All Photos © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

The Birth of Dead and Company

Last July, I closed a 30 year musical adventure in my life. If you know me you know that I’m a huge Deadhead. This is actually my fourth blog about the Grateful Dead. In 2015, I celebrated what I thought would be my last Grateful Dead shows in San Francisco (Fare Thee Well shows in Santa Clara, California). At the time I would have thought that it was my last show with multiple members of the Dead performing together. To my surprise just a year later, Dead and Company was formed with John Mayer taking over to try and not fill but play tribute to Jerry Garcia. Mayer, who never was a Deadhead growing up in Fairfield, Connecticut, one day while listening to Pandora, a subscription-based music streaming service owned by Sirius XM Holdings based in Oakland, California, came across Grateful Dead’s song “Althea” on Neil Young’s Pandora Channel. “When you’re listening to music on Pandora, there’s this inherent sense of ‘these are all songs you know but forgot that you wanted to hear. Mayer became obsessed with the Dead’s music. So much that he started playing a couple of songs at his solo shows in 2012. It wasn’t till John did a fill in for the late night talk show Late Night in 2015. That night was the first time John and Bob met and played with each other. Bob was plugging the upcoming Grateful Dead final shows in California and Chicago. John interviewed Bob before the two ending up jamming on a few Dead tunes together. The two had an amazing time playing with each other, so much that Weir wanted Mayer to join his new band Dead and Company. The band featured . The super group would be formed under the name Dead and Company. The band would consist of 3/4 of the core 4. Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann. The guys would be joined by John Mayer, on guitar, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band) on bass and keyboard player Jeff Chimenti (Furthur/Ratdog).

Dead and Company: The Early Years

Before the first tour started many deadheads were surprised and critical of Mayer playing in the Dead. What many Deadheads did not understand is that Mayer treasures the Grateful Dead in the same way that they do. “I listen to this music every day,” he explains. “I listen to it in the car wherever I go. It’s playing like nature sounds, the way you would hear a babbling brook. The band initially announced one concert for October 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Following the pre-sale  for that show they announced another show at Madison Square Garden for the following night. On August 24 a full ten date tour was announced. The band performed a total of 22 concerts in sixteen different cities. My first show was 12/27/2015 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. The show was amazing and I grew a new respect for John Mayer as did most Deadheads. I must say it was weird at first hearing a guitar solo in the middle of a Grateful Dead song. My second show was, 8/29/2016, at Toyota Amphitheater near Sacramento. That night I got to experience something I never did before watch a show from the front of the house in the pit. Not only was it a great musical experience I was able to use my point and shoot camera to take some great photos. Everyone thought this band would be a short experience since John had a career as being on solo artist and the Dead members had different bands they played with. Nobody ever though it would last as long as it did (8years with tours every year with the exception of the 2020 tour which was cancelled due to COVID).

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Dead and Company: The Final Tour

All good things must come to an end. The band announced that the Summer 2023 tour would be the last one together. The tour was called Dead and Company The Final Tour. “As we put the finishing touches on booking venues, and understanding that word travels fast, we wanted to be the first to let you know that Dead & Company will be hitting the road next summer for what will be our final tour,” Mayer wrote. “Stay tuned for a full list of dates for what will surely be an exciting, celebratory, and heartfelt last run of shows. With love and appreciation, Dead & Company.” Bob Weir posted this message on social media. Well it looks like that’s it for this outfit; but don’t worry we will all be out there in one form or another until we drop.

To nobody’s surprise the shows were instant sell outs in most markets. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the Dead & Company Summer Tour 2023 grossed a new high of $114.7 million and sold 845,000 tickets across 28 shows. Dead and Company closed out the tour with three sold-out concerts at Oracle Park in San Francisco in front of 120,000 fans. This was the most successful tour in the band’s eight-year history, drawing over 840,000 fans. I was lucky enough to be at the first and third night of the final shows.

After attempting to get tickets through pre sales then sales I was shut out due to Ticketmaster and scalpers on Stub Hub and other ticket agencies. Tickets that were $75 when ticket sales started were re listed in minutes for thousands of dollars for seats not in the upper level.. Thinking I was going to have to pay a scalpers price when the show came closer to happening. Lucky for me I had been a volunteer for a non profit called Headcount. HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. They reach young people and music fans where they already are – at concerts and online to inform and empower. I have been a Headcount volunteer since 2008 and had registered voters at Furthur, Bob Weir, Grateful Dead, Ratdog and Dead and Company shows.

The first show ticked off on 7/14/2023 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The Dead non profits that have volunteers in each of the cities were joined by team leaders who traveled with the band from city to city. Headcount and Reverb was part of what is called participation row. Participation Row featured host non-profit organizations Headcount, REVERB, Wharffrats along with other non profits. The Dead & Company Participation Row was produced by HeadCount in partnership with REVERB, an environmental non-profit organization with a long history of running non-profit villages at live music events. If you have interest in volunteering for events with all kinds of music check out the information at the end of this Blog.

The first show on Friday started with “Not Fade Away” the band did not finish the song instead went into Shakedown St. followed by John Mayer singing “Cold Rain and Snow”. Highlight’s of Night 1 were Ramble On Rose, Brown-Eyed Women, Scarlet Begonias, Casey Jones, US Blues and the final song, a cover of Bob Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door. The song featured a montage of all of the members of the Dead who died. Of course the longest ovation came when Jerry Garcia’s image was on the big screen.

Shakedown St.

Next up was the third and final show of the tour and the band. Anticipation was high as everyone knew this was going to be a special night. I started the day arriving early so I could make it to Shakedown St. Just in case you aren’t a Deadhead (not sure if people would read this if not into the band) “Shakedown Street” is both the name of a 1978 Grateful Dead song, album and a descriptor for the chaotic vending areas where Deadheads and concertgoers mingle and sell anything and everything outside the concert venue. It’s amazing how technology has changed from Grateful Dead shows. Everyone took credit cards and there were actually food trucks from Southern California. I even saw Venice Beaches Harry Perry the Kama Kosmic Krusader (from the movie “Fletch”, rollerskating around selling his merchandise.

The Final Show

After volunteering with Headcount was stoked for the second and final set. Unlike the Friday show (obstructive view) the tickets were much better. I got to see a former team leader who I hadn’t seen in years. The show started with Bertha followed by Good Lovin’. Other highlights were Althea, Dear Mr. Fantasy (last time I heard that song was in 94 Jerry came out to play guitar with opening act Traffic at Giants Stadium). The set closed out with Bird Song. I finally made it to my seat to watch an incredible set 2. John Mayer started the set with the live favorite Help on the Way, Franklin’s Tower, Eyes of the World, Sugar Magnolia. The band came back with Truckin with the audience singing along to “What a Long Strange Trip its Been.” The band then went on with an emotional Brokendown Palace before ending with finishing off Not Fade Away (with the crowd singing “You Know Our Love Will Not Fadeaway). Instead of shooting off fireworks the band gave the fans a second (Colorado) drone show with the steal your face and skeleton tipping his hat to the fans.

What’s Next

I’m sure this won’t be the last time I see the guys play solo or together in some form, but I feel that it won’t be the same. The Dead are one of the few bands I had no problems seeing in a stadium. Deadheads are like family members. The more the better. A dead show is not just a concert its an experience. Walking down Shakedown St. you would see people of all ages, races and colors. Just last week in Hawaii a few occasions a complete stranger came up to me seeing my dead & Co. shirt and started talking to me about the show/band. Even online for a Matthew McConaughey meet and greet in San Fransisco this week I spent more times talking to Deadheads than speaking to Matthew’s fans.

After the tour concluded John Mayer wrote this on his social media sites Dead and Company is still a band – we just don’t know what the next show will be. I speak for us all when I say that I look forward to being shown the next shaft of light… I know we will all move towards it together.” Just last week we learned of what’s next for some of the members. A new destination concert called Dead Ahead Festival

The all-inclusive concert vacation, set to take place at Moon Palace Resort in Riviera Cancún, Mexico from January 12th–15th, will celebrate the Grateful Dead songbook with two nights of curated collaboration featuring Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Don Was, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, and Jay Lane featuring Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Goose’s Rick Mitarotonda, Margo Price, and “very special guest” Sturgill Simpson. One thing is for sure, the music will never stop.

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All Photos © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography