Grateful Dead

That seems crazy to me. You're going to let this debacle tarnish the joy this music (and the people related to it) have given you over the years? Certainly not judging you, but perhaps you can tune your mindset a bit? Perhaps you can recall the wonder and the silliness and the fun and the friendliness, and oh yeah! That wonderful music! Not to mention the grilled freakin' cheese! Keep all that close to your heart and mind, instead. Peace.

You know I have been reading the posts about people learning that shows sell out and thinking to myself, what makes this one different? The thing I came up with - and feel free to disagree, is that as an avid fan of numerous bands, I HAVE been shut out for face value tix before; but not without a fight. And there has never been a show where, once shut out, getting a ticket was made virtually impossible. Take for example the last show I was shut out of - Radiohead in Toronto around 2006-ish (forgive me not knowing the exact date). When the tickets were being scalped, I got them by the soundstage (where I always go) for less than $100. Now Radiohead had not toured for a couple of years and it certainly doesn't seem like they have toured much since...granted they don't have the fan-base that the Dead have, but I think it is safe to say that there was substantial demand - and since they were playing a venue that held only about 5,000 people, things were tight. I still got in and have to every concert I ever really put my mind to...I have yet to be shut out for real - Chicago will be a first. I guess what I am getting at, is that if you are a real fan of a certain band, we stay on top of their doings and follow updates so we get in on the ground floor for tickets. It was never a problem with Furthur or any other permutation of the band since hardly anyone cared and if you did, you knew they would come to you, not this time boy-o...I mean for weeks following the TM debacle, I was stunned; I really believed that there was no way I wouldn't be going to Chicago - I mean, if there was a band that MUST be seen one more time for me it was the Dead. Now I have trouble listening to them... This one also hurt since it really seemed like it was like playing the stock market and not so much about going to see the Dead say goodbye. Maybe the whole "last shows" thing was gasoline on the fire - but the way the Stones ticket sales have been going, it seems like this is the new norm. Imagine if Pink Floyd went out again...I saw them for $30 in '94; resellers were selling VIP trips from around Detroit to Toronto for $100...boy how things have changed. I am not one of the tin-foil hat wearing people that thinks that the majority of the tickets were released by the band to resellers so that they can maximize their cut - I am sure that SOME tickets are sold that way to boost revenues since they clearly cannot control the market, but I suspect it is nominal; and you have to pay to play sort of speak. I am happy that I got lucky to go to what is seeming like a consolation prize in SC (based on the number of people trying to trade - good luck with that) and will wish all here a wonderful time in Chicago (who are going).

Bet your ass bro....watching my boy make music trumps the dead .....family it's what we got after Jerry is gone.... Thanks... peaceful weekend...