Watch Dead and Company Honor Phil Lesh During Debut Performance at Las Vegas Sphere

A founding member of the Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh spent three decades with the band as their bass guitarist. Even after the Grateful Dead decided to go their separate ways, Lesh continued to perform and celebrate the legacy he created with the band. Having dedicated the majority of his life to music, Lesh sadly passed away back in October 2024. And when Dead & Company, a band consisting of former members of Grateful Dead, began their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, the group decided to honor Lesh with a special performance of “Box of Rain.” 

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Becoming one of the most popular venues in the world, bands clamored to perform at the Sphere. Given the technology and size of the venue, it offered both bands and fans a new take on concerts. Getting a chance to perform at the Sphere, Dead & Company used their moment in the spotlight to celebrate the legacy of Lesh. Outside of performing “Box of Rain”, several pictures of the Grateful Dead played on the screen behind them. 

[RELATED: “The Last and Best Reward”: Why the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir Looks Forward To Dying]

The Last Conversation Bob Weir Had With Phil Lesh

Passing away not even a year ago, Bob Weir, another founding member of Grateful Dead, recalled speaking with Lesh just before his death. Discussing receiving honors from the Kennedy Center, Weir remembered, “He called me just simply to congratulate me and us, and that was his entire reason for calling. And when we were done talking about that, I was spun out, he was spun out. We tried to make sense of it for a little bit. And then said, ‘Well, OK, see you there,’ basically.” 

Not knowing that would be their last conversation, Weir offered a touching statement after Lesh passed away. He wrote, “The Muse gives us the people and tools to work with. Where we go with that work emerges from somewhere between our intuition and her inspiration. It’s a process always cloaked deep in Mystery, and at its best, the Mystery is forever lasting after its rendering,” Weir concluded, “Meanwhile, given that death is the last and best reward for a life *well and fully lived*, I rejoice in his liberation…”

Besides Weir’s statement, the remaining members of Grateful Dead added, “Phil Lesh was irreplaceable. In one note from the Phil Zone, you could hear and feel the world being born. His bass flowed like a river would flow. It went where the muse took it. He was an explorer of inner and outer space who just happened to play bass. He was a circumnavigator of formerly unknown musical worlds. And more.”

(Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images)