UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES IN THE DESERT: Dead & Company offer another reason to brave the August heat of Las Vegas. The band’s Sphere run has been extended through Aug. 10. (Rich Fury/Sphere Entertainment)
Run Extended Into August
Dead & Company has added dates to its Sphere residency, which launched at the Las Vegas venue on May 16, the band announced today.
The run of Dead Forever — Live at Sphere, which had been slated to end in July, will now extend to August 10, bringing the total number of shows to 30.
Increased demand was cited as the reason for adding shows on August 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10, typically a low season for Las Vegas due to the heat. Dead & Company gives visitors another reason to come to brave triple digit temperatures for a hot experience that is bound to wow even the uninitiated.
Reviews and word of mouth have created a buzz among the Deadhead community for a one-of-a-kind experience that taps into the Grateful Dead’s legacy of matching the songbook and lore with cutting-edge technology and visual art.
Reviewers who have seen the impressive Sphere shows of U2 and Phish have given enthusiastic endorsements for how Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Jay Lane and John Mayer and the Dead & Company tech team have used Sphere to create a new twist on a more than 50-year-old formula.
New imagery, like images of the full moon shining outside Sphere and Egyptian graphics, were introduced during the second weekend.
Simply put, Dead Forever — Live at Sphere, is one of the most psychedelic experiences that can be had without mind-altering substances of any kind. In fact, on opening night, a group of dozens of sober Deadheads gathered on the concourse for a quick meeting during the band’s mid-show break.
Coinciding with the residency is the free two-floor Dead Forever exhibit at The Venetian, which was spearheaded by Kristina “Red” Tanner of Dead & Company’s co-management company, Activist, and Vibee. It includes photos by Jay Blakesberg, artwork by Hart, a scaled down replica of the Wall of Sound that was part of the Grateful Dead’s touring machine and is recreated in the Sphere show (see photo). Deadheads are also staging a Vegas version of “Shakedown Street,” the flea market-style marketplace that has been a fixture on the band’s tours, at the Tuscany Suites & Casino each show day.
Advance presale registration is available, through Seated, but does not guarantee tickets to the added shows. The Artist Presale begins Thursday (May 30) morning. The general on-sale begins Friday morning.
