These last two shows of Dead & Company’s 2017 summer tour at Wrigley field are numbers 13 and 14 for Brian and I, and numbers 6 and 7 for the kids. It’s our first time back to Chicago since the 2015 Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well Tour. We LOVE concerting with the kids and creating these memories together, and one of our favorite parts of traveling to see Dead & Company play at different tour stops around the county is going exploring and adventuring during the day.
This morning after breakfast, we walked through Grant Park to the Field Museum, where we spent more than five hours immersed in natural history, science, and dinosaurs. We loved the Jurassic World special exhibit, the 3D movie about the Galapagos Islands, the Specimen exhibit, and the Planet Evolution exhibit with dinosaur and other animal skeletons.
We wrapped up our visit to the Field Museum with a stop at the museum store, then walked back to our hotel, the Hilton Downtown Chicago, to change and pack some snacks for the shows.
To avoid traffic, we rode the Red Line subway/train to Wrigley Field packed with hundreds of other Deadheads, and arrived early enough to snap photos in front of the iconic ball field, wander the streets a bit, and take in the crowds/community. The only bummer was that this is the first show we’ve attended that didn’t have a big Shakedown Street (at least that we could find).
Once inside the stadium, we grabbed some food and headed up to our seats, which were FANTASTIC! Our seats were in the first row of the second deck along the third baseline. No one was in front of us to block the view, we had room to dance, our seat mates were mostly awesome, and there was a breeze blowing to keep us cool.
Night 1 Of Dead & Company At Wrigley Field Was Incredible
Dead & Company, made up of Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, as well as John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti, closed out their 2017 summer tour with two magnificent nights at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs.
Almost right away we were treated to Bertha — one of our favorites — and an amazing version of Me & My Uncle. Then tonight, after waiting for two years to hear the song at a show we were at, we finally heard Dead & Company play a slow yet killer Sugaree. The first set closed out with an acoustic Uncle John’s Band that finished as an electric version in the same song!
The second set opened with the always fun Shakedown Street, then Dark Star — but only the first verse. Bassist Oteil Burbridge showed off his singing chops with China Doll and the set saw the band play the Help > Slip combo, which they play often and play extremely well. The second set closed out with a double encore, featuring an acoustic Ripple and a rollicking U.S. Blues.
While Carter’s not into the music yet, and sat in his seat reading his book most of the show, Natalie is the exact opposite. She danced alongside me all night, singing along to song after song, and it was truly a magical night.
Brian and I LOVE having the kids with us and sharing this experience with them.
Dead & Company Wrigley Field, Chicago 6/30/17 Set List:
Set 1:
- Music Never Stopped
- Bertha
- Me and My Uncle
- Sugaree
- Let It Grow
- Uncle John’s Band
Set 2:
- Shakedown Street
- Dark Star (verse 1)
- St. Stephen
- China Doll
- Terrapin Station
- Uncle John’s Band (reprise)
- Drums / Space
- Standing On The Moon
- Help On The Way
- Slipknot!
- Franklin’s Tower
Encore:
- Ripple (acoustic)
- US Blues
