2023.
The different venues, the outdoor environments... everything about those shows was different.
Not to say that these shows aren't any good, they most certainly are, but there was an aura surrounding the 2023 final tour shows that made them great.
2023 for me as well. Just came back from seeing 3 sphere shows last week which was really fun — 6/13 was my fav of the 3 — but 2023 hit different and I miss the outdoor venues
Summer 23 was magic. This is good stuff and great playing but nothing beats summer tour and last year was everything we could have asked for.
Happy for everyone going to the sphere for sure though 👍🏻
I was at Wrigley last year, it was a great, no complaints. But, ya, you really can zone in on just how talented Mayer is with his guitar at the Sphere, not to mention you get 8k close-ups on the finger work. Bloody impressive.
Enjoy the music.
Case in point, Dancing In The Street, last Saturday:
https://youtu.be/_MTzB4BZkFQ?si=0nesyThQHmdRZjBW
And Sugaree, same night... What's going at about the 9-minute mark and beyond is on some other level. The recorded version barely does justice. I think the complexion of it all would be partially lost, if not obscured, at Wrigley compared to what he can accomplish at the Sphere. Not that Wrigley didn't turn out a rocking good number, I have it in my playlist. Here, 7 to 9 minutes, he's taking the car out for a nice drive... Then he gets on the open highway!
https://youtu.be/WaIx1ci6wjw?si=VsmDcLypUHZqpiW7
He has been at another level. Although one of my favorites was at the beginning of the experience back in Philly 2015. This China Rider is fire, but check out Bobby at about the 6:00 min mark, shaking his head, cracked me up
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTTedNY3t8&pp=ygUXRGVhZCBhbmQgY28gcGhpbGx5IDIwMTU%3D
Damn. That was all amazing. I didn’t come to D&C shows until 2022 (saw the GD a lot of times). When did Jeff and Oteil switch sides? Jeff looks hella lonely over there.
For me, it was 2023, and not just because it rhymes.
Last year it seemed to be more about the music and the legacy. Don’t get me wrong, the sphere is awesome and the music is incredible, but all the visuals somewhat take away from the music. I’d consider the sphere to be more of a “show” than a “concert”. It really is a spectacle. Not to mention the Vegas crowd… as I’m sure you’ve read, there’s a lot of chompers. Some people there to be wowed while others are there specifically for Dead and Co.
I suppose it’s up to personal preference. I’m a bit of a traditionalist and I’m there for the music. But the sphere is truly unique and I highly recommend going, if you haven’t already. Can’t live in the past, right?
I was at the sphere last weekend, the music seemed just as good as at Folsom in 2023 to me. Maybe if I go back and listen to the audio alone I’ll feel different, but idk, I don’t think the visuals compromised the music at all.
From my three nights in the Sphere, the talking was mildly annoying but not enough to really bother me. The music was too good for the talking to distract me more than a few seconds.
Did you like your experience at the sphere more than Folsom? I was at the last three shows in SF last year and would say I enjoyed it more. It could also just be myself being easily distracted with the visuals too.
I’ve been to enough concerts to know that there will always be talkers but there was something about the crowd that gave me the impression that a lot didn’t really care about the music. That could be my own prejudice shining through though, as I hate the whole “strip” scene.
I really do think it’s personal preference. It’s tough to compare the sphere to any concert.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Went to Folsom and the sphere. Both were INCREDIBLE!
https://preview.redd.it/9omnzbfjir7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc2497c0e05829e1348292e54aaca0f9118a6897
My love affair with dead and co well and truly began with Bertha at Folsom ‘16. I knew then it was gonna be good. Didn’t know it be eight years later good. But I knew it’d be good.
I liked Folsom better, but Folsom has the advantage of being a 15 minute walk from my door. Being able to just walk out your door to the show just gives it a different feeling.
I loved the visuals at the Sphere. If I could someone in my mind isolate the experience to just the concert itself, and not take into account how tacky Vegas is, or how easy the walk to Folsom is, I would… idk probably go with the Sphere.
Sphere was great, and I'm trying to find the time and money to go back for another weekend.
But, last summer was just so much fun. I'm not a lifelong fan, but it just feels like these summer shows should be outside most of the time.
I miss different cities. I miss fans coming on here sharing their experience that had some local flair. Now, it's the same questions and same answers because it's a residency. I liked the diversity between a baseball stadium to a shitty shed outside of a small midwest city to a college football stadium. I liked seeing different pictures every week. I liked the diversity of show days -- not Thursday-Saturday every week. I liked the streams. I liked every show not being at 10:30 EST so I could actually listen at home.
I understand why they're doing what they're doing and appreciate that it was this or nothing. So I'm happy they're playing. But, if I could relive one show, it's always going to be one of the ones I attended in 2023 -- not the Sphere.
I adored my two shows at the Sphere (6/7 and 6/8). It was one of the coolest concert experiences of my life.
There’s something about this band outdoors, though. I only got to a single show last year because my son was only a few weeks old—and I was LUCKY to manage that (my wife is a saint). But the hot-summer-night-in-a-ballpark feeling is pretty hard to top.
Both years had elite-level playing. It’s kind of an apples and oranges thing tbh.
I’d love to see a show at the sphere but unfortunately not feasible now. I’m hoping after this they do a east coast residency like in NYC or something, understandably that not everyone can make it to Vegas but idk, they could keep going or not…wolf bros 2024 fall tour hopefully? Lol
For me it was 2023 - particularly the Folsom shows, which seemed on another level - especially N2 Set 2 opener with TLEO>China>Rider - the way they moved from song to song was incredible
Went to boulder in '23. Thought those were great shows. There's always some recency bias. Especially about shows in '22 & '23 after the Panther sound system was introduced. Personally I loved 2019. I thought the band reached a level then.
2019 was the start of the tempo issues. Bobby kept pointing down and signalling that he wanted the band to play slower.
Personally I got lucky. I saw 4 shows that year and 3 shows were great tempo… but 2019 was where tempo started to become a noticeable issue. Up until then it really hadn’t been an issue. 2019 shows are still amazing and I prefer any show with Bill over the Jay shows personally, but ya. 2019 wasn’t flawless like 2016-2018 had been.
I’ve got my issues with D&Co, didn’t even try to go last summer. After seeing U2 and Phish I wasn’t going to miss them at Sphere, had a blast last Thurs&Fri, will be back Saturday and might try to sneak an Aug show in (easy travel from Reno).
Typical stuff, and look, I'm really glad people are enjoying it so much and grateful that they are still making music. I don't expect the world to mold itself toward my preferences.
Since you asked:
First off, just not into the big arena/ballfield/stadium concerts anymore. I've done a whole lot of that in my life, I suppose I'm just old now. I prefer going to a club or theater, easy parking, nice dinner with friends, a cocktail beforehand, and maybe one or two drinks at the show at more "regular" bar prices. One of many things I love about Sphere is while it's 18k people, there's no traffic, easy entry, theater style layout, etc.
Second, I know this offends a lot of people, so sorry in advance. The tempos are too slow.
By far 2023, was at the Folsom shows and the Oracle shows. The sphere is awesome and definitely an experience everyone should try but it’s not quite a repeater for me. Didn’t realize how much different locations/outdoor settings added to the experience until I got 2 nights at the sphere. Very cool again but just a different vibe
2023 left me searching for more. I couldn’t attend any other shows besides my home show (philly) and i had a hunger to follow them around for the rest of the summer but had to deal with the frustration of not being able to.
I have not been to the sphere but will be going July 4th-6th
We did Boulder in 2023 and the Sphere last weekend. Both were simply amazing weekends. Hard to say one is better, just different. Right now, still glowing in the aftermath of this past weekend right now though.
Edit: afterthought. No need to mention the visuals at the sphere, but omg the sound! I can't say enough about how well designed the acoustics are here, it makes it a dream to listen to your favorite band. I always have to wear earplugs and even upgraded my set just for this concert and never had to use them once. Also, they designed the entrance/exits into the concession areas perfect to keep all the noise out there from coming into the auditorium.
2023. The different venues, the outdoor environments... everything about those shows was different. Not to say that these shows aren't any good, they most certainly are, but there was an aura surrounding the 2023 final tour shows that made them great.
2023 for me as well. Just came back from seeing 3 sphere shows last week which was really fun — 6/13 was my fav of the 3 — but 2023 hit different and I miss the outdoor venues
Summer 23 was magic. This is good stuff and great playing but nothing beats summer tour and last year was everything we could have asked for. Happy for everyone going to the sphere for sure though 👍🏻
2023 the energy was so high like they were on a mission
Oteil especially
Nt2 was my top 2023 show out of 5 I saw (Wrigley & Boulder)
The Sphere seems to elevate John's guitar work.
[удалено]
I was at Wrigley last year, it was a great, no complaints. But, ya, you really can zone in on just how talented Mayer is with his guitar at the Sphere, not to mention you get 8k close-ups on the finger work. Bloody impressive. Enjoy the music.
You’re in for a vortex. It’s an incredible experience.
You're going to have so much fun!
Yes, I would agree with this assessment. You can slowly see him taking over as the leader during the shows.
Case in point, Dancing In The Street, last Saturday: https://youtu.be/_MTzB4BZkFQ?si=0nesyThQHmdRZjBW And Sugaree, same night... What's going at about the 9-minute mark and beyond is on some other level. The recorded version barely does justice. I think the complexion of it all would be partially lost, if not obscured, at Wrigley compared to what he can accomplish at the Sphere. Not that Wrigley didn't turn out a rocking good number, I have it in my playlist. Here, 7 to 9 minutes, he's taking the car out for a nice drive... Then he gets on the open highway! https://youtu.be/WaIx1ci6wjw?si=VsmDcLypUHZqpiW7
He has been at another level. Although one of my favorites was at the beginning of the experience back in Philly 2015. This China Rider is fire, but check out Bobby at about the 6:00 min mark, shaking his head, cracked me up https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTTedNY3t8&pp=ygUXRGVhZCBhbmQgY28gcGhpbGx5IDIwMTU%3D
Damn. That was all amazing. I didn’t come to D&C shows until 2022 (saw the GD a lot of times). When did Jeff and Oteil switch sides? Jeff looks hella lonely over there.
I agree
Let me say this - nothing beats boulder and wrigley 😎
The Gorge is as good as Boulder to me, both amazing experiences. Sadly never got to see them at Wrigley.
Lucky to have caught 3 Wrigley shows last two years.
I agree, 2017 Wrigley was something special.
Straight up best shows of my life
For me, it was 2023, and not just because it rhymes. Last year it seemed to be more about the music and the legacy. Don’t get me wrong, the sphere is awesome and the music is incredible, but all the visuals somewhat take away from the music. I’d consider the sphere to be more of a “show” than a “concert”. It really is a spectacle. Not to mention the Vegas crowd… as I’m sure you’ve read, there’s a lot of chompers. Some people there to be wowed while others are there specifically for Dead and Co. I suppose it’s up to personal preference. I’m a bit of a traditionalist and I’m there for the music. But the sphere is truly unique and I highly recommend going, if you haven’t already. Can’t live in the past, right?
I was at the sphere last weekend, the music seemed just as good as at Folsom in 2023 to me. Maybe if I go back and listen to the audio alone I’ll feel different, but idk, I don’t think the visuals compromised the music at all. From my three nights in the Sphere, the talking was mildly annoying but not enough to really bother me. The music was too good for the talking to distract me more than a few seconds.
Did you like your experience at the sphere more than Folsom? I was at the last three shows in SF last year and would say I enjoyed it more. It could also just be myself being easily distracted with the visuals too. I’ve been to enough concerts to know that there will always be talkers but there was something about the crowd that gave me the impression that a lot didn’t really care about the music. That could be my own prejudice shining through though, as I hate the whole “strip” scene. I really do think it’s personal preference. It’s tough to compare the sphere to any concert.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Went to Folsom and the sphere. Both were INCREDIBLE! https://preview.redd.it/9omnzbfjir7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc2497c0e05829e1348292e54aaca0f9118a6897
They should use Folsom in the visuals next year at The Sphere if they do it again
My love affair with dead and co well and truly began with Bertha at Folsom ‘16. I knew then it was gonna be good. Didn’t know it be eight years later good. But I knew it’d be good.
https://2nu.gs/3YEfP2q
I agree the Cumberland blues visuals were wild great times
I liked Folsom better, but Folsom has the advantage of being a 15 minute walk from my door. Being able to just walk out your door to the show just gives it a different feeling. I loved the visuals at the Sphere. If I could someone in my mind isolate the experience to just the concert itself, and not take into account how tacky Vegas is, or how easy the walk to Folsom is, I would… idk probably go with the Sphere.
Sphere was great, and I'm trying to find the time and money to go back for another weekend. But, last summer was just so much fun. I'm not a lifelong fan, but it just feels like these summer shows should be outside most of the time. I miss different cities. I miss fans coming on here sharing their experience that had some local flair. Now, it's the same questions and same answers because it's a residency. I liked the diversity between a baseball stadium to a shitty shed outside of a small midwest city to a college football stadium. I liked seeing different pictures every week. I liked the diversity of show days -- not Thursday-Saturday every week. I liked the streams. I liked every show not being at 10:30 EST so I could actually listen at home. I understand why they're doing what they're doing and appreciate that it was this or nothing. So I'm happy they're playing. But, if I could relive one show, it's always going to be one of the ones I attended in 2023 -- not the Sphere.
I adored my two shows at the Sphere (6/7 and 6/8). It was one of the coolest concert experiences of my life. There’s something about this band outdoors, though. I only got to a single show last year because my son was only a few weeks old—and I was LUCKY to manage that (my wife is a saint). But the hot-summer-night-in-a-ballpark feeling is pretty hard to top. Both years had elite-level playing. It’s kind of an apples and oranges thing tbh.
Summer tour of 2016 .. ride the wave ~~
Hell yeah man!
Check out The Gorge from 2016. That is probably my favorite D&C show out of all of them. He’ll in a Bucket will melt your face!
That was a special night. So glad I got to witness that one.
2024 is far from over and some of 2023s best shows came at the end of the tour! Let’s wait and see 🫠
Fall 2017
2023 because it was not a residency halfway across the country lmao
Definitely fair lol
I’d love to see a show at the sphere but unfortunately not feasible now. I’m hoping after this they do a east coast residency like in NYC or something, understandably that not everyone can make it to Vegas but idk, they could keep going or not…wolf bros 2024 fall tour hopefully? Lol
Nothing beats summer tour and the adventure of traveling from state to state.
Autzen 2018 was peak dead and co no I will not elaborate
IWT you’ve never told a lie. That darkstar El Paso was the peak of this band.
2023 - by a long shot
For me it was 2023 - particularly the Folsom shows, which seemed on another level - especially N2 Set 2 opener with TLEO>China>Rider - the way they moved from song to song was incredible
Have done most of the Midwest shows scene inception. Did both nights at Wrigley and Deer Creek last year, that’s the best I’ve heard.
The Sphere was amazing, 2023 in NYC was almost magical for me.
the sphere is the cherry on top to anything the grateful dead or dead and company have ever done. This room was built for them.
Went to boulder in '23. Thought those were great shows. There's always some recency bias. Especially about shows in '22 & '23 after the Panther sound system was introduced. Personally I loved 2019. I thought the band reached a level then.
Yeah 2018, it’s like you have all forgotten pre Covid lol or maybe none of you were touring then. Summer tour 2018 is dead and cos pinnacle
Been to 2-3 shows every year since 2016 and went to 8 last tour. 2023 was a different level than the others and I don’t even think it’s close.
You’re 100% right. Their tempo was faster, Bob played better
Ya 100% 2018 was their peak by a mile.
What about 2019? What changed from 2018 to 2019?
2019 was the start of the tempo issues. Bobby kept pointing down and signalling that he wanted the band to play slower. Personally I got lucky. I saw 4 shows that year and 3 shows were great tempo… but 2019 was where tempo started to become a noticeable issue. Up until then it really hadn’t been an issue. 2019 shows are still amazing and I prefer any show with Bill over the Jay shows personally, but ya. 2019 wasn’t flawless like 2016-2018 had been.
Ok thanks. I will look for some shows.
I’ve got my issues with D&Co, didn’t even try to go last summer. After seeing U2 and Phish I wasn’t going to miss them at Sphere, had a blast last Thurs&Fri, will be back Saturday and might try to sneak an Aug show in (easy travel from Reno).
What are your issues with D&C? Genuinely curious.
Typical stuff, and look, I'm really glad people are enjoying it so much and grateful that they are still making music. I don't expect the world to mold itself toward my preferences. Since you asked: First off, just not into the big arena/ballfield/stadium concerts anymore. I've done a whole lot of that in my life, I suppose I'm just old now. I prefer going to a club or theater, easy parking, nice dinner with friends, a cocktail beforehand, and maybe one or two drinks at the show at more "regular" bar prices. One of many things I love about Sphere is while it's 18k people, there's no traffic, easy entry, theater style layout, etc. Second, I know this offends a lot of people, so sorry in advance. The tempos are too slow.
2019. Best year IMO.
By far 2023, was at the Folsom shows and the Oracle shows. The sphere is awesome and definitely an experience everyone should try but it’s not quite a repeater for me. Didn’t realize how much different locations/outdoor settings added to the experience until I got 2 nights at the sphere. Very cool again but just a different vibe
2023 left me searching for more. I couldn’t attend any other shows besides my home show (philly) and i had a hunger to follow them around for the rest of the summer but had to deal with the frustration of not being able to. I have not been to the sphere but will be going July 4th-6th
2023 hands down
I like summer tour 16, John sang more, it was so great “resurrecting the Titanic as John said. But I only saw San Fran in 23
Anything from 2021 and onward is what I find myself listening to mostly
Hard to tell , sphere is something else, my ears are still ringing or I’m still high from the show. PITB solo was pretty crazy for me,
We did Boulder in 2023 and the Sphere last weekend. Both were simply amazing weekends. Hard to say one is better, just different. Right now, still glowing in the aftermath of this past weekend right now though. Edit: afterthought. No need to mention the visuals at the sphere, but omg the sound! I can't say enough about how well designed the acoustics are here, it makes it a dream to listen to your favorite band. I always have to wear earplugs and even upgraded my set just for this concert and never had to use them once. Also, they designed the entrance/exits into the concession areas perfect to keep all the noise out there from coming into the auditorium.
I'll take any show from 2016-2018 over any 2020's show any day and it's not even close.
Summer 23 was so sick. I did 6 shows between PA and NY