Once a while you get shown the light…Dead and Company at Wrigley Field

Despite heavy afternoon rain, fans began gathering for night two of Dead and Company at Wrigley Field on Chicago’s North side hours before the doors opened. Some patronized the restaurants surrounding the ballpark grabbing a bite to eat, others at the local bars meeting friends and preparing for the doors to open. Still others milled around, dressed in all sorts of rain gear hoping to score elusive miracle.

The music gods were kind to the faithful and the rain stopped shortly before the band hit the stage. The seats were wet and few made an attempt to sit and those that did, were back on their feet once the music began. Friday saw the band indulge fans with a spirited “China Cat Sunflower”>”I Know You Rider” with a “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” encore.

It was evident as Saturday night’s show kicked-off that Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann had just teased fans the night before as D&C first set featured a magical 11-minute “Terrapin Station” followed by “Sugar Magnolia” into a funky fan favorite “Mr. Charlie”. The first set was vintage Dead as they took the crowd on a musical journey and fans responded dancing and singing throughout the set. Set one also included Weir swapping out guitars for acoustic versions of “Friend of the Devil”, “Bertha” and “Mama Tried”.

As the evening progressed, the temps dropped into the 50’s F, with a decidedly damp feel, but those attending did not seem to mind. The concession lines were long but moved quickly and there was no shortage of dancing, in the aisles and anywhere else space permitting.

Opening the second set with the band’s instrumental “Spanish Jam” followed by “Scarlet Begonias” that morphed into “New Speedway Boogie”. Deadheads then took a trip down memory lane with the classic “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower” trifecta that brought cheers from the ecstatic crowd.

The evening concluded with John Mayer and Bob Weir on acoustic guitars for “Ripple” as the crowd could be heard singing along to the chorus…’Ripple in still water, When there is no pebble tossed, Nor wind to blow’. Dead & Company concluded their visit to Chicago with “One More Saturday Night”.

The band’s 2019 tour will consist of 19 shows as the band can be seen on both coasts this summer giving Deadheads an opportunity to catch Dead & Company. List of Dead & Company’s remaining Summer Tour dates can be found HERE.

Photos and review by Roman Sobus