NYS Music 20​15

Tag: fare thee well

  • Fare Thee Well Celebrates July 4th with Fireworks and Empire State Building light show

    The Grateful Dead is an iconic piece of American musical history.  It could not have been more fitting to have their second show of the three-night run on the 4th of July in Chicago.  The evening opened appropriately with “Shakedown Street”, which was loaded with extended jams.  “Liberty” followed, fitting perfectly in tandem with the holiday theme.  Bob Weir had strong vocals while the band gracefully provided a flawless backing.

    Trey Anastasio delivered a tender “Standing on the Moon” before the band picked things up again with “Me and My Uncle.”  The band strolled into a lazy “Tennessee Jed.” There was a relaxed vibe in the air and the band was super tight. “Little Red Rooster” slowed things down before closing the set with “Friend of the Devil” and an energy packed “Deal.”

    ©Jay Blakesberg

    After an hour long break, set two opened with a fifteen minute “Bird Song.” The energy took off with the classic “Golden Road.”  The crowd went crazy with their dancing shoes.  No matter where fans were in the stadium, from the pit to behind the stage, the suites, or the very top row, people were enjoying the show full of energy and bone shaking vibes.

    Mickey Hart donned a sailor cap during the gentle “Lost Sailor” but then removed it before heading into an energetic “Saint of Circumstance”.  “West LA Fadeaway” fully came onto the set, as they were dropping teases of this tune the previous night.

    Once again, the Rhythm Devils blew the crowd away with a mind blowing “Drums.”  The huge screens at Soldier Field pulsed with flashes of colorful swirls and psychedelic images as the duo created otherworldly sounds.  It felt like thunder throbbing through the stadium as they pounded on the giant drums before moving into a trippy “Space.”

    The set ended with a heartfelt “Stella Blue” before finishing with the appropriately placed “One More Saturday Night.”  With two nights of dancing  in a row, this song had the crowd jumping out of their seats and dancing their asses off.

    The show closed with a hot “U.S. Blues”.  Anything other than this song to end the night would have been a wrong choice.  Images of the Empire State Building were shown on the giant screens.  It was later learned that a light show was created in honor of the band and set to the arrangement of “U.S. Blues.”  The show ended on a glorious note with incredible fireworks going off over the stadium for all to enjoy in honor of the 4th of July.

    Set 1: Shakedown Street, Liberty, Standing on the Moon, Me and My Uncle, Tennessee Jed, Cumberland Blues, Little Red, Rooster, Friend of the Devil>Deal

    Set 2: Bird Song, Golden Road, Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance, West LA Fadeaway, Foolish Heart, Drums>Space, Stella Blue, One More Saturday Night

    Encore: U.S. Blues

  • Fare Thee Well Opens in Chicago on High Note

    Chicago has turned into Deadheadland.

    Fans have descended upon the city from all over the world to see the last three performances from the “core four” members of the Grateful Dead. Since Jerry Garcia’s death, the band stopped playing as a unit and have branched off into other directions.  The 50th Fare Thee Well opened with two performances in Santa Clara last weekend and those shows paled in comparison to last night’s three-day run opener.

    After a few minutes of the band noodling around, the show opened with Phil Lesh singing “Box of Rain.”  The evening took off from there.  The energy in Soldier Field was off the charts.  Fans have been waiting for these performances since the announcement of the run earlier this year.   Trying to get tickets put many on emotional roller coasters, as they were in high demand and extremely hard to find.  The first note that dropped finally released all that pent up anticipated energy from the crowd.

    The band grooved right into “Jack Straw” followed by a surprisingly early appearance of “Bertha.”  Trey Anastasio took the lead on vocals and nailed it, as the crowd went into a dancing frenzy.  The notes rolled right into “Passenger” followed by an improvisational extended jam of “Wheel>Crazy Fingers.”  The first set ended on an appropriate note with Bob Weir on vocals to “The Music Never Stopped.”

    After an hour-long set break, second set opened with “Mason’s Children” followed by the powerhouse fan favorite duo of “Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain.”   When “Drums” pops its head, many make a beeline for the bathroom, however, this psychedelic version had many running back to their seats.  The Rhythm Devils really pulled out all the stops for this arrangement.  Words can’t describe how blown away the crowd was when this flowed onto the set.

    Second set was heavy with fan-favorite jams, including “Playing in the Band” and teases of “West LA Fadeaway.” The set closed with an impressive “Help on the Way>Slipknot>Franklin’s Tower.”  Encore of “Ripple” had fans shedding tears of joy across the stadium.  Night one was just the beginning, but the three day run is off to a incredible start.

    Set One: Box Of Rain, Jack Straw, Bertha > Passenger, The Wheel > Crazy Fingers > The Music Never Stopped

    Set Two: Mason’s Children, Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Drums > Space > New Potato Caboose, Playing In The Band > Let It Grow, Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower

    Encore: Ripple

  • Colorful Fare Thee Well Kicks off in Style

    It has been 20 years since the Grateful Dead last performed on stage together.  Upon the passing of Jerry Garcia, the band’s lead guitarist, in 1995, an era abruptly ended.  Since the band’s announcement of its Fare Thee Well 50th reunion shows over the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago earlier this year, fans have been counting the days to see them give their last performances.  However, due to the overwhelming ticket demand, two shows at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca., were added.  Those two performances occurred this past weekend, and what a weekend it was.

    It has been a long strange trip building up to these performances.  Fans had to endure a wild ride just to get tickets, along with a frenzied scramble to book hotels and air fare that weren’t astronomical.  These shows have not only been incredibly emotional, up to the point of the first note dropping, but they have also brought the Grateful Dead community, as a whole, back together.  Strangers helping strangers just to get them in the door has been a consistent theme across all Grateful Dead fan sites on the internet.

    Beginning on Saturday, June 27, 2015, original members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart were joined onstage with special guests Bruce Hornsby, Jeff Chimenti and Trey Anastasio.  It was anyone’s guess as to what song would open up the five-show run.  To the delight of many, it opened with two heavy fan favorites, “Truckin’ ,” followed by “Uncle John’s Band.” A brief jam on “The Other One” opened the show.    The evening completely surrounded the early years with songs that dated back to the late 1960’s and early ‘70’s.

    As the band wound around their early beginnings, Phish frontman Trey Anastasio presented his first solo experience to the crowd during a 20-minute “Viola Lee Blues.”  A hot topic of conversation with Grateful Dead and Phish fans alike, many were skeptical if Anastasio could fill Jerry Garcia’s shoes in an honorable way.  He appeared to hold back during the first set while trying to find his groove, though without a doubt, he showed his stuff and melded gracefully into the vibe of the evening.  The first set came to a close with a delightfully surprising rainbow over the stadium, as if it was a smile from Garcia in heaven to the crowd below.

    fare thee well kicks offSecond set opened with a hesitant start, as band members were still working out the kinks and finding their footing.  Fans were also treated early on in the set to fireworks that were being set off in nearby Great America Park. With a slower start to the set, the energy built right up as they jammed into “St. Stephen.”  The second set blasted info full energy mode as the band finally tightened up and found their groove.  The improvised “Space” crept in, showing off the percussive talents of the Rhythm Devils, Kreutzmann and Hart.  The evening ended with an encore performance of “Casey Jones,” with Hornsby on vocals.  Before leaving the stage, Kreutzmann indicated the rainbow earlier in the evening was in honor of the Supreme Court decision passed to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states.  If the rainbow was fake or real is anyone’s guess.  Either way, it was beautiful.

    Set One:

    Truckin’, Uncle John’s Band, Alligator > Cumberland Blues, Born Cross-Eyed > Cream Puff War, Viola Lee Blues

    Set Two:

    Cryptical Envelopment > Dark Star > St. Stephen  > William Tell Bridge > The Eleven > Turn On Your Love Light > Drums > What’s Become of the Baby > Space > The Other One > Morning Dew

    Encore:

    Casey Jones

    As jam band fans like to say, never miss a Sunday show.  The second performance of the run did not disappoint the packed stadium.  After a bumpy start, the band fell into a fluid groove.  Sunday June 28th’s performance was more of a greatest hits for the hometown crowd.  A well-placed classic opener, “Feel Like a Stranger” started the first set with Weir on vocals.  The piano and keyboard sound mix was vastly improved from the night before, where, at times, you had to strain to hear those instruments.  The band was much more in synch this evening, as they strolled through “New Minglewood Blues” into “Brown Eyed Women.”  Hornsby, once again, showcased his vocal talents on “Loser,” a favorite that many fans hope is repeated in Chicago.

    Anastasio took the lead vocal position on “Alabama Getaway.”  He visibly appeared increasingly comfortable on stage.  Chimenti jammed right along by tapping his fingers with ease on the organ to pump out that deep sound. The almost two-hour first set closed with “Hell In a Bucket,” with Anastasio, once again, surprising the crowd with a high energy, get your bones jumping up and down, guitar solo.   The set came to a close with Weir’s infamous “we’ll be back in just a few minutes,” before the group walked off stage for set break.

    Second set opened strong with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.”  It was chock full of extensive, improvised jams before seamlessly transitioning into “Wharf Rat.”   Not a dry eye was to be seen when “He’s Gone” showed up on the set.  Even Weir appeared to have a moment as he was singing the lyrics to a song that most fans relate to the death of Jerry Garcia.  “He’s gone. Nothing’s gonna bring him back.”

    The Rhythm Devils once again showed their creative, improvisational percussion skills with “Drums” as the rest of the band took a break from the show.  This time around they had a guest join in, with Sikiru Adepoju, a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, on the talking drum.

    Another big fan favorite,  “Sugar Magnolia,” rounded out the second set and the weekend closed with an encore of “Brokedown Palace.”  If these shows are any indication of what’s to come in Chicago, fans are in for a spectacular Fourth of July weekend chock full of hidden gems and long winding intricate jams.  What a way to kick off the reunion tour.

    Set One:

    Feel Like A Stranger, New Minglewood Blues, Brown-Eyed Women, Loose Lucy, Loser, Row Jimmy, Alabama Getaway, Black Peter, Hell In A Bucket

    Set Two:

    Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo > Wharf Rat > Eyes of the World > He’s Gone > *Drums/Space > I Need A Miracle > Death Don’t Have No Mercy > Sugar Magnolia

    Encore:

    Brokedown Palace

  • Grateful Dead Art Show Lineup During ‘Fare Thee Well’ Revealed

    During the Grateful Dead’s much anticipated “Fare Thee Well” reunion and farewell concerts at Chicago’s Soldier Field July 3-5, there will be a coinciding art show by PhanArt, titled In All Good Company, the largest exhibition of Grateful Dead art and artists. The art show will feature a newly announced lineup of dozens of artists displaying and selling posters, pins, clothing and photography.

    grateful dead art showThe exhibition, put together by PhanArt, will take place from noon until 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1 mile from the stadium at the historic Congress Plaza Hotel on 520 South Michigan Ave., near Grant Park. Local Chicago bands Jack Straw and Under the Willow will complement the artistic displays throughout the weekend. In addition, Blank Space Arts will be curating a playlist, providing an audio background to the visual effect of the art.

    In All Good Company offers free admission to all visitors and looks to continue the great tradition that PhanArt has had since its inception in 2013. Produced by Pete Mason, PhanArt exhibitions have been held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Miami, representing an effort to offer fans a rich variety of original concert art.

    Listed below are the artists whose work will be on display at this Grateful Dead art show:

    John Warner | Not Fade Away Artworks | Rhoney Stanley | Phil Kutno

    Richard Biffle | Move Brightly featuring Tie Dye by Courtenay Pollock

    Uncle John’s Outfitters | Good Thoughts Printing | Vintage Dead

    Dead Images by Robbi Cohn | Jim Pollock | Mark Serlo | TRiPP

    Mountain Family Glass | Sunshine Daydream Hippie Shop | Michael Boyer

    Andrew Bryant | Erin Cadigan | Amigos and Us | The Art of Ryan Kerrigan

    Kingpin Designs | Jeff Troldahl | Pinsanity | Get Shit Done | Zenster

    Morning Dew Tye-Dyes | Eden’s Rose Foundation | Grateful Girls Scarves

    Scott Harris Photo | Heady Teddy’s Outfitters | Dr. Wookles

    Easy Wind Family Creations | Lot Lifestyle | Pin me Down

  • Shapiro Does the Right Thing for “Fare Thee Well”

    Fare Thee Well promotor Peter Shapiro released a statement to fans on June 10, explaining the ticketing situation and addressing some fans’ concerns over receiving tickets for seats they did not request through GDTS TOO. In it, he talks about how he wanted to use the old mail ordering process to essentially make these shows feel just like they did in the 1980s and 90s, when fans sent in money orders in decorated envelopes in hopes of snagging tickets to see the Grateful Dead. He even offers refunds to those who are not satisfied with what they received from GDTS TOO.

    The most encouraging piece is that he is offering to refund the difference between what a fan paid for the seats he or she received if that person does not get the desired experience from the shows. I have to give Shapiro a round of applause, as this has been a difficult situation from the start.

    He also explains how promotors decided to open up the general admission portion of the venue to fit more fans inside. In a commendable response, Shapiro comes across as a true fan and seems quite sincere. I called for him to give an explanation, as did many other media outlets, of what has become a ticketing fiasco, and Shapiro delivered.

    He closes out the note with a lyric from “Terrapin Station,” where Jerry Garcia sings, “statements just seem vain at last,” making it seem like it’s in the promotors’ self interest and not the fans’. Maybe he should have completed the lyrics: “Some rise, some fall, to get to Terrapin,” as that’s how it feels to some fans.

    Either way, I pat Shapiro on the back. I won’t even call this damage control — he stood up, gave an explanation, offered a solution to unhappy ticket holders and offers encouragement in advance of the shows.

    Dear Mail Order Ticket Purchasers,

    It’s hard to believe that it’s already June. Soon we will be together in Santa Clara and Chicago celebrating 50 years of the music of the Grateful Dead. We think you know by now that we are fans too, and your experience at the event is important to us, so before we get there, we want to address an issue that has affected a number of you who ordered your tickets through GDTS TOO mail order.

    We decided early on – even though it would have been easier for us to follow the well-trodden path of nearly every promoter in the past 20 years and sell 100% of the “Fare Thee Well” tickets online – that we wanted to honor the Grateful Dead spirit and make a portion of the tickets available through GDTS TOO mail order.

    When it became clear the extent to which Dead50 was resonating with people and how many of you wanted to be part of it (over half a million mail order ticket requests), we added capacity by changing the reserved floor sections to GA and opening up the sections behind the stage – quadrupling the initial mail order allotment.

    Since the mail order process began in January, by the time we were able to make these ticket allotment changes and update our seating chart, the ticket requests and money orders had already been sent in. Despite the extra work opening up the floor and adding more mail order tickets made for us and the GDTS TOO crew, we still felt this was the best way to get more core Grateful Dead fans into the shows, so we set out to make our new seating configuration work within the confines of the January mail order ticket request submission rules.

    It was not feasible for the GDTS TOO crew to reach out to everyone who had sent in money orders for $199.50 or other priced tickets to discuss preferred alternatives to reserved floor seats or other selected seats that were no longer available, nor were partial refunds a practical option. Also, GDTS TOO did not think it was right to force fans who had ordered reserved floor seats to take general admission standing room tickets instead — anyone who had ever been to a Grateful Dead show would be at least 20 years older now and had probably ordered reserved seats for a good reason. Nor was it possible to fit everyone who had ordered reserved floor seats into the existing allotment of $199.50 seats; there simply were not enough available.

    At that point, we could have easily decided that these orders simply couldn’t be fulfilled and returned the uncashed money orders without tickets. Instead, in the spirit of trying to accommodate as many fans as possible, we decided to allocate those reserved floor and other specific requests to other available seats using the same price points. We know how disappointing mail order rejection letters are, especially since these are the band’s final shows, so we sought to figure out a way to get as many of you as possible an envelope with tickets in it.

    REFUND INFORMATION

    If you received tickets by mail order for seats in a different section than what you ordered on your envelope or were charged more than the price of such tickets on the seating chart made available at the time your order was mailed, and you no longer wish to attend “Fare Thee Well,” you may return your tickets to GDTS TOO for a full refund. Tickets must be received in the GDTS TOO office by Monday, June 22nd to be eligible. See gdtstoo.com for more information on how to obtain a full refund.

    If you received tickets by mail order and were charged more than the price of such tickets on the seating chart made available at the time their orders were mailed and still wish to attend “Fare Thee Well,” we personally encourage you to attend the shows and sit in the seats you received via mail order. If you’re not satisfied that you got your money’s worth, we will refund the difference between what you paid and the price of such tickets on the seating chart made available at the time your order was mailed. Save your ticket stubs, and in the week following the shows, check the FAQ section of dead50.net for information on how to obtain a partial refund. However, all requests for partial refunds must be received by Monday, July 20th to be eligible.

    These refund offers apply to all GDTS TOO mail order ticket purchasers who received seats in a different section than what was shown in the initial seating chart or were charged more than the price of such tickets on the seating chart made available at the time their orders were mailed.

    Please understand that we did what we did in order to enable as many of you as possible to have your ticket requests fulfilled. Given the lighting, sound and video elements we have created specifically for these shows, we are confident that all mail order ticket holders will enjoy an amazing experience.

    Statements just seem vain at last,

    Peter Shapiro
    Mike Luba & Don Sullivan (Madison House Presents)
    Promoters, “Fare Thee Well”

    Peter Shapiro’s statement on Fare Thee Well

  • Initial Lineup Announced for PhanArt Presents: ‘In All Good Company’ Chicago July Fourth Weekend

    Whether or not you have a ticket for one of the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well shows at Soldier Field -Chicago will be the place to be 4th of July weekend. The windy city will host dozens of after shows and one very special art event. Part of the mix for the Dead Head invasion of Chicago is “PhanArt Presents: In All Good Company, Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Art.” The one-of-a-kind free art show will take place Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5 2015 from 12pm-6pm daily at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL – only a mile from Soldier Field.

    In All Good Company Logo

    Exhibited art includes limited edition posters, clothing, pins, tye-dyes, books, photography and other unique Grateful Dead inspired art from a variety of vendors and artists. Musical performances from Chicago bands Jack Straw and Under the Willow will compliment the artists throughout the art exhibition.

    The lineup of artists and exhibitors for “In All Good Company” so far includes:

    John Warner Art
    Phil Kutno
    Richard Biffle
    Rhoney Stanley
    Tye-Dye by Courtenay Pollock
    Uncle John’s Outfitters
    Tripps Prints
    Kingpin Designs Good Thoughts Printing
    Not Fade Away Artwork
    Michael Boyer
    Dr. Wookles
    Serlo Studios
    Pin Me Down Dead Images by Robbi Cohn
    Heady Teddy’s Outfitters
    Erin Cadigan
    The Shakedown Shop
    Andrew Bryant
    Pinsanity
    Get Shit Done
    Scott Harris Photo
    Eden’s Rose Foundation
    Grateful Girls Scarves
    Zenster

  • Sittin’ In: Trey Chills with Phil

    Last night Californians got a real treat when Trey Anastasio popped into Terrapin Crossroads and sat in with Phil Lesh, and son Grahame for a surprise performance. Dead classics “Bertha” and “Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” were both played – and proved Trey is definitely ready for his ‘Fare Thee Well’ role this summer. MarkoVision Films caught a nice video of this special moment. Enjoy!

  • The Music Never Stopped GD50 Pre/Post shows announced

    An impressive group of musicians will play a group of pre- and post-party shows in Chicago billed as The Music Never Stopped to complement the Grateful Dead Fare the Well GD50 reunion run.

    The Music Never Stopped run kicks off Thursday, July 2, with shows at different venues by Thievery Corporation with special guests yet to be announced, Gene Ween with special guests Mariachi El Bronx, and a Rex Foundation benefit called High Steppin’ Into Town featuring Greensky Bluegrass, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass and the Infamous Stringdusters.

    On Friday, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will start at 10 p.m., and Edwarde Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will perform at another venue from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

    Saturday, the Fourth of July, Railroad Earth will start a show at 11 p.m., and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will again play another venue with an 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. show.

    Sunday is the big culmination with the Fiyawrapper All Star Jam starting at 11 p.m. This group features Jennifer Hartswick of the Trey Anastasio Band as musical director and will include two other TAB musicians plus members of the Allman Brothers Band, Soulive/Lettuce, the Revivalists, Big Gigantic, Snarky Puppy and Break Science/Pretty Lights.

    fiyawrapperposter

    Silver Wrapper, a group of Chicago-based independent promoters, assembled the shows. Tickets are available via their website.

    tmnssquare

  • ‘Fare Thee Well’ Heads West for Additional Shows

    As reported by SportsBusinessDaily, ‘Fare Thee Well’, reuniting the ‘Core Four’ of the Grateful Dead, will be heading west to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, not far from Palo Alto, the birthplace of the Grateful Dead. Rumored dates point to June 26-28, the weekend prior to the final shows at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.

    Just this evening, NBA legend and well-known Deadhead Bill Walton tweeted

    While there is no official word on the lineup and dates are not yet confirmed, word leaking out means that we will be seeing more Dead this summer than previously expected.

  • Searching for Solace as Dead Letter Blues Set In

    The Grateful Dead reunion shows were announced back in January and since have created nothing but an insurmountable volume of rumors, drama, stress and high anxiety with fans around the world. Three days in Chicago were planned. Just three days. The 50th reunion of the joyful music that the Grateful Dead brought to millions of people has been foreshadowed by the snowball effect of events that have evolved since the announcement. For those who aren’t remotely interested in these shows – they have no idea what people are going through. What has this event created? Let’s break it down.

    Upon the announcement, hotel rooms and flights to Chicago were immediately booked. Some fans booked several different rooms at various hotels as a back up plan to help out friends and strangers in need – who may not have even decided if they were going yet. Price gouging? Damn well better believe it. Hotels that were $200 or less before the announcement suddenly shot up to $500 or more a night. Threads popped up all over the internet discussing rooms, planes, trains, road trips, you name it. At this point, ticket prices had not even been released yet. At least this situation could be worked out in time. The shows aren’t until July, right? No big whoop. At least people are working on their scheduled time off. That’s a start.

    Bob Weir & Ratdog PHILLY PA 2-15-14 (43)

    The next order of business was the announcement of the mail order fiasco. To those who have no idea what is meant by mail order, let me explain. Directions were indicated to send in an envelope with money orders requesting what days you would like for the shows in Chicago. To be clear, these directions were VERY SPECIFIC. Money orders had to have EXACT AMOUNTS. Exact directions needed to be followed to even get a shot at a ticket. Fan art on envelopes were created in hopes of scoring the free golden ticket into the show. The art work of magnificently designed envelopes starting popping up all over the internet. However, the highs of getting a ticket through mail order were quickly dashed upon the realization that requests may be up against hundreds of thousands of other envelopes. This is where the drama, and the waiting, began.

    News of the Dead letter office in California receiving a record amount of envelopes started surfacing. People were scrounging news stories and internet postings to see if their designed envelopes were in a photo. However, this is also where reality started setting in. Not a recycled envelope? Whoops! You put the requested dates on the wrong side? Into the decline pile you go. Off by fifty cents on your money order? NEXT! Envelopes were dropped in the post office slots only for certain fans to realize the mistakes they initially made, which soon was followed by the dread of not having a shot at tickets. Well, there’s always round two with Ticketmaster, right?

    The first confirmed decline letter was posted on the internet. The almighty hated “pink slip” of declination surfaced, and some were even auctioning them off on e-bay as souvenirs. The anxiety of, “did I get a ticket?” soon followed. The misery of checking the mail box began. The stress of finding a “thanks for playing” letter slowly started building immense tension with fans. Meanwhile, VIP and travel packages were posted on the internet, with prices and sale dates, which were scheduled to be up for sale prior to the public sale on Ticketmaster. Almost $2 grand for a VIP package? Holy hell. Who has that kind of money? There are only three shows, after all. Meanwhile, the pink slips started creeping in with more and more fans. The anger and drama of “how can this be?? I have NEVER been denied a mail order!” starting being thrown across the internet.

    Furthur-CMAC 7-19-13 (16)With an unforeseen amount of envelopes that were sent in, the initial sale dates had to be pushed back. Now fans were really getting on edge. What if prices change? What happened to the VIP package that was cheaper? The shows were now creating a multitude of soap opera quality drama for the ages. Meanwhile, those dreaded pink slips continued to pour in. When will fans find out if they’ve received tickets?? Why is there little communication? WHAT’S GOING ON????? AAAAHHHH!!! People were ready to pull their hair out.

    The updated sale dates were released and fans who were still in limbo upon hearing if their mail orders were accepted or rejected were starting to get angry. Why had they not heard? One week led to two days which led to one day before the sale with still no word. With fans’ money tied up in money orders, what should they do? The confusion upon getting tickets, and the anger at not having heard from the Dead letter office created havoc and panic. Who the hell was running this anyway? The lack of communication and poor planning set in motion a wave of anger and criticism towards the shows. This is not what the Grateful Dead is all about. It was turning into a money hungry fiasco. Panic was running amok across the world.

    The first online sale was for VIP and Travel packages. Now the true scramble for tickets, any tickets, began. Some got lucky, some didn’t. Even those who did manage to get through on the dreaded Ticketmaster site may have only managed a ticket or two and not enough for friends and family that were hoping to grab some. The Ticketmaster “circle of dread” began. Fans hoping to get a ticket were faced with staring at a screen that just circled and circled and circled in wait. Maybe you got the captcha wrong. Start over! The misery of getting tickets was deepening. The sadness of “maybe I won’t be getting tickets” started to set in. The super expensive tickets were gone in a flash. Some fans managed to get all the way through to the credit card entry and were kicked out. What in the HELL?? Anger, resentment and misery followed suit. There was still another chance tomorrow, right? Tensions started to get higher.

    Oh no, what’s this? Stubhub has VIP tickets online? How? These should go to fans, not some money crazed scalper!! Anger started to build again. The wave of misery was in a constant ebb and flow. Well, there’s one more shot with the public sale, right? Alarms were set, phones were shut off, computers were ready to go for the last possible sale, and hope, of scoring tickets. Again, posts began flying across the internet of who should have gotten tickets, who deserved tickets, who felt they were entitled to tickets, and who didn’t get tickets who should have at the last-minute started. The drama was all over the place. It was like a train wreck. People didn’t want to get caught up in it, but couldn’t help themselves. Trying to look away from an internet thread without responding was like trying to pass on a free ticket. People just couldn’t help it because it was becoming very personal. Everyone has their reasons for needing to see these last shows. Everyone wants one last enjoyment with the band and to relive what the Grateful Dead once was. However, it was becoming maddening.

    farethee

    One more shot at tickets was left. The general public sale with Ticketmaster was the last hope for so many. Once they went on sale, the scramble began. Once again, the “circle of dread” fell upon so many computers and phone apps. The high of “I got through!” was quickly followed by “GODDAMNIT, #*@#$”, as the site experienced load difficulties for many as purchases were about to be made. At this point, many fans still had not heard if their money orders were accepted or rejected. Once again, money was tied up and the hope of getting a mail order ticket was fading fast. Tickets were impossible to get. The seats to the side and behind the stage were opened up, which led many to believe they would have a good shot. Those hopes were quickly killed. SONOFA!!!!! The pain of not getting a ticket was too much. Tears, anger, fights with loved ones broke out. The drama had reached an all time high. The stress of getting just one ticket was getting unbearable. People were losing friends due to arguments involving scalpers, and the idea of even buying a ticket from a third-party seller led to frustration. Once again, the wave of anxiety set in.

    Now that the ticket sales have come and gone, there’s still hope. Maybe someone ordered too many on Ticketmaster and they will release extras? The constant checking on Ticketmaster has become a ritual. Cashortrade? That’s a hope. However, right now, with resale prices on third-party sites in the thousands, people are starting to give up. Anger and disappointment has set in. The only way fans can control these tickets is by not buying from scalpers. At least that’s the hope. However, everyone knows that if someone has the money, they will go for it because, why not? These are the last three shows. Allegedly.

    To all the fans out there – the pain of getting in the building is felt. You are not alone. We are one big Grateful Dead family. Keep the focus of the music alive by helping others out. This is a once in a lifetime event. Try not to get caught up in the negativity that has grown from this. The madness won’t end until the last song is played on stage. Until then, keep the faith and don’t give up. Just try to smile, smile, smile. After all, isn’t that what Jerry would have wanted?

    *Editor’s note –  at the time of publishing, the Dear Jerry: Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in MD on May 14 has also been announced.