Dead & Company add Sphere show

UNUSUAL EVENTS IN THE DESERT: Dead & Company offer another reason to brave the August heat of Las Vegas. The band’s Sphere tour has been extended through August 10. (Rich Fury/Sphere Entertainment)

Duration extended until August

Dead & Company have added dates for their Sphere residency, which began May 16 at the Las Vegas venue, the band announced today.

The run of Dead Forever — Live at Sphere, which was supposed to end in July, will now be extended until August 10, bringing the total number of shows to 30.

Increased demand was cited as the reason for the additional shows on August 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10, which is usually off-season in Las Vegas due to the heat. Dead & Company gives visitors another reason to brave triple-digit temperatures and enjoy a hot experience that will thrill even the uninitiated.

Reviews and word of mouth have generated excitement in the Deadhead community for a once-in-a-lifetime experience that embraces the Grateful Dead’s legacy, combining songbook and lore with cutting-edge technology and visual art.

Critics who have seen U2 and Phish’s impressive Sphere shows have loved how Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Jay Lane, John Mayer and the Dead & Company technical team put a new twist on a 50-year-old formula with Sphere.

The second weekend introduced new images, including images of the full moon shining outside Sphere and Egyptian graphics.

Simply put, Dead Forever – Live at Sphere is one of the most psychedelic experiences you can have without mind-altering substances of any kind. In fact, on opening night, a group of dozens of sober Deadheads gathered in the arena for a brief meeting during the band’s intermission.

Coinciding with the residency is the free two-story Dead Forever exhibit at the Venetian, initiated by Kristina “Red” Tanner of Dead & Company’s co-management company Activist and Vibee. It includes photographs by Jay Blakesberg, artwork by Hart and a scaled-down replica of the Wall of Sound that was part of the Grateful Dead’s touring machinery and will be recreated in the Sphere show (see photo). The Deadheads also stage a Vegas version of “Shakedown Street,” the flea market-like marketplace that is a staple of the band’s tours, at the Tuscany Suites & Casino each show day.

Pre-sale registration is available through Seated, but does not guarantee tickets to the additional shows. Artist pre-sales begin Thursday morning (May 30). General sale begins Friday morning.