Grateful Dead

That appears to be a sound approach to making sure as many people as possible see at least one show but the logistics of keeping that organized are next to impossible in any reaslistic sense. How would you keep track of whose multi-day money orders had been provided with a single show? How would you run the postmark line? Do single night requests take privilege over a multi-night request even though they may have a later postmark? The situation will never be fair to everyone but messing with it more seems like a nightmare.

...of this thread? really glad the $$$ aspect puts this immediately out of reach for me. I wouldn't want to be participating in the shenanigans. Perhaps this is all the Prank of Pranks. Never trust a Prankster. a bunch of Deadheads show up to Chicago in July...PSYCH!

As I read more and more comments regarding this "Finale" and this snafu with the ticket sales, I am left with only sadness that this is how it's all going to end. I had no desire to try and scramble for tickets with 100 million Phish fans, who are notorious for gobbling up tickets at whatever horrendous price being charged. My memory of Jerry has grown ever so much fonder through all of this and no matter what they want to call this ridiculous set of shows, the Grateful Dead will never be over. You cannot say "Goodbye" to something that will never die.

hey now, i'm a chicago head still in search of tix. the race is on to beat reseller shenanigans. the dead50 site says that the soldier field box office has tix available on 2/14-even tho they changed the public sale date to 2/28. is this correct or a typo? i can't get an answer from soldier field...can anyone clarify this issue..nothin left to do but smile,smile,smile..sheesh-see ya there

thank you sleater kinney

Keep forgetting about the Phish fans... that has to be some part of equation? but maybe that was the purpose of Trey - to lure Phish fans? Never was a Phish fan me-self? Trey is a fine musician - just never did the Phish scene

http://www.events12.com/chicago/july/http://articles.chicagotribune.com… FYI, here's a calendar of events for July in Chicago! It's actually one of the best places to be during the fourth weekend just expect there to be a lot of folks enjoying the same with you! Patience will be the name of the game as I've heard the fourth Chicago fireworks draws a lot of people and all of these large events are in the same five mile radius. I also want to remind the good folks that last year the south side of Chicago was a war zone over the Fourth of July weekend! I'm just saying make sure you're careful when you're on your way in and around Soilder Field! Once you arrive, it will be a blast!!

in the hearts and minds of the people that have been touched by the music of The Dead.

hey now, i'm a chicago head still in search of tix. the race is on to beat reseller shenanigans. the dead50 site says that the soldier field box office has tix available on 2/14-even tho they changed the public sale date to 2/28. is this correct or a typo? i can't get an answer from soldier field...can anyone clarify this issue..nothin left to do but smile,smile,smile..sheesh-see ya there

I don't know if this has been covered or if this is the right place to voice my hope but-- Why are you not doing a live feed into the theaters in the major cites? I would assume the Grateful Dead would have the technical ability to pull this off. Not everyone can trek across country but I for one would jump at the chance to at least see the show some way. I guest I can only hope and wait for the movie.

Please check website again. I believe they have updated and changed the date to 2/28 just like ticket master

I see Phish Fans and Dead Fans like a Venn Diagram, they can overlap so you have a point. I am saddened by the amount of people i have heard say they used multiple addresses, and these are not Phish Fans. I hope they have a way to weed these people out and that karma will prevail.

Your thoughts are beautiful, thank you!

Thank you for the everlasting gift of music spirit energy family and love. Peace beautiful deadheads, brothers and sisters

What's up with the rejection letters? Anybody heard? R they real or phony? Did any one receive one? I guess no news is good news in that sense.

If you have been denied for any reason your money orders will be sent back to you in the SASE that you send with your mail order. Maybe with a note saying why you were rejected.

I'm sure everyone is praying for a miracle like me. Good luck to all !!! Tickets or no tickets, I'll see ya`all in chi~town !!!!

There's more info on Philzone.com: http://www.philzone.org/discus/messages/439459/984686.html?1422500670 Since the "Countdown to the 50th", we've been getting plenty of practice with waiting and wondering (and worrying) . . . Good luck and best wishes to us all.

...to the same old place, sweet home Chicago...

lure Phish fans...great pun. A smile smile smile on my (stolen) face

Hi All, Just wondering... Is this Chicago gig possibly just a 3 day film shoot for the Scorsese documentary? Was Trey Anastasio possibly chosen to increase movie ticket sales by bringing Phish fans in? With all that's going on so far, I'm really starting to wonder if having one last set of shows for the faithful is the real reason for these shows (especially given that it looks like many of us may not get tickets). What do you think? Tom Carr GDTRFB in Los Angeles, CA

I have noticed that they took down the seating chart-- they did this maybe a day or two after the announcement. I wonder if they are expanding the GA pit to accommodate more people on the field. If they made the entire football field GA instead of the 30 yards or so originally set aside, that would fit a lot more people and GDTS TOO can fill more requests. Just a thought.... TCarr, no offense, but I think your conspiracy theory is just that-- a conspiracy theory. If they are going to release this documentary in 2015, footage needs to be already in hand. I believe the band felt the need to commemorate 50 years in some fashion. This is the plan they all could agree upon.

I bet almost everyone that mail ordered wanted GA seating.

I am curious to hear Trey doing GD music. I know him and Phil did some shows in 2006 and 1999. Can anyone point me to a show that displays Trey the best? I am curious to see his take on GD music, and Jerry voice and guitar parts. At this point (which I can be proven wrong with suggested recordings) I feel that Kadlecik is the best out there in terms of having the broadest handle on GD music from the Jerry part, guitar wise and vocal wise. However, the Band chose Trey for a reason, and let's hope that the reason wasn't to increase ticket prices and sell more tickets. That would not be in the spirit of the band (so I refuse to believe that). But Kadlecik does seem to be a better fit for the GD music and Jerry parts. But obviously Phil and the band know much more than me, so musically, Trey must be the best fit, right?? Any recording suggestions?? Comments?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt30SJZqgA4 This is a really nice sample of trey with Phil in 2006. Camden, NJ get a taste of what may be in store. I saw him with Phil and Mike Gordon at Greatwoods Mansfield, MA that tour and it was hot! And I'm a deadhead thru and through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1VvopWKEZI You might have seen this, but check this video out with Trey. Also, I think Jeff Mattson is a much better "filler" for Jerry than Kadlecik is. Kadlecik doesn't have the chops that Mattson or Trey have.

Thanks guys. I'll check those recordings out. Also the tip on Mattson. Thanks. I am currently listening to 4-16-1999 Warfield with Phil and Trey. It's pretty hot. I am a Dead Head huge, but I do like Trey's work. He has contributed a unique guitar sound, and I like it. He can definitely kill it in Bertha, and others. I look forward to hearing Trey capture some of that Jerry sincerity in both vocal and guitar.

Dark Star Orchestra with Phil Lesh Morning Dew 10/13/12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVoK2gweLX8 Here's the whole set w/Phil. https://archive.org/details/DSO2012-10-13.SBD.flac "The Stranger" is beautiful!

Did you ever see the boys play at Soldier Field back in the day? If the entire field was GA it would be a cluster f#@k. Soldier Field staff/security could barely handle regular ticket holders back in the day.

Not having done the mail order (but much love for the mail order ’90 tkts and the Alpine ’02 row 6 tkts!), I fear that this will be a scalpers paradise. I have a nice hotel booked 3 miles south of Solder Field on Lake Shore Drive for only $114/night, but I won’t pay more for tickets than face value and I am fine with section 400 seats at $59. I just want to enjoy being with the family one more time. (Which could be done outside of the stadium too). The band (to my ears anyway) was not sufficiently rehearsed in ’09. But I think Phil might have understood that. He said (at the Rosemount Horizon aka Allstate Arena) something to the effect of “We are humbled, and if nothing else, this brings the community back together again, if you know what I mean”. Resume: (’78, sort of), ’81, ’82, ’83, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’94, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’09, ??

Sent in my Mail Order, now I wait. It is kind of like when I was a kid waiting to see what Santa brought me. Only now I know I have a very real chance of getting coal. I'm trying to keep the faith but I feel a pit in my stomach now when I walk to the mailbox.

As for the scalpers, I hope they do get their hands on tickets! I hope them bastards get stuck buying up all the VIP and travel packages. And then i hope they have to unload them to us under face value. Them not knowing most of us can't afford to pay face price for them.

Ha !

I hear you hdrydr about logistics of a full field GA. I went to shows there in 91, 94 and 95, on the field for 91 only. I didn't experience any problems that year, but I can see it being an issue. I have a feeling they are adjusting it somewhat though. No other reason to take down the seating chart. Fourwinds, I hope most mail orders were for GA-- that would increase my chances of getting the high end reserved tix. Again, good luck to all.

Can anyone tell me how there are tickets available at stub hub and other scalper ticket sites when no tickets have been released yet.

I think anything that is being advertised on scalper sites is just them taking pre-orders. They are banking that they are going to be able to score tix and then fulfill those orders, at their outrageously inflated price. I know we live in an industrial capitalist society, but it's just sad to see that kind of activity, especially when it takes away the opportunity for a real fan, who might not have that much money, to see the show. I wish more bands and companies could come up with better ways to get the tickets in the hands of the real fans, and eliminate all these racketeering schemes. It's gotten worse and worse with the internet and the big money. There are ways to fix this. Just need leadership and drive.

very well said. A sad end of days for sure.

It is easy to blame the scalpers, buts its demand that drives them. And the simple fact that a lot of people do have the means to buy the tickets from a secondary market. I'm not a fan of the process either, but the scalpers are very resourceful, and they put in work to get the tickets, and the people you see at the actual show are fans who were able to afford the price. Your goal would have to be to stop people with money from paying the prices. And that is not going to happen. People cant even get on board for healthcare in this country. The problem is the entire mindset of the country, not just show tickets. Part of what makes some shows good is being hard to get. There are a lot of shows with no demand and guess what the scalpers don't buy up those tickets. A true die-hard fan will be on the MO first day. On the phone the first day. in line two days early. Make no mistake, true fans end up at the show. Some fans have no cash but still go, they work shakedown, they save up, look for a miracle. Some just want to be on the bus and seeing shows come in waves of true miracles. Regular fans should save up, take the day off to get the ticket, ask for an hour lunch when the tickets go on sale. Have a show fund in place before tickets are announced because they know they are going to want a show. Get friends together and band together to get the tickets. Make it a positive challenge and not be defeated before even trying. I for one would have liked to seen some free concerts offered in places with parking as far as the eye can see. This whole gig and process is about making money. Heck the scalpers might be the true fans after all...

yup, that is true..by hook or crook, you gotta get there. I planned for this one, actually, not, cause there wasn't much advance notice....but when the show was announced, I was wishy washy for about a half hour, then tried to figure out how to convince my wife, then went for it....she was on board right off the bat, thank goodness. Face it, we blow money on a bunch of stuff. beer, wine, fast women, song, and the other stuff best not admitted too. If someone forked over $10,000 for a seat license at Soldier field for the Bears, and he wants to sell his GD ticket, well, dammit, I'm gonna buy it...cause I ain't got $10,000 and I don't care about the bears! I've given away miracle tickets, stood in line, did the overnight thing, but now I'm older and wiser and a bit more settled. I throw money at problems...money I didn't have in the 70's and 80's and even 90's. I've paid my dues, many times over, and I appreciate everyone's sentiment. When Bill Graham started charging for rock concerts, people went nuts, as they thought it should be free....and it's been an money game ever since. BUT THAT"S NOT THE POINT. The family needs you to be there...on site, in the stadium, or on the streets...I can see a half million folks heading to Chicago, because it promises to be a magical weekend. Whether Bobby makes a mint, Peter makes a bundle, or a season ticket seat holder makes a wad of cash, it's all the same. It's the music, it's the vibes, it's the community, it's the love; that's what counts. Ok bye for now...and how does that song go?

a person can pay their dues, but it still does not solve the ethical conundrum of buying their way into "exclusive" places because they have a wad of cash and other people don't. Yeah I get it, it's your money you can do what you want, but with increasing income equality in the temple of capitalism that is our country having sentiments such as this can seem off base and out of touch with the current reality for many in this country. Rationalize it, but it still doesn't change the fact that they are stepping in front of everyone else with a fistful of cash and saying I deserve to be here because now I can afford it an those people can not. Just because they used to not be able to afford it does not beget special privilege. Scalpers and the a secondary market are to blame for ticket prices the methods they employ to get tickets and distribute tickets is dubious at best. Anyone person says they paid their dues in the prosperous earlier years of this country obviously doesn't know what it's like to pay their dues in a time of the shrinking middle class, income inequality, student loan debt, no jobs, monocropping, big business, housing market crash, government default, republican anti-environment Koch brothers oligarchy. Rant over. And why is the phrase that says you've "put in your time" really just saying "I've paid enough" let me in. I will be buying tickets as well but I'm not spending 4000$ for two tickets just because I can. "I hate anything I cant afford" - Henry Rollins

Sir Dire, I agree, there will always be an ethical conundrum, and there will always be have and have-nots. I do not begrudge those who live in Marin County with million dollar homes...many have paid their dues and have worked hard for it.I feel for those living in the economically depressed areas, with debt, dead-end jobs, and need a ray of sunshine to brighten their day. Money does make life easier, and I agree, it is not always easy to come by. Everywhere you look, you can upgrade by paying more for something, from a good bottle of wine, to early entry on an airplane, heck, even the seat choices now come with a premium price. Organic food cost more, exclusive hotels cost more, that nice car comes at a price. VIP tickets may very well be $1000, who knows? I guess on Tuesday, we will all find out. We didn't create this system, and yes, greed comes in to play at the promoters end.Bill Graham was part of that back in the '60s, and he was both loved and vilified for his stance. Will the core 4 make money to showcase their music? You bet. Would they play for free, who knows. My first show in '72 was free, but I imagine the band got paid. Now they'll get paid more, even with the economic in-equality present in our society. Do we let people in for free or at a reduced cost because "They've paid their dues" over someone who is paying their dues now? No, that wouldn't be fair...Is it always fair? No. Does that suck? Yes. I am happy that the boys are doing this one more time, and a celebration of life and love is what we need...money grab issues, ethical considerations over costs or fairness not with-standing. Let's embrace the family, rich and poor, think globally, act locally, and do our best to support the music. In my twenties, no way could I afford to fly, much less upgrade. While I've worked in the same trade for over 40 years, I'm no where near the top. Back in the day, I had to sacrifice to pay for tickets and go to a show...18 bucks? times three days? Yikes! Man, this is such great music...listening to Sugar Magnolia this morning...So Direwulf I agree, there will always be ethical considerations, and that's where we each have to make our own decision. There is a limit, too, for each of us. I do not begrudge yours, and it will certainly be different from mine. I will not pay a grand for a ticket, but would I pay $500? That would hurt. Maybe, but dang...sure hope the mail order comes thru. Got a wad of cash invested in that endeavor, like many of us. The proof might boil down to a tough choice; we who invest in the travel and accommodations, and don't have tickets. I detest scalpers, who don't care about the family or the scene. But somewhere along the line, I might have to pay a higher price to someone who also paid a high price. I would choose that over a greedy grab for money..but there is a limit. I dislike anything I can't afford...but that "cost" is a moving target...that ain't gonna change. So I works, I saves, and I spends...like many of us...got debt, got life, got love, like many of us...and got plane tickets, got hotel confirmed, and I waits patiently. With peace and love and all good thoughts for all of us...have an awesome day! G

I have the same feeling in my stomach. As others have mentioned, I hope they expand the GA seating. I went all or nothing for GA with mail order; no second choice. I couldn't get myself to send in multiple money orders. With that feeling in my stomach I am tempted to buy another four online when they come out as insurance. I don't want to miss this but, wow, this is potentially an expensive weekend coming from VA. I don't want to keep sinking cash when mail order could show up in the mail in March after they disappear from the online brokers. Anyway, good luck to others. This surely will be epic.

Rejection letters are outgoing and I got mine yesterday.

long live the dead

Fingers crossed! Only requested $95 seats for July 4th. Can't think of a better way to spend the 4th!

The Golden Rule & Random Acts of Kindness. Life is very simple and fulfilling if these are your compass points. This is the big picture. Imagine a world where these two things are the first things that come to mind in all aspects of life. If you can imagine it, it can then become reality.

Sorry you got a rejection letter yesterday. Don't give up! Any idea why your ticket request got the "pink slip"? I'm worried about what I'll find in my PO Box on Monday when I go into town. . . Hang in there.

Yesterday I had an epiphany around dealing with all the uncertainty about these shows...tickets, travel costs, lodging, etc. I realized I had totally lost sight of the real purpose. That I am truly excited and ecstatic that the band has put this amazing series of shows together at all. And that, just like in the old days I will figure it all out somehow, someway. I'm a writer so I decided to write. And I plan on writing every day until the shows begin - using my energy to flashback on this incredible band and community and how significantly and indelibly my life has been impacted by the music and its people. I would love to share this with all of you. My first two posts are --- I Had One of those Flashes: Why My New Plan for the Grateful Dead 50th Is No Plan At All --- On My Hands and My Knees: How I Got Thrown Into a Dead Show you can find me at http://open.salon.com/blog/formermayor Peace Friends Beth

I am looking forward to reading your reflections Beth! Thank you for helping me remember too that it always worked out in the past and it will this time too. Time for me to dig out my bead collection and make better use of my time. Peace, Caroline

Per the letter received they said they ran out of tickets before they got to mine. I've been doing mail order since 89 and everything was perfect with how they wanted it.