Dead & Company 6.10.16

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PNC Music Pavilion
Charlotte, NC

Words & Photos By Bain Stewart Media

Dead and Company kicked off their Summer Tour at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina last night. This sold out show, to no surprise, had an amazing turnout as it filled the venue with over 15,000 people. With a number of North Carolina concerts being cancelled this year due to the HB-2 law, this performance, while controversial, meant a lot to so many people. Rather than following in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr, and others, Dead and Company decided to follow through with the show as planned, donating $100,000 dollars to various groups to benefit the LGBTQ community.

They kicked off the first set with a “The Music Never Stopped” and moved right into a “Cold Rain and Snow." The band had the crowd in the zone immediately as they wasted no time igniting a John Mayer-lead “Friend of The Devil." John Mayer played a huge role in the first few songs until Bob Weir lead the band for a tour debut of “Liberty.” As the jams kept getting heftier and heftier, a powerhouse “Cassidy” kept the crowd’s bones shaking before and until the band closed out their first set with an unexpected “The Promised Land” Chuck Berry cover.

During the entirety of the show attendees were urged to make their way to the HeadCount booth to register to vote. This is nothing foreign to the band, though, as they have always wanted to make a difference for the better within the community. The band returned to the stage for their second set wasting no time with a 25-minute “Eyes of the World.” John Mayer took on a smooth-grooved “Deal” Jerry Garcia cover, setting the mood for Weir who then lead the band for a nostalgic “Estimated Prophet.” For the first time of the night drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann took the stage for a mesmerizing 20-minute "Drums > Space" with Mickey’s new experimental approach. They then moved into “Feel Like A Stranger,” and “Black Peter” prior to closing out the night with Bob Weir’s “Turn on Your Lovelight.”

Unfortunately the band wasn’t able to play an encore due to a very strict 11:00 PM noise ordinance. While there was no encore, there was a closing statement. Weir is never one to talk much while on stage, but he used his voice right before the band stepped off stage for the night: “On your way out of here tonight, don’t forget to register to vote. There are folks everywhere out there that will help you do it. If you go online right here at the venue, you can do it there. Register to vote, and lets get this shit off the table.” This statement sent the crowd into a thunderous applause as the band took a bow. Bass player Oteil Burbridge decided to grab the microphone for one last statement as he shouted “Hashtag – Queen City," and walked off the stage.

Dead & Company Live at PNC Music Pavillion on 6.10.2016



Set One: The Music Never Stopped, Cold Rain & Snow, Friend Of The Devil, They Love Each Other, Liberty, Cassidy, The Promised Land

Set Two: Eyes of the World, Deal, Estimated Prophet, Drums/ Space, Feel Like A Stranger, Black Peter, Turn On Your Lovelight

Bain's Full Photo Gallery

www.deadandcompany.com

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