Grateful Dead gear up for final show in Chicago
CHICAGO – The Grateful Dead were bound to cover just a little more ground Sunday as they headed into their final "Fare Thee Well" show here after 50 long years on and off the road.
It will be the last of a three-night run at Soldier Field that has drawn fans from all over the country and smashed attendance records at the legendary lakefront venue. More than 70,000 fans have been squeezed in each night, outdrawing not only the Bears on their home turf but previous records set by Irish rockers U2 in 2009.
Saturday night drew just under 71,000; edging out Friday's total and setting a new high mark. Sunday could be even bigger.
Chicago was seemingly an odd pick since the band's twin homes are in California -- from whence they sprung -- and the "Grateful Dead Belt" of the East Coast that stretches from Washington, DC north to the Canadian border.
But the Windy City played host to the last performance by lead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia in the summer of 1995. He died just a few weeks later.
"I was not super-psyched when I heard this was going to happen in Chicago," said Lindsay Seward, a college instructor who flew in from Maine to attend. "It is my first time here."
While many followers fretted that it "could never be the same without Jerry," standing in for him is Trey Anastasio of the group Phish. And by most accounts he is doing a more than able job of it.
After seeing the two warm-up shows in Santa Clara, Calif. last weekend, Domenic Petitta came in from Pittsburgh for the last dance.
Saturday night's set, highlighted by songs including Deal and One More Saturday Night "exceeded my expectations," he said. "It was comparable to shows of 25 years ago – and I saw it completely sober."
It "was so powerful; just phenomenal how well they played together," he continued. "It is heartbreaking to think that this the end."
The band and their promoter have repeatedly vowed that it will be the last farewell. Other big name groups, notably The Who – out again this summer with half their original line-up – have had so many farewell tours, they have become a joke.
The Dead, however, have long been known for a level of personal and musical integrity that makes another go-round less likely, regardless of how much money they might make.
One well-known Deadhead is U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. The Vermont Democrat once took a call while he was backstage. On the line was then-President Bill Clinton who asked him to turn the music down.
"This weekend is another in a lifetime of sublime moments for the larger Grateful Dead community," he said. "Beyond the enjoyment of their music is the sense of community they also forged."
He continued: "Whether or not there are further encores in the years ahead, those of us who were part of the experience will always feel connected to it. The music and the memories will live on."