Reflections on the Dead & Company concert I attended last weekend. [View all]

[MontanaMama]

For the record, I’ve never been into the Grateful Dead or Dead & Co. I know a few songs and appreciate the longevity of the bands over the course my 58 years of life. However, my 18 year old son Owen is an old soul when it comes to all things, especially music. He’s a a huge John Mayer fan and when Mayer began playing with Bob Weir and Dead & Co., Owen was all in and therefore I began to listen to them a few years ago.

When Dead & Co announced their final tour, we tried to get tickets and couldn’t get it done. In October 2022, I was about to go to an after market ticket seller when Owen’s dad was, miraculously, caller #7 on a local radio station and won two tickets to see Dead & Co at The Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA. The child was beside himself…and looking forward to this concert got him through the doldrums of his senior year in high school.

He was going to make the trip with one of his buddies and one by one, Owen’s friends backed out due to college tours, family vacations and work schedules. Owen wanted to take the trip alone and I wasn’t down with him driving 5 hours, staying in a hotel and attending this event alone so we agreed that I would be his companion on this trip.

We hit the road a week ago today…as I said, it’s a 5 hour drive from Missoula to George. As we zipped over the two mountain passes, we listened to true crime podcasts and of course, plenty of Dead & Co. We talked about friendships changing with the start of college and the worry that things might not be the same. We talked about making adult decisions and how he might know if he’s doing the right things…we talked about making mistakes and how to get back on track. He told me how much he loves flying and how happy he is when he’s in the cockpit of the little plane he’s using to get his certification. I was grateful for every exchange we had on this trip.

The concert was amazing. The people watching, second to none. I was impressed with the quality of the music and the production. The Dead Heads received John Mayer quite well. One thing that I did not know is that the set list for this tour changes every single night. I think that’s is a sign of immense respect for the people that see the band night after night. The show is new and different every single day. I inhaled more weed than I ever have in my whole life! It was the happiest crowd I have ever been around. It was a vibe and a culture that was easy to be in.

We had a blast and I will treasure it forever. I’m actually kinda sad that this is the final tour and I’ll never experience it again.

Thanks for reading…❤️