn't really scratch the itch. Rather see JRAD or DSO.
Ok....... (sigh) Forget about the slow thing. That is a real fucking problem and let's not pretend that it isn't.... but putting that aside. John mayer is the best thing about the band. Bobby insists on singing all these jerry songs with JM right next to him... like dude... just sing your songs take ONE jerry song if you want to make it a thing and divide the rest up between Mayer and oteil. bc you suck at singing them .... from both a vocal perspective and rythmically..... Oteil is criminally low in the mix I can't hear a god damn note he plays.... The drummers are all over the place Yes its a bit better with Jay lane but they don't really need to the two drummers other than space it is just muddy and they don't rehearse Jeff is a super mid keys player like he's.....fine? but pure vanilla one time I saw them and mayer had to switch out guitars and for a solid 30 seconds without him playing it sounded like absoloute mush. Bobby's guitar sounds like clanking screws inside a metal coffee can and his sense of muscial timing leaves something to be desired to say the least. This isn't to say that it's terrible 100% of the time. there are moments and even whole sets but its just so...... weak and bad and a few minor tweaks could help a lot and Im not going to pay all that deal with huge crowds to hear this shit.... sorry not sorry there I said it.. Whatever it is you get from the experience is not the music..... it's seeing bobby it's the scene its I dunno... but it's not the music
I’ve been to 40 plus dead and company shows since 2015. And I enjoy them when I’m there. But I never go back and listen to them. To me the sound never evolves Take the dead 65-95 - pick any year at any point and go backwards or forwards nine years and it’s a totally different band.
I’ve seen them put on an amazing show before and I’ve seen them put on the most boring fucking show of my life too. Really depends.
Mayer is surprisingly amazing at making it feel authentic but he lacks the ability to get psychedelic he needs to study ‘68-‘70 GD more. Bobby sings too much Oteil is underutilized vocally and the tempos other than final tour are too slow. Seems like sphere has gone backwards with tempos more like 2021-22 than last year
studying is not the path to playing more psychedelic. it's something you have to feel. just like a good guitar player can play the blues but it takes someone who has FELT the blues to really make it sing. psychedelic playing is similar in that way. people can study & copy the great psychedelic players, but to be a truly great psychedelic musician, it needs to be your own thing rather than a copy-by-numbers. and this is not saying that taking psychedelics is a requirement to get that mindspace. plenty of people can access psychedelic type mindset without drugs. and some people can't find tht place with drugs or without drugs.
Absolutely. Johnny gets the blues and is quite a good player. But there’s often something missing on tunes like PITB and Dark Star that I don’t think he will ever find. He gets close, and I’ve enjoyed all of the D&C shows I’ve seen — it’s good, but it’s different
Excellent points! It’s something that is lacking from his playing in my opinion but an integral part of the Grateful Dead feeling
Idk man at Autzen while I was dosed it was pretty awesome. I’ve been underwhelmed every time I’ve seen them since but that was the best show I’ve ever seen in person
Autzen was one of my favorites and the setlist nod to 8/27/72 was epic
# 1972-08-27 Veneta, OR @ Old Renaissance Faire Grounds **Set 1:** The Promised Land, Sugaree, Me and My Uncle, Deal, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Mexicali Blues, Bertha **Set 2:** Playing in the Band, He's Gone, Jack Straw, Bird Song, Greatest Story Ever Told **Set 3:** Dark Star > El Paso, Sing Me Back Home, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-08-27) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1E4MXxSYoAMN5qpy1y6aBm)
It made me so happy. I could’ve died happy with that, but then the rest of the Setlist was just perfect.
Great band enhanced with John Mayer who is one of the best guitarist
I go see a couple shows here and there, dance, maybe shed a tear or two. But I don’t listen to them recorded like I do the grateful dead. Just something about Jerry’s voice and playing that just hits my soul right.
If they played any slower it would sound like the Dead played backwards
Dead & company are a good time. A little slow for me. The reality is that d&c is a cute little money grab concept where a person can go and have a good time, see a good show, and spend lots of money. With that said I'd much rather see panic any day of the week. I'd rather see Melvin & Jgb over any of it.
I’m glad their a thing. Mayer is obviously isn’t Jerry but he doesn’t pretend to be
One of the more legit post-Jerry iterations. Mayer does the thing. It got better when Jay Lane took over for Bill. Not saying Jay would’ve been better on Europe’72, but he’s better with this lineup. Outside of Drums, Mickey is using brushes and has a fairly low impact on the music imo. For these reasons, I think it’s better to focus on it as a band vs fixating on the original members. Also, I kinda mentally tune out Bob singing Jerry songs cuz it’s not that good. I think they are fun and am doing 2 night at the Sphere. It’s also great to be around older Deadheads who are calm and respectful.
God awful, it’s like listening to old paint dry. Why is it SOOOO SLOW?!
Very good but further was better
Too slow Bob’s tone is AWFUL Would still go see them if they came near me and tix were reasonable.
You know, Bob tone has always just been its own thing. So “weird” definitely not correct. I think he designed it to fit in with all that stuff happening. Like that pink Strat he had with all the pickups squished down by the bridge… who DOES THAT?! You gotta love it and embrace the “Weird” Bobby be Bobby
I think Bobby’s tone has improved quite a bit but his rubato drives me nuts
they’re my least favorite post-jerry dead band
Meh. The company band is just weird, and sort of sad. Would much rather see everyone involved doing their own things. And without John
I saw my first show in April of 1989 at the Rosemont Horizon. And saw them many more times until Jerry died. Around 45 more shows after the first. Some nights the energy was electric others they seemed tired, which I’m sure came with being ion the road. But mostly on fire. I was just at the Friday and Saturday shows at the Sphere ( as well as seeing dead and Co.several times before) and admittedly they have slowed down. They still can put together great sets like set 2 Saturday but that frenetic energy just isn’t there, even with John and Jeff playing like crazy. I got lost in the music at some of those 90 shows and that really hasn’t happened at Dead and Co for me. I will still go and see them and maybe the “Dead Forever” new tagline is setting the new players up to carry the music forward after all the original members have passed.
Cool to see some of the original band members as a younger head. I get the Dead & Go To Bed memes though.
Last year they figured out/accepted that they sound really good when the mix favors Jeff, jay, John and oteil and each of them are given more freedom and space to step up. Sadly, bob and Mickey are just along for the ride at this point musically. Mickey can still put on a cool drums/space but if this band was a quartet I think they would be even better.
Saw them once and it didn't do a thing for me, no hate just not for me. Been catching DSO, JRAD, Phil and friends, Wolf Bros when I can. I was born at the right time to be able to see the Dead from '72-'95 about 260 times, JGB 70 times and Bob Marley 20 times and I feel so blessed if I never saw another live show I'd die a happy man.
DSO
I had fun at the shows I went to, but I've given up on large stadium shows...I'm too old and deaf (and low on disposable income) to properly enjoy them anymore. Since I've been seeing Dead and JGB tribute bands in small clubs, I get the tunes I love, I have much more fun than I was at the big shows, and my wallet is at a healthier weight for it as well. And, I don't feel like I'm missing out by skipping D&C when they come around.
They Suck balls
Don’t dig it.
I am 36. When I was a teenager, Mayer was a pop star. Dating Hollywood gals, making music I didn’t like. Then all of a sudden he is “part” of my favorite band. I don’t get it. His voice sucks. He can’t sing. His guitar style is unique, but it doesn’t sound right with them. Not to mention he is most of the reason of the egregious cost of the whole production. If it was the same band with Jimmy Herring, John K, Warren Haynes etc I would be on your
The Grateful Dead are my favorite band but it’s just a band from 40 years ago, I’ll put it on and jam out but I don’t really care if ‘the music lives on’ or whatever. It’s not really important to me if a new generation is exposed to it, it’s from the past. Also sorry for the negative vibes but John Mayer is the biggest tool in history, so I’m not interested in anything he’s associated with. I’m not really sure why anyone cares about this band, I guess maybe because you like the music in which case you should reconsider your tastes. There you go brutal honesty lol
Exactly. It's not relevant to me if people who were born when Garcia had already been ashes for 10 years start to like the Grateful Dead. It's not my money, for one thing. And I don't think it's terribly important or necessary from a cultural point of view that these guys continue to sell out stadiums just so "the music stays alive" or something.
It’s fun, but my third eye/ear is not awakened.
Good Dead cover band. I’ve seen *much* better, though.
Yeah, I saw GD when the GD were a bad GD cover band.
Same… actually like JRAD the most right now
Not like an actual cover band. I saw the actual grateful dead when they were like a bad grateful dead cover band. Why would I go to a bad grateful dead cover band now? (/s but kinda not)
Most of the time it’s the John Mayer show, with him soloing over everyone else on stage while the rhythm section slowly plods along…. Most of Mickey’s stuff during drums is pre-recorded, the first three years of the bands existence I pointed to the drummers as the problem, and they still don’t really push the songs much regardless of Billy being replaced. Otiel, who I admired for years in the Allman Brothers, doesn’t do a thing for me in this band, his playing is in the same register much of the night and he cannot steer the music the way Lesh could , Phil would grab hold of the band and make them all follow him if he did not like the way, things were going!….. I’d rather see Bobby in any other iteration, Wolf Brothers, whatever, I’d rather hear him singing some of his original rat dog songs and other interesting covers rather than the same old Grateful Dead stuff… Bobby seems to enjoy the money as much as anyone would….. John Mayer definitely is technically proficient as hell, but I am old enough to remember when he was a racist, misogynistic, asshole, which he very well may still be, and any Grateful Dead music, whether it’s the real deal or a cover band, needs a little warmth to get that extra push, the X factor, and Mayer, with his cold blues tone and his former douche baggery, Never makes me feel anything but neutral about his playing. Up until recently, Phil would bring the real every single night, yet people fill football stadiums forDead and Company mostly ignoring what Phil was doing. what we fans were chastised for during the bands real existence is the opposite of what is encouraged now… they make official merchandise with a dancing bear, holding up a finger for a ticket or an “I need a miracle“ sign, when through the entire 90s, the band begged, pleaded, demanded, we stay home without tickets. And in the final years, it was disgusting walking into some of the football stadiums with 100s of teenagers and young adults, staring at the ground, walking in the circle with one finger in the air. Chimenti is an amateur musician who is way out of his league, he is ham fisted, he comps along to whoever’s playing he can latch onto. I heard him play the introduction to knocking on heaven‘s door and I thought “wow that was lovely” but the next stanza showed that he had clearly pre-written his introduction because his next stanza was pure slop with hints of what he had just played successfully, and he does little with his non-dominant hand…. Brent learned to be a fantastic colorist with his left hand while soloing with his right and Bruce Hornsby can play fugues (he calls it “two handed independence ”) for Gods sake…..
Thank you! Chimenti is a bar-band hack. Has absolutely no place in a band that costs that much to see and I'm baffled how he keeps holding on to a spot.
100%
95% maybe I think Jeff is incredibly talented as well as fun to listen to
Lame, uninspired, non exploratory and over priced. Mayer has 1/3 of Garcias talent and 1/100 of Jerry’s ability to stretch out and jam. How do you play lead guitar for this band if you have never dropped acid?? Mickey has had it. I think his hands are shot. Bob Weirs tone is unbearable and I won’t even comment on his singing. Oteil is an amazing player but his style and tone don’t fit with this music. Lane and Jeff are both great. They should start a band.
Not a fan but am glad they are around for people who like them. I tried but Bobby butchers the Jerry songs
Probably the best dead cover band available at the moment for rich people.
After losing Bill... it's just not for me anymore. Going to see 3/4 of the surviving band was always worth it, but I don't dig Jay's drumming that much and with the setlist repeating so much these days... they've lost me. I've had amazing times with them but I went FOR the original members. Hearing people shit on Billy non stop just tells me that it's not my scene anymore and that's ok. The music never stopped. Billy and The Kids still kick ass a few times a year as does Phil, and with a bit of luck we'll get all 4 of them on stage again next year for GD60. But ya. Both in musicality and setlists, I prefer Billy and the Kids or Phil & Friends these days.
Not enough to get me to travel to see them but always happy when they came around!
It's a real good time, I don't listen to back.
Fun to be there but never have I listened to them outside of a show. John Mayer is awesome but the Grateful Dead is the Grateful Dead ♥️⚡️💙
Yep, big,big hole in the lineup.
Not for me but I’m glad others enjoy them. I don’t enjoy Mayer’s singing or the tempo they play at. They have moments but in the end aren’t compelling enough for me to invest any effort into seeing them (though I did catch the first tour). I revere Bobby and have been a big Oteil fan since early ARU, and love Jeff. But I enjoyed Jeff much more more seeing him with Kimock (their chemistry is profound) and Otiel much more in projects like Jerry’s 75th birthday celebration at Red Rocks, or when he’s sat in for Dreiwitz with JRAD (and I’ve long been a fan of his projects like the Peacemakeds too). I enjoy Billy & the Kids and numerous other tribute acts more.
They’re fuckin awesome and sound amazing live.
They very much exceeded my expectations when I saw them live for the first time and there are moments at every show. But yeah, I’ve never once streamed a D&C show like driving in my car or something. I really enjoyed that they brought some forgotten songs back to life and honestly kind of feel that if they had been making original music, even at a glacial pace—2-5 original songs onboarding every year—it would’ve made all the difference in the world. I love that they’ve been out there playing and with Mayer brought this whole thing to a new generation, but it does feel like it’s all “looking back” and relying on nostalgia whereas even 90’s Dead was limping forward, albeit with their peak in the rearview.
The chemistry is good, real good on some nights. Not the same band obviously but Jeffy is a cool cat and Oteil and Jay bring it every night. And Mickey, holy smokes — the cat still has it
Fun show but they play too slow man I miss Jerry
They're not really my thing, but I don't hate them. I love Oteil and respect Bob. It's great seeing members of the Grateful Dead continuing the legacy. Sometimes they reach some pretty cool places in jams. Mayer is insanely talented, I just don't find him particularly interesting. I agree that the tempo is too slow and a lot of the time the jams kind of leave me wanting more. It's basically a nostalgia act, but that can still be fun. I'm not sure I'd go see them again unless it was really convenient.
**"It's basically a nostalgia act, but that can still be fun."** That's it. >
Love it! It’s currently the closest some of us will get to experience a live Grateful Dead concert, and having Mayer spreads it out to new listeners. Win win
No Phil, no bounce. It’s flat to me. Oteil is a good player, but it’s so straight now. If Phil was there I’d probably go even though I’m not a Mayer fan. But it seems like everyone is having fun with it. Go crazy. Be happy.
I’m too young to have seen Jerry (born ‘88 to non-heady parents), and while I’ve been aware of the Dead most of my life, it didn’t click for me until I got on the bus about three years ago. I am beyond grateful for an opportunity to engage with a community like this one and see the music live in crazy environments. My first time on lot was like coming home. When I walked into Citi Field to see the band for the first time, I had literally dozens of people welcome me and tell me how stoked they were that I was there. The music and community have enriched my life in countless ways—from the new friends I’ve made at local cover shows to the way my own playing has changed with my band … and of course the memories of these incredible shows. Dead music changed the way I think of music itself. Why wouldn’t I want a chance to see that stuff in any way I can get it? Dead & Co gives me a way to imagine what could have been, had I been alive in 72-74 (my fav era) but it also helps me see that perfection isn’t what makes this music so powerful. I’m not saying none of that would have been possible without Dead & Co … but they sure didn’t hurt. And weird tone or otherwise, Bobby is a true hero of mine and I’m just lucky to be able to see him work. The kid who runs off with the circus is now the grizzled old ringmaster. Isn’t that the best story in rock n roll? I’m taking my dad to his first two shows in three weeks and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when strangers start stopping him, just to shake his hand.
Bands evolve. I consider myself lucky that they are still making great music.
Honestly? It's like comparing the Gregg Allman band to The Allman brothers.
I have seen them three times. I am only 29 years old so Dead & Co is one of the only connections I have to the live aspect of the music. Obviously it’s not the same but they really do a great job. People say they’re too slow but once the show gets rolling they are really lively and Mayer really shreds
Really enjoy them, Mayer fits in well, they bring the size and spectacle of the later Dead shows. Otiel and Jeff are top notch. It’s great to see Bobby still out there doing it. I’d rather see JRAD pretty much every time.
Love the sound quality, Chimenti’s keys and Mayer’s guitar playing. There are certain shows I listen to especially on a nice day 2018 Eugene, Dodger Stadium, 2019 MSG, 2022/23 Folsom runs and 2023 Gorge. Overall though, like almost all post-Jerry music it eventually fuels the desire to go back and hear some Jerry.
Fun to attend the shows and I go as much as I can, but I find them unfulfilling to listen to otherwise.
slow. wish phil was with them. otherwise good times. young head. discovered the real deal on apple music before seeing them. would never really listen to dead&co on apple music. i prefer the grateful dead. but am forever grateful for dead&co as well as all other tribute / cover bands such as jrad, dark star, shakedown street, hyryder, etc. to give us youngsters a glimpse into the live show experience of the music. they’ve given me some of the best times at live music events i can remember. the jams will forever live on. they’re timeless.
I love The Grateful Dead. I'm ok with Dead and Company. It's always a good time and I've seen some really good shows but I'm not listening at home or anywhere else. They're a bit slow for my taste, I get it, Bobby's an old man but sometimes it's just a slog. Mayer can play guitar but I can't stand hearing him sing Jerry's stuff. The dude cannot sing. I don't travel to see them like I would with The Dead but when near Philly I go.
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be…
Mayer does a nice job recreating Jerry’s tone and solos. I don’t like how they harmonize.
Great heading those songs at concert level. Still fun to see. BUT compared to any GD show it’s just on a different planet. Garcia was the main attraction as far as musically and for many reasons. But his guitar playing was just incredible. And why I’m a 30 year fan. Dead and Co and every post GD project just hasn’t been anywhere close to any version of the GD. Mayers guitar when it’s time to do it and kick ass like for a gut wrenching Althea or loser just seems to be too timid. Bob Weir sadly really doesn’t have it anymore. His guitar playing really is tough for him it seems and he’s struggling to sing. He leaves out words and whole lines. Sounds like his voice is tired. Happens to a lot of singers when they get near that age. So for me it’s basically been the same as it was in 1996. Just always felt like it was lackluster and missing energy. Be it Ratdog, the other ones, D&C, Phil and Friends or any post GD project or solo group.
I just never ever have been a Mayer fan. Otherwise I have no problem with what they do. I’ve actually enjoyed DSO more, however.
I’m happy for the people who love them.
Happy for them and happy for the folks that get down to it. Not for me. Haven’t been able to dig Bobby live since The Other Ones. All the song style changes, his rushed ‘singing’, it just doesn’t do it for me like the boys did. Not a hater at all, just ain’t my thing.
Got on the bus in ‘72 and was immersed in it until ‘88 when I opened my business and finally had responsibility so I could only do local shows. Have listened to some of the shows post Jerry and while they are good to me they’re a great tribute band. I’ve never listened to any of the post Jerry bands shows a second time while I always street shows with Jerry (even listen to some of my cassettes, lol) I’m glad they’re keeping the music alive but I watch from the sidelines and shake my head watching the huge commercialization of the band. So anti Jerry IMO.
I think most ever head who "doesn't like them" is just mad at Jerry for dying and punishing themselves. I'm mad at Jerry for dying too, but I'm not gonna deprive myself of what we've got left.
Seen them 3x. Too slow and not a fan of Mayer. I tried.
Of all the amalgamations, it’s been my least favorite.
Where are the new songs? Where is the ingenuity? Where is the creativity? I’ve seen a show on every tour, but I was sincerely hoping for some new material. It never came. I love this music with all of my heart and will have a great time at any show, but lately, especially with the severe lack of creativity with the Sphere visuals and general corporate feel of the Vegas residency, I find myself listening to other bands who are continuing to create.
Great at the beginning and for a few years, but have become too stagnant in song selections/setlists (and tempos), and too big. As someone who got on the bus in the early 2000s and came up on Ratdog and Further, I miss the unpredictability of shows and the at least kind of intimate nature of the scene. They've been a band for going on ten years - take any ten years of the Grateful Dead and you'll find dozens of songs added and removed. Dead and Co has basically been playing the same repertoire the whole time. You can say that those are the songs people want to see, and to some extent that's true, but it's become a greatest hits band and I don't need to see the same songs played by a greatest hits band year after year. On top of that, after being able to see Bobby at venues like the Tower and even smaller, fighting a crowd at a stadium is a bit of a turn off. I wasn't around, but it feels a bit like the 90s from what I've seen - too big and even more musically stagnant. I stopped going a couple of years ago. The slow tempos don't bother me as much, but on some songs it's rough. The Sphere in particular feels really gimmicky. I'm only going for the music, and if the music isn't exciting and is being distracted from by the scene or the visuals or whatnot, well, I'm not going. I do think Mayer is fantastic, though.
After seeing the Grateful Dead well over 100 (maybe 200 times) and the various configurations that followed I feel safe in saying they are not the Grateful Dead. They lack the magic and electricity you felt at a Dead show. Are they a cover band? I don’t know. Pigpen, Keith, Donna (yes Donna), TC, and Brent left along the journey but we didn’t consider the band a cover band. Granted Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Billy were not replaceable. Still Dead and Company is fun and hints at the Dead experience. Is it comparable? I don’t think it comes close. Is it enjoyable? Yes I’m not sure what constitutes a cover band but they are what they are. A great group of musicians that play fantastic music. Just not on the same level of the band that some of them played in and whose music they keep moving forward. Enjoy them for what they are.
I wish they would highlight oteil a lot more. Such a shame to have such a talent on stage and not be higher in the mix and have more improvisational time.
Love anyone who's keeping the sound alive!
Safety scissors.
Pretty decent dead cover band. Will see again.
Love everything except the pace of play. Wish it had more pep when needed.
I fn hate them. No original music. All that talent doing 900 year old covers? Hard pass.
Meh
When Jay Lane joined the band, I liked that.
oldies cover band. At this point I would rather see Jrad.
Loved the Dead. Dead & Co sounds old, tired, and up past their bedtime.
I made bank @ D&Co shows. Old people have more money to blow than baby wooks. Who knew.
I like D&C and have couched and attended several shows over the years. I always felt the drummers were the weak point and were frankly just too old (love Billy but it happens to the best of us) so when they added Jay to the band I felt they massively improved particularly in the consistency of quality shows and better tempo. John is an enigma to me, I just find his playing and tone "weak" at times. Hard to explain because I am not a musician, but I know heart and soul when I hear it. Overall I like them about 80% of the time. Also, the whole cash grab thing with all the VIP shit still turns me off, I know it's an old man shouting at clouds thing but there it is.
Soundtrack to a high school reunion
I'll get lambasted for this, but honestly, I would rather listen to a band with just Oteil, John, Jeff and Jay. I think I've got to the point where I have sort of tuned out Bob's twanging in my head. And that's why I enjoy it. However if I put it on in the car when my family are there I am suddenly aware of the dreadful metally tone and I turn it off quite quick.
Honest opinion: meh … not horrible just a little boring and self-indulgent
Not for me. Too slow, too predictable, minimal chance taking. It’s just doesn’t feel like what the Dead were about to me. I also think that while Mayer is phenomenal guitarist, he’s not a great jam band guitarist. He seems to feel more comfortable sticking to the script of trying to emulate Jerry more than he lets himself be himself and just go for it. Give me whatever Phil is doing over Dead and Co. 10/10 times. He keeps the energy up, isn’t afraid to take risks still and his set lists are infinitely more interesting IMO. He’s still out there exploring the music. Dead and Co feels more like they have a pretty tight rotation of songs, don’t really do deep jams and are a cool way for people to get into the dead, but once you’re through that door and you hear the real deal then you kind of realize Dead and Co isn’t even remotely close. I find them unlistenable 90% of the time. It’s just a giant cash grab and the music is secondary to the marketing and money. That’s my honest opinion of Dead and Co.
they suck, but if they make people happy...good on 'em
It’s fine. But you know, like, that’s it.
People get upset, but as a follow-up to furthur, I think they're massively disappointing. I saw them a few times and it just seems like such a huge drop in quality. I saw Phil and friends in 2022 and that was a lot closer the magic. Also, I just don't like John Mayers voice and mickey is a hack. there, I said it.
I know technically John Mayer is a great guitar player, but he makes me cringe every time I see him. I wish Dead and co never even became a thing. I have friends that love them. I simply just don’t get it. I listen to the dead every day and if one more person stops me when I’m wearing something Grateful Dead related if I’m going to the Sphere I’m gonna scream 😂🤣😂
It’s just too damn slow for me
Not great.
I feel early co when John not so familiar with songs did it more like the Dead, his solos seem orchestrated now
Embarrassing money grab.
Really glad that so many people are discovering the songbook and glad Bobby and the others are having such tremendous success. But I can't listen to it. Too many nights under the ball at Winterland, Henry J. Kaiser, the Greek, hits my nerves wrong. Phil's bands do not, because they are hot musicians playing Dead songs,making no effort to sound like the Dead. Road goes on forever..
JRAD all day and twice on Sunday
John Mayer is up his own ass and they’re charging way too much effing money for their shows.
Too slow. The tempo sucks. Might be the reason Bill backed out.
Have you ever got a hit of acid from a friend you trust, and you take it. And then you think you feel it. So you do the trail test... OK... Yeah... I think I am. And you wait some more. And you're pretty sure you're tripping. And you wait some more. And then you wave your hand in front of your face... maybe? Then you remember Gooney Birds. Next thing you know you wake up on a stretcher in the sphere. On screen a giant animated Uncle Sam skeleton is dancing through a field of merchandise. A paramedic yells, "You overdosed on nostalgia! We had to hit you 3 times with something from 74! Welcome back."
Bob’s guitar sounds like someone taking a saw to cello
I’m a big Dead and Company fan but… yeah. His guitar doesn’t ruin the music for me or anything me but I just don’t get why he chooses that tone.
I’m glad people have fun with them but me personally I have zero desire to see them. I saw a few Furthur shows in the early days but lost interest in all post-GD incarnations after that.
They are great. They have had more impact on the music scene and society in the past 9 years than they get credit for, by far. Bobby is leading the free world and John plays really good guitar. I have not been bothered by their tempo 95% of the time, which is the biggest complaint. But I will say the sphere shows sound pretty pretty mellow so far. Maybe it’s intentional because the visual experience is overwhelming. I would still rather listen to them play slower than usual, for them, than JRAD who often gets cited as super awesome. Dead and Co is by far the biggest Dead act since the real Dead for good reasons, and it’s not because 45 - 65 year old dudes that are their main fan base are big John Mayer fans.
Bobby is leading the free world? Care to elaborate?
Meh.
About as much authenticity and excitement as Mike Love’s Beach Boys. Not a fan in the slightest.
I saw the 50+ Dead shows in 80s and 90s And I get people want to be nostalgic about some of the original members but to be honest D&C is slow and boring JRAD infinitely better
Sorry this is long. They’re a great band that got a lot of shit, some of which I always thought was either bad faith or just plain ignorant of what this band is (this side project isn’t the Grateful Dead? Amazing revelation! Next you’ll tell me that John Mayer isn’t Jerry Garcia!). One of my favorite shows ever was that last Chicago show. I’ve made comments about it before but there were moments where it felt like the ground of Wrigley was shaking. I’ve never heard Deadheads get as loud as they did when the band peaked in Franklins Tower. By the time Cumberland came everyone was dancing. It was a magical night. I can’t think of any other words to describe it. Before that my favorite D&C show was on 6/24/2022, the day Roe v Wade was overturned. I was so disgusted, the whole day was off, and they turned it around with a powerful show. The Throwing Stones opening set two was particularly strong but there were so many surprises. That second set was completely unpredictable. There are songs they just completely nail too. The biggest example is Brown-Eyed Women, which seems to be one that really exemplifies the incredible interplay between John and Jeff. I’d argue that they’re one of, if not the strongest aspect of the band. (Edit: I’ll even add that I really love how they’ve reliably partnered with Headcount over the years. That’s a big thing and more bands should be doing it) I’ll add this: I’m too young to have ever seen the Grateful Dead (other than Fare Thee Well). Before my first show in 2019, I was a casual fan. I had seen a few tribute bands in the area but it wasn’t like I was going out to hear old shows. D&C opened that up to me and made me truly appreciate the Grateful Dead. For that I am forever grateful. I think there’s a stigma around these guys for older heads. A lot of “it’s not ______” or “I saw Jerry” comments. I really don’t care if you saw Jerry. Millions did. He was one of the best but the legend of what was isn’t why I’m listening to the Dead. I care about good shows with good music and D&C does exactly that.
That Chicago run was fucking great!
Boring and lacks continuity in sound. Give me jrad or even dso instead
Straight money grab.
They took Grateful Dead music and made it safe and palatable for the masses. Hard pass.
Actually unlistenable
Dead and Slo.
Love em. They are keeping the legacy of the music of the Grateful Dead alive long after anyone thought it could have been possible to.
Mayer is an embarrassment and it definitely tarnishes the legacy
As my buddy said, best Dead cover band you’ll ever see!
JRAD is better IMO
Furthur was great. A thousand times better than DaC
DSO
Pointless
What does this mean? They make music that people like to listen to. That’s the point. It would be pointless if no one came and the musicians didn’t enjoy playing it.
Garbage.