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2000 LYFH

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roundnround
Ian McLagan wrote in his book that he was invited to join the Grateful Dean but he turned it down, even though it would have meant a lot of money, because he just didn't get the music...

That's fine, glad a lot of other keyboard players got it, one being the great Keith Godchaux from 1972 - 1979. Great playin on 'Europe 72'.

Bruce Hornsby gave the Dead(Garcia) a huge kick in the ass from Fall '90 thru Fall '91. Another fun period!!

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forsure

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RollingFreak
Regardless of what some may think about them, they are a successful and capable band. To deny that is just flat out ignorant. They aren't everyone's cup of tea, but you can't discount them as musicians and as an important band in history.

yep, well said. a good amount of ignorance around, but really no more than the people who mock dylan as a singer. They reveloutionzied concert sound and the concert industry, its not even a debate. Some may not care for their music (although I'd gather a good amount are just ingnorant about it), but as you point out as musicians and as trail blazers there are few that match them.

See, this is where it gets tricky. I understand that they lucked out with Owsley being their sound guru early on. But all I can think is great, why the hell didn't a great band like the Stones have someone like Owsley in the mid-60s, so we'd have good live stereo recordings with Brian? (Instead of Pig Pen caterwauling.) I am definitely not ignorant of just about every stage of their career, on through weird disco side trips, etc. My landlord and his son are Dead freaks who keep insisting on torturing me. I've told them time and time again that they Dead were the absolute worst cover band of all time, hands down. You'd think with all that success they would have hired a good vocalist.

That being said, I wholeheartedly respect what they were able to accomplish in terms of fervent fan base. But don't call someone ignorant because what the Grateful Dead produced enters their ears and causes distress. It's just a matter of taste. In that respect they are the most polarizing band of all time. You either hate them, or follow them around the country, doused in patchouli.

All I can say after reading this is that I'm glad I don't like the Dead enough to care whether or not I see them.


Ladies and gentlemen, not the Grateful Dead

By Stewart Sallo
Thursday, March 5, 2015

It has been almost 20 years since legendary Grateful Dead lead guitarist Jerry Garcia transitioned to the big acid test in the sky. And since Jerry left us the debate has raged over whether the remaining members of the band — Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart — could call themselves the Grateful Dead. That question was answered definitively with a resounding “NO” this past weekend as some 500,000 fans logged on to the Ticketmaster website in an attempt to purchase tickets to the “Fare Thee Well” shows, scheduled for July 3-5 at Soldier Field in Chicago. You heard it here first: Even if these shows go down as the greatest in the history of rock and roll, this is not the Grateful Dead.

Many of the 500,000 hopefuls had already engaged in the ultimately futile exercise of participating in the mail order presale, thinking they were participating in a revival of the beloved tradition that marked the band’s commitment to its fans by selling tickets directly, rather than through third-party agencies. Unbeknownst to the true Deadheads who put their hearts and souls into decorating their envelopes and sending off large sums of money on Jan. 20, back-room deals had already been made with big music industry players, such as Ticketmaster and a Philadelphia-based V.I.P. package provider called CID Entertainment (with options ranging from $519 to $2,198, plus “service fees”), to cash in on the genuine love and appreciation that is still alive and well among those who have never been able to replace the Grateful Dead as a source of joy and inspiration in their lives.

The capacity of Soldier Field for these shows is 210,000. According to Grateful Dead Ticket Sales, some 60,000 mail order envelopes were received representing 300,000 ticket requests, more than the capacity of the venue. However, based upon those numbers, odds were favorable, as about two-thirds of the requests could have been fulfilled. But rather than announce that the on-sale date to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster had been cancelled, due to the shows selling out through the mail order, the on-sale date was postponed to Feb. 28. The explanation on the dead50.net website read: “In order to give the good folks at GDTS (Grateful Dead Ticket Sales) TOO time to sort through the 60,000 (!) envelopes received so far the new public on sale is Feb 28th @ 10 a.m. CST via Ticketmaster.”

Huh? You’ve received payment in the form of money orders from true, envelopedecorating, tradition-following fans for 300,000 tickets, have only 210,000 to sell, and you’re still going to be selling tickets online through Ticketmaster? In other words, you’re going to sell some of the tickets that have already been purchased by true Deadheads so that Ticketmaster can receive its cut. Nope, this is not the Grateful Dead.

But it gets worse when you examine just how many tickets were held for Ticketmaster and other middleman partners to sell. It was announced through multiple sources last Wednesday, including the Chicago Tribune and Billboard Magazine, that only 10 percent of the mail orders are being filled out of deference to the need to save tickets for sale through Ticketmaster, et al. Let’s do the math: 300,000 tickets were purchased through the mail order, but they’re only going to sell 30,000 of those tickets so they can sell 180,000 tickets through other avenues that more generously line the pockets of big music industry players.

Most suspicious of all is the way tickets mysteriously became available on eBay-owned StubHub immediately after the Ticketmaster sweepstakes ended. As of press time, literally thousands of tickets are available through StubHub in virtually every section of the venue for prices ranging from $600 (behind the stage with no view) to $3,500. Where did StubHub get all these tickets? They certainly didn’t get in line with 500,000 people to buy them from Ticketmaster! And if the inflated ticket prices on StubHub are unaffordable, you can purchase a parking pass for the modest price of $180 and enjoy the show from the parking lot at Soldier Field. Once again, where did StubHub get parking passes to sell?

One answer may lie in the inexplicable choice of Chicago as the site of this quickly souring last stand. Despite having developed loyal followings across the country and even internationally, the Grateful Dead were first and foremost a West Coast band. The band members lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, as did the most longstanding fans of the band. Against that backdrop, why Chicago?

That question becomes amplified when considering the fact that the Chicago Park District’s agreement with Chicago Bears season ticket holders entitles them to purchase their seats to all events that take place at Soldier Field. This may explain the sudden appearance of thousands of tickets on StubHub. The massive hype behind these shows had reached the radar screens of Bears fans, most of whom couldn’t care less about the Grateful Dead, but who saw an opportunity to make bank by turning a $199.50 purchase into a $3,500 trip to Puerto Vallarta. The party line that Soldier Field was chosen because it was the site of the last Grateful Dead concert on July 9, 1995 rings more hollow with every passing scalped ticket purchase.

And then there is the perplexing choice of Phish lead guitarist Trey Anastasio to join the band. Since Jerry Garcia’s death, several notable guitarists have performed as a substitute for Garcia in various post-Grateful Dead bands, such as the Other Ones, The Dead, Dark Star Orchestra, Phil Lesh and Friends and, most recently, Furthur. These include Widespread Panic lead guitarist Jimmy Herring, who was a founding member of the group Jazz is Dead, and who played in The Dead and Phil Lesh and Friends; John Kadlecik, the founding lead guitarist of the Dark Star Orchestra who has been playing in the band Furthur; and Warren Haynes, who has played in the bands Gov’t Mule and the Allman Brothers Band, and who has been a part of The Dead and Phil Lesh and Friends. In many ways Haynes was the sentimental favorite, due to his creation of the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration concerts, in which a large portion of Garcia’s musical compositions were committed to score and performed nationwide with a rock band, featuring Haynes on lead guitar, and backed by local symphony orchestras.

All three of these fine musicians have studied Jerry Garcia’s music in a way that qualifies them to fill his enormous empty shoes. Not so with Anastasio, who has made appearances with Phil Lesh and Friends but was quoted last month in Rolling Stone as saying, “I never really sat and studied what Jerry actually played, until now.” It now appears that the choices of Chicago and of Anastasio were not made in the spirit of providing the truest Grateful Dead experience for the fans but, rather, to fulfill the highest possible financial gain for the promoter, Peter Shapiro in association with Madison House, and their corporate cronies. Centrally located, Chicago offers the best combination of logistical convenience and the big-city trappings that are needed to attract an audience who can afford “secondary market” ticket prices. And the addition of Anastasio piles on the interest of an auxiliary audience of “Phish-heads” to the mix, thereby increasing the available pool of wealthy spectacle-loving (as opposed to music- or Grateful Dead-loving) ticket buyers who can chunk down $600 to $3,500 for tickets that were originally priced from $59.50 to $199.50.

All of this reveals a brilliant, even diabolical, marketing strategy. Choose a central location and a musical line-up that attracts the widest, wealthiest possible audience; create huge buzz through the Grateful Dead mail-order process to establish unfulfillable demand; and then let our friends at Ticketmaster, StubHub and other players in the “secondary market” (talk about euphemisms; we used to call it scalping) have at it. And here’s the kicker: Now Shapiro and Madison House are planning to create an entire industry around this weekend, including after-show concerts, audio and video recordings, and even a “pay per view” cable TV event. In short, get hundreds of thousands of people excited about an event they can’t get tickets for, sell their tickets to people who can pay aftermarket prices, and then charge the “losers” to watch it on TV.

One of the most fundamental truisms of life is that we are remembered for the most recent thing we did. It’s worse than a pity — it’s an outright tragedy — that perhaps the most beloved band in history has put itself in a position to be remembered for participating in what may go down as the biggest money grab in music history. On June 7-9, 1977 the Grateful Dead played three shows at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco to close out their legendary Spring 1977 tour, a period many Deadheads believe was the best in the band’s history. On June 7, having already purchased tickets for the closing night but with the thought in the back of my mind that there was a show that evening, I suggested to my sister, Janet, that we drive up to San Francisco from Santa Cruz to see if we could get in. About five minutes prior to the 8 p.m. showtime, we arrived at Winterland, walked up to the box office, purchased two tickets for $5 each and entered just as the band was playing the opening to “Bertha.”

That was the Grateful Dead. And that’s the Grateful Dead I want to remember, not a cover band that happens to have some of the original members, and certainly not a musical spectacle that serves big-moneyed interests, such as Ticketmaster, StubHub, eBay, the City of Chicago and whatever other corporate entities are in on this colossal rip off. The Grateful Dead built their brand on their commitment to the quality of their music and to their fans. They became famous and enormously successful for innovations such as their focus on touring and live performances, rather than selling records; building their fan base by allowing fans to tape and freely share their performances; and by creating their own ticket agency, rather than allowing corporate middleman entities to control their scene, as has happened with these “Fare Thee Well” shows.

In a 1967 interview with the Grateful Dead, conducted by CBS’s Harry Reasoner, Jerry Garcia said, “What we’re thinking about is a peaceful planet. We’re not thinking about anything else. We’re not thinking about any kind of power; we’re not thinking about any of those kinds of struggles; we’re not thinking about revolution or war or any of that. That’s not what we want. Nobody wants to get hurt; nobody wants to hurt anybody. We would all like to live an uncluttered life, a simple life, a good life, you know. And, like, think about moving the whole human race ahead a step or a few steps, or half a step, or anything.”

With each passing day since these shows were announced, it has become clearer that the “Fare Thee Well” concept bears no resemblance to the Grateful Dead. There is nothing peaceful or forward-thinking about misleading people with hope in their hearts, and thousands of loyal fans have been hurt in the process. As difficult as it is to articulate the Grateful Dead philosophy, it’s not difficult for anyone who loved the band to come to the conclusion that this is not the Grateful Dead.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-03-09 06:05 by tatters.

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24FPS
You either hate them, or follow them around the country, doused in patchouli.

I guess thats why I can sympathize with them so much. I don't love or hate them. I think they are very good, but I'm not obsessed. I think their studio albums are particularly very good, cause I think it reels them in and cuts all the live noodling. And just as a fan of music, I can say that some of their live stuff is very good and Jerry Garcia is just a monster guitar player that you can kind of listen to all day. I hate that they have like, a million live albums out, but thats not really their fault. Its just great for their fans. I'm not a fan of listening to hundreds of hours of their live music, but getting one or two live albums is enough. Combined with great studio albums, I feel I'm the perfectly balanced fan of theirs, which is apparently rare.

Very interesting article but I seriously doubt anybody in the band is responsible for this secondary ticket market mess. Yeah they all probably were excited by the big money offered to them for these shows but I doubt they though much about the cluster @#$%& that would be created by the secondary market and huge demand for tickets. Sadly best intentions can be soiled by greedy companies and people and judgmental reporting.

I mean the Stones don't even have a program to sell tickets to longtime fans through mail order and they participate in this high demand, secondary ticket market stuff without a comment. They might even be more responsible because they are the model for high demand shows and have done nothing to curb the secondary market and arguably could probably do so.

Maybe this will create some much needed attention to these issues, but I don't expect the (remaining) Dead will fix the problem or expect them to. I'll be happy if they can still pull off a few good magic musical moments. Best case they will recognize what happened and throw a huge free show in Golden Gate park to make up for it.

peace

I wish their real, longtime fans who enjoy them immensely could readily get affordable tickets and have a blast. It's kind of sad to say goodbye like the 'Dead' are doing. Of course I don't trust that after a while they won't mutate into some 'Furthur' type group and attract the same fans. I hope they do and I hope those fans have a good time.

We're in the final days of these bands. All of the 50s rock icons are in twilight. God it was great ride we all had. I hope society has a reason for musical groups in the future and that they're new and push everything beyond its current zeniths of the 60s and 70s. Presley, The Beatles, The Stones, Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and the greatest musician of our time, Jimi Hendrix. These are untouchable. I hope whatever they come up, whatever instrumentation, that they keep the blues root and connect with their generation like our bands did.

Tatters , thank you very much for that heartfelt letter from Stewart Sallo. this captures my feelings exactly . well done and BRAVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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TheGreek
Tatters , thank you very much for that heartfelt letter from Stewart Sallo. this captures my feelings exactly . well done and BRAVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And just what do you expect the remaining Dead members to do to bring back your beloved Grateful Dead. Quit playing together to preserve the legacy?

I believe there is no true Grateful Dead without Jerry but obviously there is still a huge number of people who still want to see the rest of the group perform together. A testament to the fact that the community surrounding them somehow wants to remain a community and what better way to bring them all together and celebrate what was than a series of shows? Like I said I think the intentions were solid and that goes a long way towards their credibility in my mind.

peace

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Naturalust

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TheGreek
Tatters , thank you very much for that heartfelt letter from Stewart Sallo. this captures my feelings exactly . well done and BRAVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And just what do you expect the remaining Dead members to do to bring back your beloved Grateful Dead. Quit playing together to preserve the legacy?

I believe there is no true Grateful Dead without Jerry but obviously there is still a huge number of people who still want to see the rest of the group perform together. A testament to the fact that the community surrounding them somehow wants to remain a community and what better way to bring them all together and celebrate what was than a series of shows? Like I said I think the intentions were solid and that goes a long way towards their credibility in my mind.

peace

It probably illustrates how impossible its become to simply put on some shows like this without all the hustlers wanting their sleazy cut. Could you even put on a free show at Golden Gate Park? I lived in Atlanta and the Allman Brothers put on a free show or two at Piedmont Park. Those days are long gone.

Yeah I have no problem with the event, the band calling themselves the Grateful Dead, inviting Trey A., etc. I mean it is too bad TicketBastard and others have to be involved and have their massive cut, but so be it. Let these great old rockers have a bit of a pay-off, let them have a big crowd, let them have a good time. It is a big waste of energy to get all unhappy about it. I hope those going have a good time, and I hope it is worth it for those who spent their last three paychecks to StubHub in order to attend.

I was one of those people who had their decorated envelope and money returned....and was shut out of the online sales too! I was a Deadhead in the late 80s and saw 66 shows (plus at least 15 Jerry Garcia shows). In fact, traveling to see numerous Dead shows is what made me realize I could do the same for the Stones....and making a sign for a ticket (like at Dead shows) is what got me into the Beacon in 06.

However, I am more than willing to give up on the 3 Dead shows (in Chicago, where I live) in order to see the Stones....esp if they're closeby in Indiana!

I'm fascinated by jam bands. I like the Allmans from 1969-1975, and then from 1989 until 2014. I also like Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes solo, Widespread Panic, but these bands, like the Stones, seem to have their roots in blues and jazz.

In contrast, while I like Live Dead, Workingmans, American Beauty, Europe 72, Blues For Allah, In The Dark, and the recent 1990 live stuff with Branford Marsalis, I've always found the Grateful Dead to be a confusing entity; are their roots in country, jazz, or blues ? They seem, sometimes, to be a tad aimless, and this can be found not just on different albums, but sometimes within the same song. I think, personally, having heard the Dead cover Samson & Delilah, and Little Red Rooster, that blues isn't an option when it comes to the Dead. They don't have that approach that the Stones, the Allmans, Clapton, etc had, and should have left it well alone.

Country/folk/bluegrass wise, yes, the Dead were very good, and Garcia was a criminally underrated steel guitarist, as on Workingmans, American Beauty, Laughing by David Crosby, and CSNY's Teach Your Children. Likewise, Garcia stretched himself by working with Ornette Coleman, Vassar Clements, and many others. The Allmans cut country material from Blue Sky onwards, but they were more into the bluesy side of jam-band material.

Looks like they are considering at least one West coast show before the Chicago Fare Thee Well shows. I guess the huge demand got them and their bankers, agents and promoter thinking about possibilities....and shows before the "final" ones won't contradict their statements about Chicago being the last.

[www.jambase.com]

peace

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tomcasagranda
I'm fascinated by jam bands. I like the Allmans from 1969-1975, and then from 1989 until 2014. I also like Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes solo, Widespread Panic, but these bands, like the Stones, seem to have their roots in blues and jazz.

In contrast, while I like Live Dead, Workingmans, American Beauty, Europe 72, Blues For Allah, In The Dark, and the recent 1990 live stuff with Branford Marsalis, I've always found the Grateful Dead to be a confusing entity; are their roots in country, jazz, or blues ? They seem, sometimes, to be a tad aimless, and this can be found not just on different albums, but sometimes within the same song. I think, personally, having heard the Dead cover Samson & Delilah, and Little Red Rooster, that blues isn't an option when it comes to the Dead. They don't have that approach that the Stones, the Allmans, Clapton, etc had, and should have left it well alone.

Country/folk/bluegrass wise, yes, the Dead were very good, and Garcia was a criminally underrated steel guitarist, as on Workingmans, American Beauty, Laughing by David Crosby, and CSNY's Teach Your Children. Likewise, Garcia stretched himself by working with Ornette Coleman, Vassar Clements, and many others. The Allmans cut country material from Blue Sky onwards, but they were more into the bluesy side of jam-band material.

i believe the deads roots were actually country and bluegrass with a bit of blues. before the dead most of them were in a country/bluegrass band together

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24FPS
Could you even put on a free show at Golden Gate Park? I lived in Atlanta and the Allman Brothers put on a free show or two at Piedmont Park. Those days are long gone.

Yes, believe it or not it still happens pretty frequently in GG Park.

peace

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Naturalust
Looks like they are considering at least one West coast show before the Chicago Fare Thee Well shows. I guess the huge demand got them and their bankers, agents and promoter thinking about possibilities....and shows before the "final" ones won't contradict their statements about Chicago being the last.

[www.jambase.com]

peace

They're also doing some Jerry Garcia tribute in New York. A west coast show or a few wouldn't surprise me since it does seem they are trying to sneak in a few more shows, for whatever reason. Maybe money, maybe just so everyone has a chance. I could definitely see them doing something on the West Coast that isn't exactly billed a GD show, but similar to the New York thing where its been said all the core guys will be there and playing.

March 23, 2015
Grateful Dead to Play Two Shows in San Francisco Area
by Steve Spohn

> Dead

That sound you just heard was the entire West Coast breathing a huge, collective sigh of relief. Why, you ask?

The Grateful Dead – the Core Four, Trey Anastasio and Bruce Hornsby – are set to announce two additional “Fare Thee Well” shows in advance of Chicago at Levi’s Stadium just outside San Francisco (Santa Clara) on June 27th and 28th. The 68,500-capacity venue is the home to the NFL 49ers.

After weeks of speculation and simmering anticipation, the news of the imminent announcement comes confirmed by longtime Deadhead and organization insider Bill Walton via his twitter feed .

There is no word as to exactly when tickets will go on sale. It is doubtful there will be a mail order.

Fans everywhere have been hoping – and yes, praying – for additional farewell shows above and beyond the three slated for the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago.

As many fans have been shut out of the Soldier Field shows, it would seem miracles do still happen. The Grateful Dead grew up in the San Francisco area, for a time living together in Haight-Ashbury.

Stay tuned for more information. We will be updating this story as details emerge.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Lol the Grateful Dead are back people! Let's get used to it!

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RollingFreak
Lol the Grateful Dead are back people! Let's get used to it!

I'm sceptical

"That sound you just heard was the entire West Coast breathing a huge, collective sigh of relief. Why, you ask"?



Being from the West Coast (in southern California), the huge sigh of relief you may have heard from me was:

Thank goodness they're not planning to play down here! lol

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Levi's Stadium could use some good vibes for a change!! 49ers need all the mojo they can get!

why oh why .oh that's right the allure of the almighty buck for one last go round minus captain trips .it's like cake without the frosting , a sandwhich with nothing in between the two slices.it's like flash without substance er without the flash .

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reg thorpe

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RollingFreak
Lol the Grateful Dead are back people! Let's get used to it!

I'm sceptical

For what's it worth they have played wonderful music in many different settings since August of 1995. They just never called themselves the Grateful Dead.

Different reincarnations and everything but some seriously wonderful music has been made in the last two decades.

Feel free to email me for specific examples, I've seen some truly remarkable shows.

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eyesoftheworld

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reg thorpe

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RollingFreak
Lol the Grateful Dead are back people! Let's get used to it!

I'm sceptical

For what's it worth they have played wonderful music in many different settings since August of 1995. They just never called themselves the Grateful Dead.

Different reincarnations and everything but some seriously wonderful music has been made in the last two decades.

Feel free to email me for specific examples, I've seen some truly remarkable shows.

Further was my favorite.

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DoomandGloom

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eyesoftheworld

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reg thorpe

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RollingFreak
Lol the Grateful Dead are back people! Let's get used to it!

I'm sceptical

For what's it worth they have played wonderful music in many different settings since August of 1995. They just never called themselves the Grateful Dead.

Different reincarnations and everything but some seriously wonderful music has been made in the last two decades.

Feel free to email me for specific examples, I've seen some truly remarkable shows.

Further was my favorite.

They were so much fun, friend : )

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Hairball
I understand and acknowledge your interpretation of the situation keefriffhard4life,
but one thing's certain - I probably won't be going to see the Grateful Dead on their upcoming reunion tour!

i just wanted to say this how the bands own website lists this event

"Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead" at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2015"

[www.dead.net]


still doesn't have anything that imo means they are billing themselves as the grateful dead

For any who are so inclined....

Levi's stadium, 6/27 & 6/28

submit your ticket request at Dead50.net between right now and 4/14

I hereby dedicate to the remaining members of the GD and the fill in band members the Mothers of Invention's "We're Only In It For The Money" album. It seems so appropriate.

Here's a link to the Mothers album if anyone's interested in reading about it.

[en.wikipedia.org]

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dmay
I hereby dedicate to the remaining members of the GD and the fill in band members the Mothers of Invention's "We're Only In It For The Money" album. It seems so appropriate.

Here's a link to the Mothers album if anyone's interested in reading about it.

[en.wikipedia.org]

The only Frank Zappa album I truly like.

Only $60 for parking. That is twice as much as I ever paid to see Jerry.