Welcome to Shakedown Street! Dead & Company Dazzle at PNC Music Pavilion

Back in 1965, an American rock band was formed in the Bay Area of California that would forever change the face of the music world. Fusing together different genres of music including rock, bluegrass, folk, country, the blues, and just about everything else under the sun, the Grateful Dead would usher in an era of psychedelic jams that spoke to the heart of millions around the world. The band would become known for their live sets and the biggest fan community in history as the “Deadheads” would faithfully follow the band to the ends of the earth and back again. Perhaps it was the societal and political changes of the 60s that made a band like this possible and indeed nothing quite like the Dead has ever happened since.

The band has been officially disbanded for many years as many of the original members have passed on but fear not, their music and vibe still flow freely in the entity we know as Dead & Company. Since 2015, when guitarist and singer/songwriter John Mayer got together with founding member Bob Weir, Dead & Company have been keeping the energy and music alive and Charlotte area “Deadheads” were lucky to have the band make a stop in at PNC Music Pavilion on their 2021 US Fall Tour.

Fans began pouring into the venue parking areas hours before showtime to gather, converse, and be a part of a modern-day version of Shakedown Street. Its name taken from the Grateful Dead album of the same name, Shakedown Street was synonymous back in the day as being a place where one could acquire everything and anything from a grilled cheese sandwich to certain substances that could “enhance” the concert experience. Today, set up in the parking lots, one could find a variety of vendors selling collectible pins and one-of-a-kind Dead merchandise or listen to a Grateful Dead cover band or perhaps just commune with some like-minded individuals. At any rate, if you have never been, get to the show early and check out this long-held tradition.

Once inside, tie-dye was the look of the evening as people began to gather for what would be a full night of Dead & Company as the band plays two sets each night with no opening act. Soon the venue would display the Dead logo and the band would take their spots on stage. Today’s iteration of the band includes Bob Weir on rhythm guitar and vocals, Bill Kruetzmann on drums, Mickey Hart on percussion and drums, John Mayer on lead guitar and vocals, Oteil Burbridge on bass guitar, and Jeff Chimenti on keyboards. Opening with a cover of Sam Cooke’s “Good Times,” Dead & Company quickly went to work transporting us to a time and place far away where one can free their mind and simply revel in the moment. These musicians are simply some of the most talented on the planet and to hear them in their element, improvising at will, and jamming all night long was an experience I will never forget. They sounded fantastic but not only was the music excellent, but the band also puts on quite the light show. With Dead & Company, it is a full experience and the visual elements are incorporated into the set to enhance the auditory sensations.

Like many jam bands, it can be difficult to tell where one song ends and another begins but that is part of the fun of a Dead & Company show. My advice is simply to sit back and let the music envelop you. In a modern world, we so often are inundated from the time we wake up until the time we fall to sleep by technology, so this is a good time to unplug, kick back, and just live in the moment with the music. And from the looks of pure joy and happiness on the faces in the crowd, my guess is that most of them were doing the same. By the time the final song of set number two “Casey Jones” was over, we were all in a different frame of mind and that is the power of music on full display. Even though it seemed that the band could not possibly have any more gas left in the tank, they returned for a one-song encore treating Charlotte “Deadheads” to the Grateful Dead classic “Ripple” before the evening came to an end.

What a long, strange trip indeed! Even if you’re not a huge fan of the Grateful Dead, a Dead & Company show is something all music lovers should experience at least once in a lifetime, if not many, many more.