Dead & Company Welcome Renée Fleming for “Space” Vocal Improvisation, Debut Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come”

Picture credit score: Jay Blakesberg

Over the weekend, Lifeless & Firm returned to Las Vegas’ Sphere to set off the second body of their three-tiered 2025 residency. After a yr of excellent stagings on the venue, the jam forerunners are nonetheless constantly upping the ante with new approaches, reverent historic homages and setlist surprises that extra totally match Sphere’s immersive potential. The primary three stagings of their new sequence have been a few of their most creative but; after presenting a residency debut of Kingfish’s “Supplication” and teasing the theme from The White Lotus on Thursday, April 17, the band’s performances on Friday and Saturday introduced uncommon covers, a dwell debut and daring “Space” exploration with a really particular visitor.

Lifeless & Firm kicked off their present on Friday evening with a rollicking “Alabama Getaway,” which put the gang in excessive spirits for an lively and usually uplifting first set. The spotlight of this dash was undoubtedly the ensemble’s debut cowl of Jimmy Cliff’s iconic 1972 reggae traditional “The Harder They Come,” made well-known for its inclusion in his celebrated music-crime movie of the identical title. Lifeless & Firm’s first go at the usual, which was translated to their wheelhouse by its time in Jerry Garcia’s solo repertoire, was led by stirring vocals from bassist Oteil Burbridge.

After wrapping the primary body with a candy remedy of Garcia’s “Sugaaree,” D&C shifted their tone for his or her second set with the standard “Cold Rain and Snow,” adopted by “Estimated Prophet,” “Eyes of the World” and “Row Jimmy.” Followers waited with bated breath as bandmates Bob Weir, John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti left the stage for a very tense “Drums,” charged with anticipation for acclaimed classical vocalist Renée Fleming, whose participation drummer Mickey Hart introduced on Thursday. “I’ve been collaborating with Renée for decades,” Hart wrote on Fb. “Often with my late beloved brother Zakir Hussain in the mix. Some of the best times of my life.”

As the ultimate beats of “Drums” rang out, Burbridge and drummer Jay Lane left the stage to make approach whereas Fleming walked on and took her place alongside Hart. Whereas Hart conjured otherworldly tone poetry on The Beam, Fleming joined along with her five-time Grammy and Kennedy Middle Honors-awarded lyric soprano for trancelike vocal improvisation, wavering between brilliant outbursts of laughter, percussive consonance and hovering prolonged notes. On the conclusion of the unprecedented collaboration, the remainder of the band re-emerged and moved fluidly into “Days Between,” then solid forward to a touching cowl of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and a finale of “Ripple.”

On Saturday, Lifeless & Firm cooled down from two unforgettable evenings with a extra mellow efficiency, which nonetheless handled attendees to some standout songs. After opening with a romp by way of “Dancing in the Streets” and the sauntering, bluesy groove of “Truckin’,” the group lit up their second-ever efficiency of Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally,” which they debuted on the second present of their Lifeless Eternally 2025 residency on March 21. This traditional Clapton reduce, like “The Harder They Come,” discovered its approach into the Grateful Lifeless universe by way of recurring spots in setlists from the Jerry Garcia Band. In Sunday’s second set, the group dug up another cowl from that nook of the canon with a heat and psychedelic run by way of The Beatles’ 1968 reduce “Dear Prudence. Shortly afterwards, the sextet closed out their third weekend at Sphere of 2025 with the fitting “One More Saturday Night.”

For tickets and extra info on Lifeless & Firm’s Sphere residency, go to deadandcompany.com. Learn on for the total setlists from Friday and Saturday evening.

Lifeless & Firm
Sphere – Las Vegas
4/18/25
Set I: Alabama Getaway, Shakedown Road, Althea, The Tougher They Come*, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > Sugaree
Set II: Chilly Rain and Snow, Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World, Row Jimmy, Drums > Area+ > Days Between, Goin Down the Street Feelin Unhealthy, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Ripple
Notes:
* Lifeless & Firm debut
+ w/ Renée Fleming

Lifeless & Firm
Sphere – Las Vegas
4/19/25
Set I: Dancin’ within the Streets, Truckin’, Lay Down Sally, Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Casey Jones
Set II: Scarlet Begonias, Fireplace on the Mountain, He’s Gone, St. Stephen, Drums, Area, Pricey Prudence, Brown-Eyed Ladies, Hell in a Bucket, Brokedown Palace, One Extra Saturday Evening