Dead and Company rolled into Boulder, Colorado’s Folsom Field hot for America’s birthday celebration and made sure to light up the stage in the stadium that hasn’t hosted a concert since a sold-out Dave Matthews Band show in 2001. Fifteen years may have passed, but the Buffalo’s stadium appeared as if not a year single year had gone by since last hosting a musical get together. Security and employees had as big of a smile on their faces as any Deadhead in the building, eager to see original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann celebrate the sacred ballads performed over the past fifty-one years of the band’s history. Alongside original Grateful Dead members, John Mayer took the role of lead guitar, as well as long time Dead side project keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, and ex- Allman Brothers Band/Tedeschi Trucks Band/Aquarium Rescue Unit bassist Oteil Burbridge.
Saturday evening’s setlist opened up with a high energy “Bertha” that helped get the momentum going for the 30,000 fans during the first night of this two-night Fourth of July run. Immediately transitioning into fan favorites “Good Lovin’” and “Tennessee Jed”, the crowd knew that the band had a special weekend planned out for the majestic Colorado venue, set at the base of the breathtaking Flatiron Mountains. Another notable first set selection was a Bob Weir side-project Ratdog tune, “Even So”, dedicated to original bassist and longtime collaborator Rob Wasserman, who passed away a few days before the show. With emotions running high, the band knew “One More Saturday Night” would be a great tune to keep fans on their feet during the night one set break.
Set two opened up with a beautiful, flowing “Scarlet Begonias”> “Fire on the Mountain”, with fans hailing from near and far singing Jerry Garcia’s powerful lyrics in unison. The highlight of night one was a larger than life “Terrapin Station”, with Grateful Dead newcomer John Mayer taking the lead on vocals of the Hunter/Garcia masterpiece that fans hold so close to their hearts. Ending the evening with a “Not Fade Away” left no room for any fan in the building to argue that the Grateful Dead’s magic was anywhere close to fading away.
With high expectations and strangers hugging strangers throughout the college town, Dead and Company kicked off night two of their Fourth of July run with a fan favorite/ Weir sung opener “Feel like a Stranger.” Despite only playing six songs, the first set had an unstoppable flow, showcasing the extreme amount of practice that Dead and Company put in to this summer’s tour with a “West L.A. Fadeaway”, “Birdsong”, and “New Speedway Boogie”, seamlessly flowing in and out of one another.
After opening the second set with a powerful “ China Car Sunflower”> “I Know You Rider”, the remainder of night two’s second set was filled with lots of emotion, bringing fans together to celebrate the beauty that Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead created over their long running history as a band. Grateful Dead originals “He’s Gone”, “Dark Star” and “Morning Dew” highlighted the love and devotion that fans and band members together have helped to sustain, even after the passing of beloved original guitarist Jerry Garcia. Seemingly fitting for the night before America’s birthday, Dead and Company ended the two-night run with an illustrious “U.S. Blues”, accompanied by 30,000 fans singing, “Wave that flag, wave it wide and high!”
Photos by Todd Radunsky
