What was the biggest surprise of Dead & Company Night 2 at Sphere?

The second night of Dead & Company’s epic 24-show run at the Sphere in Las Vegas was filled with many splendid things — including a set list that featured such highlights as “I Know You Rider,” “Althea” and, best of all, “Morning Dew” as well as some blistering guitar work from John Mayer.

Yet, the biggest surprise of Friday’s show was how little the visuals — shown on the mammoth hi-def video screens that fill the 366-foot-tall dome-shaped venue — changed from Thursday.

The graphics during the first set were pretty much identical to what was witnessed during the kick-off concert, which meant that fans attending both nights got to relive the Western movie scene, the tropical garden setting and other memorable moments. They just did so while different tunes — such as “Crazy Fingers,” “Big River” and “Good Lovin’” — were being played.

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Review: Dead & Company opens Sphere Las Vegas residency in epic fashion

The second set did have a few really nice new video segments. Most notably, there was a run through some of the most historically important venues where the Grateful Dead performed — including the old Winterland and Fillmore West spots in San Francisco and Red Rocks in the Denver area — while the troupe rocked “I Know You Rider.”

An image of Red Rocks in the Denver area is shown during Dead & Company’s concert on May 17 at the Sphere in Las Vegas (Jim Harrington, Bay Area News Group).

Overall, Friday’s show was another amazing experience. Yet, it’s important for fans — especially those considering buying tickets for multiple shows — to know that the many of the visuals may be repeated from night to night as Dead & Company continues its “Forever Dead” residency at the Sphere through July 13, deadandcompany.com.

Read our full-length Night 1 review here.

Setlist:

Set 1
1. “Samson and Delilah”
2. “Shakedown Street”
3. “Bertha”
4. “Crazy Fingers”
5. “Big River”
6. “Good Lovin’”
7. “Deal”
Set 2
8. “China Cat Sunflower”
9. “I Know You Rider”
10. “Estimated Prophet”
11. “Cumberland Blues”
12. “The Other One”
13. “Drums”
14. “Space”
15. “Black Peter”
16. “Althea”
17. “U.S. Blues”
18. “Morning Dew”
19. “Turn On Your Love Light”

An image of Cornell University — where the Grateful Dead played a legendary show in 1977 — is shown during Dead & Company’s concert on May 17 at the Sphere in Las Vegas (Jim Harrington, Bay Area News Group).