Dead & Company returned to the stage for the first time in 19 months with a performance at the Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh, N.C. on Aug. 16.

The band -- made up of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti -- showed not signs of rust during their 19-song performance.

The group began the night with “Touch of Grey,” the 1987 single from the band’s twelfth studio LP In the Dark. The song’s refrain -- “I will get by, I will survive” -- seemed to take on extra meaning given the ongoing COVID pandemic, which rendered traditional concerts impossible for artists and their fans.

Further highlights during the first set included a bluesy rendition of the Dead’s 1972 song “Deal,” the swaggered sway of “Tennessee Jed” and Mayer leading the group through “Brown Eyed Women.”

The second set began with an 18-minute version of “Playing in the Band.” Later the group jammed through a cover of the blues standard “Spoonful” -- a track penned by Willie Dixon and recorded by everyone from Howlin’ Wolf to Cream.

Further into the concert, Dead and Company again showed their improvisational chops as they rocked through the trio of “Help on the Way,” ”Slipknot!” and ”Franklin’s Tower.” The night also marked the first time Dead and Company covered Reverend Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” in concert. The Grateful Dead regularly made the song part of their set lists in the ‘60s, releasing a rendition on their first official live album, 1969’s Live/Dead.

A full setlist from Dead and Company’s Raleigh show, along with videos from the performance, can be found below. The group is scheduled to continue its tour through the end of October.

Watch Dead & Company Perform 'Touch of Grey' During Aug. 16 Concert (performance begins at 12:40)

Watch Dead & Company Perform 'Playing in the Band' During Aug. 16 Concert (performance begins at 12:40)

Watch Dead and Company Perform 'Help on the Way,' 'Slipknot!' and 'Franklin’s Tower' During Aug. 16 Concert

Watch Dead and Company Perform 'Death Don't Have No Mercy' During Aug. 16 Concert

 

Dead & Company, Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 16, 2021
1. “Touch of Grey”
2. “Shakedown Street”
3. “Deal”
4. “Tennessee Jed”
5. “Brown Eyed Women”
6. “New Speedway Boogie”
7. “Playing in the Band”
8. “A Love Supreme”
9. “Truckin’”
10. “Spoonful”
11. “Playing in the Band” (Reprise)
12. “Help on the Way”
13. “Slipknot!”
14. “Franklin’s Tower”
15. “Drums”
16. “Space”
17. “The Wheel”
18. “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”
19. “Not Fade Away”

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