Dead & Company at Gillette Stadium – July 2, 2022

July 15, 2022 Justin Hunt Leave a comment

Deadheads from all over New England descended upon Foxboro, as Dead & Company made their return to Gillette Stadium. If you’re not familiar, the band gets its name by being just that, former members of Grateful Dead and various friends playing with them, the most notable of which being singer/guitarist John Mayer.

The band came on stage and kicked off the night with “Cumberland Blues” and “Bertha.” As soon as they finished those two songs, the stadium was covered with pouring rain, and lightning flashed across the sky. The band left the stage, and the field was evacuated to the concourse level. This turned into just about an hour delay of their performance.

As the sun began to set, the now-clearing sky behind the stage lit up a bunch of magnificent colors, which felt fitting, over a sea of tie-dye shirts. The band returned to the stage with “Good Lovin’.” Fortunately for the fans, the weather didn’t mean missing out on any music. The band was always scheduled to perform two sets, with a break in between. This just meant they played one itty-bitty set, and one much longer set. At the end of the night, the band had still played 18 songs, just as they had the show before, and as they would at the following show.

Obviously the whole band is made up of talented musicians. Bob Weir and John Mayer would alternate singing leads, and both would play guitar solos. I cannot claim to be a deadhead, so I only have an outsider’s view on John Mayer’s contributions, but to me, he felt like his performance fit in with the band.

The stadium had a modest sized crowd. Fans who purchased tickets in the 200 and 300 levels of the stadium were upgraded to the 100 level, and the upper decks were completely closed off. If Dead & Company comes around again, I’d be surprised if they weren’t back at Xfinity Center or an arena, rather than another stadium show. That said, those who were there, enjoyed every minute of the show, even with the rain delay. I took a walk around the concourse during the set, and in every open corner, you’d find people dancing and vibing to the music.

As the setlist came to a close, their encore consisted of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and fittingly, “One More Saturday Night.”