Dead & Company, an offshoot of rock band The Grateful Dead, have finally launched their first show at The Sphere in Las Vegas. They join U2 as the only two outfits to have performed at the iconic venue, which only opened its doors in September last year.
1.2 million external LED lights in addition to a 16k internal wraparound screen
The jaw-dropping venue is a sight in itself. Standing at twice the size of the Statue of Liberty, it features 1.2 million external LED lights in addition to a 16k internal wraparound screen made up of 260 million video pixels. Nearly 18,000 people can watch each show in the futuristic concert hall.
Dead & Company had a tough act to follow when performing for the first time on Thursday night, given that Rolling Stone deemed U2’s Sphere show one that would “change live entertainment forever.” Nonetheless, those in attendance did not seem to be let down – a good thing considering they will perform at least 15 shows.
VegasSlotsOnline News has scoured footage of the first Dead & Company show to find the highlights.
Lift off
To begin their epic set, the images on the LED screen opened up to reveal a house and the wording Haight Ashbury San Francisco. This was where The Grateful Dead formed in the mid-60.
Dead & Company kicked into “Mississippi Half-Step Down Uptown Toodeloo” while a camera view of the house grew wider and wider. It finally transformed into the full city grid of San Francisco to the Golden Bridge and then clouds floating above Earth.
Down memory lane
The old rockers played their hits while memorabilia of the Grateful Dead adorned the huge LED screens. Closeup footage of the band playing was nestled in between the posters, coasters, and ticket stamps.
No doubt the performance was a trip down memory lane for fans, especially considering the original band broke up in 1995 in the aftermath of lead guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia’s death. X users were undeniably impressed by the footage, with one called ScottyDster simply exclaiming “Oh my fh****k.”
Smoke and mirrors
Another concert highlight occurred when the LED screen lit up with what appeared to be some kind of wormhole as the band jammed together. This suddenly turned into a column of colorful smoke, with the colors red, blue, green, and yellow lighting up the crowd.
Classic Grateful Dead
Finally, a gig with the members of The Grateful Dead would not be complete without some bizarre visuals, including a skeleton or two.
The animated display featured a skeleton riding a motorcycle with his long grey hair blowing in the wind. Flying eyes followed him along the road as bears danced in the adorning hills and a train blew past.