How Dead & Company found new life at the Las Vegas Sphere

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LAS VEGAS —

As a music journalist who has covered the scene for decades, I’ve seen my fair share of artists trying to recapture the magic of their past. But few have approached it with as much creativity and innovation as Dead & Company in their Sphere residency at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

Approximately four hours before their performance under the large video screen at Sphere, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and John Mayer casually enter a backstage production office, resembling three men preparing – once more – to astonish the minds of 17,000 people.

“Nice to meet you,” Mayer says, grinning as he extends a hand. “John Mayer, Mayer Industries.”

Two founding members of the Grateful Dead, guitarist Weir (age 76) and percussionist Hart (age 80), hold esteemed positions in the jam band scene. Notably, Mayer (age 46), who is recognized for his pop tunes such as “Gravity” and “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” joins them. As Dead & Company, they are now over halfway through their 30-date summer tour at Sphere, an advanced dome-shaped venue situated behind the Venetian resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

Not that they’re counting.

“Halfway, you insist?” Weir replies casually as he settles into the lotus position on a sofa beside his bandmates. Hart concurs with a shrug, his golf gloves concealing his hands: “It’s just our routine. We meet here three times a week to practice our music.”

John Mayer calls Dead & Company’s Sphere residency “a trip through the metaphysical anthropology of the Grateful Dead.”
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About a year ago, it appeared that Dead & Company were on the verge of breaking their habit: With over 200 performances under their belt since 2015 – when the band was formed following the Grateful Dead’s public farewell – Dead & Company concluded what was advertised as their last tour in July at Oracle Park, San Francisco, where the Grateful Dead originated in the mid-1960s and significantly influenced the city’s Haight-Ashbury counterculture. (The current members of Dead & Company include bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, and drummer Jay Lane, who replaced Bill Kreutzmann, another Grateful Dead founding member, after he left in 2023.)

Yet the prospect of Sphere’s visual splendor lured the group back onstage.

I was absolutely blown away when the grand opening of this venue took place last fall. Boasting a massive 160,000-square-foot screen, claimed to be the highest-resolution in the world, the impressive $2-billion structure drew quite the spectacle. U2 kicked things off with an unforgettable performance, immersing us fans in stunning photo-realistic visuals of the Vegas desert during its pre-neon era. Phish then graced the stage in April, transforming the curved surface of the building into an enchanting underwater lair and the interior into a bubbly car wash experience.

According to Mayer, the venue has quickly attracted a large number of acts who are both willing and capable of utilizing Sphere’s advanced technology.

I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting revival in the world of live music. For years, we’ve witnessed rapid advancements in various spheres like social media, podcasts, and even AI. But live music, which once held such a significant place in our hearts and lives, seemed to have been left behind. Now, it’s as if we’re all caught up in a new space race to create the most memorable and unique live music experiences. Dressed casually in my tan cargo pants and black T-shirt, I can’t help but feel a renewed sense of excitement for this vibrant, ever-evolving scene.

According to Mayer, musicians aren’t solely motivated by ego to play Sphere; instead, they are driven by the desire to entertain and astonish audiences with the vast, blank canvas and large paintbrush at their disposal.

Among the various invitations Dead & Company received for performances without much traveling involved, Hart described this opportunity as particularly enticing.

Dead & Company’s residency named “Dead Forever,” lasting until August 10, has been a significant financial success. With an average nightly revenue of around $4 million reported by the band, it’s clear that their shows have been in high demand. Additionally, nearly one-third of attendees have purchased tickets for multiple dates, indicating repeat business and likely increased spending at Dead & Company’s merchandise pop-up shop at The Venetian. Here, fans can buy various merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, and even a pair of Belgian handmade loafers displaying the band’s iconic dancing bear logo (priced at $395).

Dead Forever opens and closes with scenes set in the Dead’s native Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
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As a film enthusiast, I can’t stress enough how Dead Forever is an artistic achievement that leaves me in awe. This production offers an intricately connected musical journey, resulting in a deeply moving narrative that resonates with viewers on an emotional level. The show starts off with an incredible opening sequence, created by Industrial Light & Magic and widely popularized on TikTok. It feels like we’re launching from Haight-Ashbury into the vastness of space! Three hours later, we find ourselves back on Earth, having visited significant milestones in Dead history – Cornell University’s Barton Hall during their iconic 1977 performance and the Egyptian pyramids in 1978.

“We’re really exploring new grounds here,” Weir notes while enjoying some peanut butter pretzels. The bearded guitarist describes Dead Forever’s narrative as similar to opera; Mayer adds that the visual elements, which he helped create with Treatment Studio in London, have a touch of a Disney ride. Mayer joined the Grateful Dead scene later in life after discovering their “Althea” on Pandora. For him, this performance is like an intriguing journey through the metaphysical anthropology of the Grateful Dead, guided by Dead & Company.

Mayer is driven by a strong motivation – 29 years following Jerry Garcia’s untimely death at 53 from a heart attack – to share the Dead’s music and symbols with new generations and those not typically part of the jam-band community. Evidence of this can be seen in Las Vegas, for instance, through Tucker Halpern from the dance-pop duo Sofi Tukker.

During my childhood, the Grateful Dead didn’t significantly influence my experiences. However, as members of the millennial generation, my bandmate Sophia Hawley-Weld and I were drawn to Mayer’s participation in Dead & Company. We attended one of their performances at Sphere, and I was left speechless by the extraordinary event – a captivating musical journey. In his recent Instagram post, the veteran hip-hop artist Questlove of The Roots echoed my sentiments, describing Dead Forever as an “incredible cosmic spectacle.”

The Dead have experienced this level of cultural impact before; in 1987, they reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Touch of Grey,” a song that was constantly played on MTV. Vampire Weekend performed a cover of it at the Hollywood Bowl last month. Furthermore, the Sphere production’s immersive audiovisual experience is not new to the Dead, as David Browne from Rolling Stone notes.

Since the start, attending a Dead concert felt like stepping into a unique realm – a world of its own, notes Browne in “So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead.” Their distinctive light shows and psychedelic album artwork were integral aspects of their overall image.

In an interview, Mayer expressed how Dead Forever Yet is certain to elevate the performance with enhanced magnificence and detail. He added, “I believe deep down, we’re drawn to the spectacle – ‘Cue the lights, everyone!'” The finale encapsulates this notion flawlessly as Dead & Company consistently finish a song on cue, transporting us back to Haight-Ashbury each night.

When inquired about their time management skills, Mayer gives credit to Weir as having exceptional awareness of time. However, he also offers a more down-to-earth explanation. According to him, it’s due to the frequent threat of being fined heavily for going over schedule, as a result of strict union curfews. “We might be twenty minutes behind schedule when we start, but we won’t be late when it comes to ending,” he chuckles.

“I take great satisfaction in observing the union representative,” Weir notes. “He’s deep in thought, thinking ‘Oh dear, these men are fully engaged…’ But I can intervene just as time runs out.”

According to Weir, Hart, and Mayer, staying for an extended period at Sphere instead of hopping from one venue to another brings a significant advantage: getting accustomed to the unique quirks of a new place is no longer necessary.

Every time we attend a match, it’s considered an away game, Mayer points out. But this time around, we’re the ones hosting the event – a first for us. He chuckles, “Instead of waiting for a jersey to be sent to us, we can simply leave one there and pick it up later.”

Could the pleasant experience they have during their first residency at Sphere persuade the Eagles to perform there again? Mayer clarified that no additional shows are planned for this year. The band’s residency, which starts on Sept. 20 and runs through mid-December, consists of 16 dates in total. However, Mayer also mentioned that “I believe the adaptability of the show makes it suitable for future performances.”

As a cinephile, I’m excited about the progress we’re making on this project. I see a future where the musicians and visual crew work more closely together. Instead of just reacting to what we do, they’ll sense our direction and prepare captivating surprises for us. The technology will eventually advance enough for them to anticipate our moves and enhance the experience in real-time.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel a pang of sadness knowing that each passing year brings new colors and depths to the musical landscape that we may not get to experience firsthand with our favorite band being the 12th in the lineup. However, this time around, there’s an undeniable sense of pride and privilege in being part of something culturally significant that is resonating with people on a global scale.

“We’re all sort of like, how cool is this?”

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2024-07-18 20:43