Dead and Company’s final tour kicks off at the Forum in Los Angeles

dead and company‘s summer tour, the group’s last, at least in its current incarnation, officially kicked off on Friday, May 19, at the Forum in Los Angeles. The first of a two-night stand, the band, with original members bob dump and Mickey Hart along with John MayerOteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane (replacing Bill Kreutzmann, who had to sit out the 2023 tour), was in top form musically, playing for nearly four hours and spanning the Grateful Dead catalog from the earliest studio cuts ( “St. Stephen,” “The Eleven”) to solo songs by Jerry Garcia (“Deal,” “The Wheel”) to fan favorites (“Eyes of the World,” “Wharf Rat”).

The arena-sized production of the show complemented the grandeur of the moment, the video screens alternating between psychedelic colors and imagery to match the lighting, which felt more Phish-like than previous performances. The Los Angeles crowd got drenched—and smoked—in a warm collective embrace.

If night one set the pace with standbys like “Estimated Prophet,” “Sugar Magnolia” and the show’s opener, “Shakedown Street,” night two rewarded the faithful with “Terrapin Station” and the multi-layered “Franklin’s Tower.” , as well as the somber and reflective harmonies of “Brokedown Palace”. Vocally, all the members sounded great, but Mayer added an understated elegance, especially on songs where he takes the lead, like “Althea” and “Sugaree.”

How do fans feel about this “Final Tour” as the walk is advertised? From the looks of it, grateful: to have one last lap in a familiar space with several thousand like-minded heads.

Documenting the run is Grateful Dead photographer Jay Blakesberg, who captured the energy on stage in the images below.