Dead and Company dazzle during Sphere debut

Dead and Company made their Sphere debut on May 16 and blew audiences away with their visuals.

The first show of Dead and Company: Dead Forever Live at Sphere. They will play 24 total shows through July 13, 2024, making it the second-longest residency at the venue to date (U2 played 40 shows from September 29, 2023, through March 2, 2024).

During the first show, the band played 19 songs. And they were paired with mind-bending visuals. The Sphere's official X account posted four images from the show.

In the first image, a San Fransisco neighborhood can be seen breaking through scaffolding as the Dead and Company logo appears. The next image shows the neighborhood after the logo has expanded even further. This reveals the neighborhood as Haight-Ashbury in San Fransisco.

Dead and Company appeared to take a page out of U2's playbook with one of their songs. The third image in the post showcases an optical illusion similar to the one U2 depicted during “The Fly.” This time, instead of code-breaking algorithms, various logos from the Grateful Dead are sprawled across the screen with images of the band playing interspersed. The one difference from U2's similar visual is that the images continue onto the ground, making them even larger-than-life.

The final image shows a beautiful jungle landscape. A giant rainbow is sprawled across the top of the screen with a bright sun in the background.

A video preview

A post from the band's official social media page also showcases their show. Clips from the show are shown which helps showcase various moments from the show.

One of the highlights of their visuals is a blue and purple vortex of sorts. It makes it seem like you are flying through clouds in space.

Dead and Company's Sphere show setlist

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Below is the setlist representative of Dead and Company's first Sphere setlist on May 16, 2024. They will be bringing a new setlist each weekend to the venue.

• “Feel Like a Stranger” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Jack Straw” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Bird Song” (Jerry Garcia cover)
• “Me and My Uncle” (John Phillips cover)
• “Brown-Eyed Women” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Cold Rain and Snow” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Uncle John's Band” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Help on the Way” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Slipknot!” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Franklin's Tower” (Grateful Dead song)
• “He's Gone” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Drums” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Space” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Standing on the Moon” (Grateful Dead song)
• “St. Stephen” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Hell in a Bucket” (Grateful Dead song)
• “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” (Bob Dylan cover)
• “Not Fade Away” (The Crickets cover)

Who are Dead and Company?

It will be easy for fans of respective acts to compare the Sphere shows. U2 was the first band to play at the venue and set the standard. Phish understood the assignment and showcased amazing visuals themselves.

Now, Dead and Company seems up to the task of making their show stand out. While they aren't changing their setlist each night like Phish, their visuals promise a spectacle.

Who are Dead and Company?

Dead and Company is a rock band that has been together since 2015. It consists of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann. John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti are also members of the band.

While they haven't released any studio albums, Dead and Company have embarked on 11 concert tours as a group. Their Sphere residency, though, is their first residency as a group.