Featured Images: Sphere Entertainment/ALIVE COVERAGE
Dead & Company has wrapped up its 30-show residency at the 18,600-seat Sphere Las Vegas after three months.
The ‘Dead Forever – Live at Sphere’ residency consisted of 30 four-hour concerts with 115 unique songs from the rock band, celebrating the Grateful Dead’s legacy. The residency was promoted by Live Nation.
Dead & Company formed in 2015 with a lineup of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti. Jay Lane replaced Bill Kreutzmann on drums in 2023.
During the residency, over $2.2m (£1.7m/€2m) was raised to support non-profit organisations around environmental and social causes. Since the band’s debut in 2015, they have raised over $15m through Dead & Company’s Participation Row, charity auctions and online raffles. The funds raised are split between HeadCount, REVERB, and the Dead Family non-profit organisations, as well as Vegas-based Hope for the City and MusiCares, and more.
Additionally, more than 250,000 fans visited Dead & Company’s ‘Dead Forever Experience’ at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which featured immersive exhibits, merchandise, and activities.
Highlights included a 1:4 scale functioning recreation of the infamous Wall of Sound; Art on the Edge of Magic – Mickey Hart’s new art exhibition showcasing dozens of sensory-enhancing pieces; an American Beauty – a photography exhibit curated by Jay Blakesberg and his daughter Ricki, which featured Grateful Dead images by 27 different photographers and Dead & Company images taken by Jay Blakesberg and Chloe Weir.
The Experience also featured a SiriusXM Grateful Dead Channel broadcast booth; photo op showcasing a vintage Volkswagen bus and VW’s newest all-electric model, the ID. Buzz; the massive cassette collection of Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux; and many other interactive and photo opportunities throughout the experience.
In August, ‘Touch of Colour’, a one-of-a-kind artwork by Colm Dillane of KidSuper Studios, was on display and is being auctioned on Artsy.com to benefit charity. The Dead Forever Experience, created in partnership with Vibee, was open five days a week for the duration of the residency and was open to the public at no charge.
The Eagles are next on the bill for the Sphere, with a 20-show residency that is slated to begin on September 20.
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