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Chicago Tribune
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
It's been 30 years since the Grateful Dead's final concerts at Soldier Field in Chicago
The longest, strangest trip embarked upon by a rock 'n' roll band ended 30 years ago this week at Soldier Field. On Sunday, July 9, 1995, the Grateful Dead played what would be its final concert with its full lineup at the stadium — the harmonious echoes of 'Box of Rain' concluding a fascinating musical journey that began in May 1965 at a small pizza parlor in California and encompassed more than 2,300 shows. Coming just before a stifling heat wave engulfed the city, the Grateful Dead's two-night lakefront stand remains memorable for many reasons — some better off forgotten. While the sextet rebounded from a Saturday production that witnessed lead singer Jerry Garcia forgetting lyrics, flubbing notes and demonstrating clear signs of ailing health, the uneven closing show concluded what's now known as the 'Tour from Hell' — a trek haunted by uninspired performances, gate-crashing incidents, weather-related injuries, death threats and deplorable behavior from some fans. Take it from someone who was there: It was a bad scene. An anomaly, really, in the Grateful Dead's local history. Though the band's newest archival trove — 'Enjoying the Ride,' a 60-disc box set themed around the group's ties to select venues — spotlights what was then Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, and Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, to represent the Midwest, the Dead made Chicago its go-to base in the heartland. Far surpassing the number of its respective appearances in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City and St. Louis, the Grateful Dead played some 70 dates in the Chicago area. Not included in that tally: The regrouped collective's three 'Fare Thee Well' shows in July 2015 at Soldier Field. Clever marketing lingo aside, nothing disguises the fact that the band ceased when Garcia died of a heart attack shortly after turning 53 in August 1995. Here are 10 of the most significant visits from a band that looms perhaps even larger today than during its existence. More than three years after forming, the Grateful Dead arrived for its Chicago debut at a bygone Uptown venue that hosted legends such as Led Zeppelin and The Who before they became massive. Freshly discharged from the Air Force, keyboardist Tom Constanten officially joined the collective earlier in the week. The Grateful Dead is nascent enough that no definitive setlist information survives for either show. Reporting on the second night for the Tribune's youth music column, Robb Baker amusingly observed: 'They have no good vocalist; their material itself is not that memorable (you don't go around humming Dead tunes); and it takes them forever to really get warmed up.' Ultimately, he succumbed to the band's eclectic charms and gave it a rave. The Grateful Dead returned to the same location the following January and again that April. A portion of the latter visit is documented on 'Dick's Picks Volume 26.' Mirroring the right-into-the-fire experience of his predecessor, Constanten, whose brief tenure ended in early 1970, keyboardist Keith Godchaux had one show under his belt when the Grateful Dead arrived for its second of a career total of four residencies at Auditorium Theatre. He was tasked with spelling the playing of beloved original member Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan, on hiatus due to health problems that led to his death in early 1973. Adding to the pressure? The Grateful Dead premiered an array of new tunes ('Tennessee Jed,' 'Comes a Time,' 'Jack Straw,' 'Mexicali Blues' 'One More Saturday Night' among them). And Oak Park radio station WGLD-FM broadcasted night one, which contained the final performance of the obscure ditty 'The Frozen Logger.' Godchaux, who stayed with the Grateful Dead until 1979, passed his test. Both concerts sizzled. The first, which prompted the Chicago Sun-Times to predict 'a revival for dance halls' and Tribune critic Lynn Van Matre to deem the band 'relaxed, yet very much together,' featured a 'St. Stephen'-led encore. The second, chronicled on 'Dave's Picks Volume 3,' sparked with a transcendent 'That's It for the Other One' suite. No regional Grateful Dead show witnessed more back-and-forth planning drama than the band's sole Evanston date. Daily Northwestern archives show that attempts to book the group began in April 1970. Efforts to land the band for the university's 1973 homecoming unfolded over several months. Debates pitted organizers against administrators fearful of issues related to security, safety, cost and behavior by non-campus attendees. Despite opposition from the dean and contractual uncertainty that stretched into mid-October, the student government — with a big assist from Jam Productions — secured the artist it wanted. Northwestern students paid $4.50, one dollar less than the public. But more money than the estimated 50 to 100 people who gained entrance by buying discounted admission from entrepreneurial kids who found untorn tickets discarded under the bleachers by a careless Jam attendant and re-sold them outside. Inside, amid Halloween decor and a capacity crowd, the Grateful Dead played four hours despite guitarist-vocalist Bob Weir reportedly feeling under the weather. Part of the show can be heard on the two-disc 'Wake of the Flood' reissue. The Grateful Dead's second and final concert at the now-demolished Canaryville arena marked the only local appearance of the band's complete, near-mythical Wall of Sound. The subject of 'Loud and Clear,' a brand-new book by Chicago-based writer Brian Anderson, the pioneering sound reinforcement system became as famous for its spectacular fidelity as its immense size. Because the 75-ton array proved incredibly labor-intensive and expensive to schlep from show to show, the group retired it in October 1974. In addition to marking the group's last area gig for nearly two years, this excellent mid-summer performance remains noteworthy for a collaborative interlude between Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and Ned Lagin. The electronic composer experimented with Lesh nearly two dozen times using the Wall of Sound and released his quadraphonic 'Seastones' album on the group's record label. Garcia, Weir, Lesh and percussionist Mickey Hart's afternoon appearance at Rambler Room — a hybrid cafeteria/gathering space in the now-razed Centennial Forum on Loyola University's Rogers Park campus — doesn't technically qualify as a Grateful Dead show. But few Chicago dates harbor more intrigue than this impromptu 'Bob Weir and Friends' gathering. Seated in front of a hand-drawn Hunger Week poster, the band members performed acoustically together for the first time since 1970. They dug into chestnuts — Jelly Roll Morton's 'Winin' Boy Blues,' the traditional 'Tom Dooley,' the Memphis Jug Band's 'K.C. Moan,' Weir's 'This Time Forever' — the Grateful Dead never before or again attempted in public. The first rendition of 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door,' a Bob Dylan number the full group wouldn't play until 1987, anchored the set. After finishing with a romp through Buddy Holly's 'Oh Boy!,' the quartet headed a couple miles south to Uptown Theatre for its second show of a three-night run. Though the Grateful Dead usually kicked off the year in California or on the East Coast, Chicago got the honor in 1981 when the group launched its spring jaunt at Uptown Theatre — an architectural gem that still sits, decaying, awaiting its second act. The three-night run marked the Grateful Dead's sixth and final hurrah at the movie palace, which closed its doors for good that December. (Jerry Garcia returned in June with his namesake band.) Due to an intimacy and acoustic signature that would cause the balcony to vibrate from certain frequencies, Uptown Theatre quickly became known among fans as a magical spot to see the group. The feeling seemed mutual. In the span of 37 months, the band headlined an astonishing 17 shows at Uptown Theatre, which hosted the Grateful Dead more times than any local venue. A-list examples of early '80s Grateful Dead, these shows should be short-listed for the band's ongoing archival series. Relatedly, the group's Dec. 3, 1979 date at Uptown Theatre comprises 'Dave's Picks Volume 31.' As the Grateful Dead waded into the mid-'80s, the odds of catching a truly great show declined. Garcia, his disheveled hair increasingly gray, ballooned in weight and often lost a beat. The band shunned the studio, releasing no original albums between 1980 and 1987. Yet the concert vibes remained healthy and the scene mellow, free of the toxic misconduct that violated the Deadheads' unspoken 'do no harm' ethic after the group's popularity exploded in the late '80s. Plus, the group still channeled bursts of imagination. This pair of dates represents the Grateful Dead's only appearance at a welcoming outdoor venue that ultimately gave way to a new, far inferior option 60 miles away in Tinley Park. Too bad. Once a favorite among tape traders, June 27 saw the band scamper through one of the first performances of 'Hell in a Bucket' and lock into a fervent 'Scarlet Begonias' into 'Fire on the Mountain' coupling. The next evening sounded nearly equally on point and culminated with the New Orleans staple 'Iko Iko' unveiled as an encore for one of just three occasions in the group's career. Given these concerts capped the Grateful Dead's stellar 1990 summer tour, a trek that piggybacked onto a spring trek that stands as one of the most acclaimed in the band's history, they should evoke only joyous memories. As delightful as the performances remain, they are overshadowed by the death of keyboardist Brent Mydland — whose drug overdose on July 26 permanently altered the trajectory of the band and sent Garcia into a dark spiral — and nightmarish management. Frustrated with limited road access into the venue and impassable traffic jams, fans parked their cars on the highway and walked the rest of the way. Commercial truck traffic ground to a halt. State police closed westbound lanes on I-80 from I-57 to Harlem Avenue, and ordered hundreds of vehicles towed. Unaccustomed to large concerts in their area — World Music Theatre opened that June — neighboring residents also complained about the alleged invasion of Deadheads who cleaned out stores of certain supplies and foodstuffs. Then, there were the insurmountable shortcomings of the venue that, in the words of renowned Grateful Dead sound engineer Dan Healy, constituted 'the most awful sounding place I've ever heard in my life — it's beyond my wildest imagination.' Suffice it to say the band wasn't asked back. The Grateful Dead collaborated onstage in the '90s with esteemed jazz saxophonists Branford Marsalis, Ornette Coleman and David Murray on the coasts, the same regions its brief 1987 trek with Bob Dylan unfolded. Local fans starved for a similar treat lucked out at the first of the band's two-night Soldier Field engagement when opener Steve Miller joined the ensemble for four songs in the second set and an electrifying encore of Them's 'Gloria.' Extending the bluesy motifs, Chicago-based harmonica virtuoso James Cotton also guested on the latter number as well as on a smoky version of Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' and charged take of Bobby Bland's 'Turn on Your Lovelight.' Such location-cognizant nods and unexpected twists — which extended to a blaring train whistle during the psychedelic 'Space' sequence — confirmed the Grateful Dead could still surprise and awe, even in stadium settings. The Grateful Dead commenced its spring 1993 outing with a radiant 'Here Comes Sunshine' and didn't look back until its second-to-last residency at Rosemont Horizon concluded a few nights later. Reinvigorated with a batch of promising new songs ('Liberty,' 'Days Between,' 'Lazy River Road,' 'Broken Arrow,' 'Eternity') and eager to refine recent material road-tested a year prior ('So Many Roads,' 'Wave to the Wind,' 'Way to Go Home'), the band strongly suggested it had more to offer in its fourth decade together. And yet, bittersweetly, Garcia's beautiful, gospel-etched timbre and choice of poignant material — a somber 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door,' a spiritual 'Standing on the Moon,' a symbolic cover of Dylan's 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' — indicated an acute awareness of endings and mortality. Both would wait. On March 10, the band stunned everyone with the rare, and final, 'Mind Left Body Jam.' At the finale, Chicago word-jazz poet and radio announcer Ken Nordine further shattered sensory perceptions by reciting 'Flibberty Jib' and 'The Island' during the 'Drums' into 'Space' improvisation. We never saw it coming. In other words, signature Grateful Dead. Then, and now, a band beyond description.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco street where Jerry Garcia grew up now bears his name
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted this week to rename a stretch of Harrington Street in the Excelsior District as ' Jerry Garcia Street ' paying tribute to the late Grateful Dead guitarist who spent part of his childhood in a home on the block. The commemorative designation, approved on Tuesday, April 22, applies to the portion of Harrington Street between Alemany Boulevard and Mission Street — where Garcia lived with his grandparents after the death of his father and attended nearby Monroe Elementary School. 'Jerry Garcia's memory brings music, joy, and inspiration to the current residents of the Excelsior and San Francisco,' reads the resolution introduced by Supervisor Chyanne Chen. 'His memory still brings the neighborhood pride and a sense of camaraderie.' The local news outlet SFist was the first to report on the measure. Born on August 1, 1942, Garcia co-founded the Grateful Dead in 1965, helping to shape the sound and spirit of 60s counterculture. The band cultivated one of the most devoted fan bases in music history and remains a cultural touchstone in the Bay Area and beyond. The renaming coincides with this year's 23rd Annual Jerry Day celebration, set for August 2 at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. The free event will mark several key milestones: the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead, the 30th anniversary of Garcia's passing in 1995, and the 20th anniversary of the amphitheater's naming. This year's lineup includes Melvin Seals and JGB, Grammy-winning fiddler Mads Tolling, and Stu Allen & Mars Hotel. The festivities will continue into the night with 'Jerry Night' after-parties throughout the Excelsior Corridor. 'By uniting the diverse communities of San Francisco through Garcia's music, we are creating something extraordinary for Jerry's childhood neighborhood, the Excelsior District, McLaren Park, and the City and County of San Francisco,' said Tom Murphy, founder of Jerry Day. Meanwhile, Deadheads are preparing for the release of ' Enjoying the Ride,' a 60-disc Grateful Dead box set due out May 30, capturing two decades of live performances from revered venues. David Lemieux, the band's archivist, calls it 'a significant piece of the Grateful Dead's legacy.'
South China Morning Post
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Grateful Dead to release 60-disc boxed set of live songs to mark 60 years of making music
Want to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead in a really, really big way? Advertisement Well, and Rhino Records have got you covered and plan to release a massive 60-CD boxed set of Grateful Dead music dubbed Enjoying the Ride. The set spans 25 years of live shows, from 1969 to 1994 at 20 different concert venues and includes more than 450 tracks, representing 60-plus hours of music – virtually all of it unreleased. There is also a more concise version of this particular long, strange Grateful Dead trip – dubbed The Music Never Stopped – which features at least one song from every venue in the deluxe set. It's available in three-CD, six-LP and digital formats. The boxed sets are available from May 30, 2025 via Advertisement
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Massive Grateful Dead box set with 60 CDs and unreleased tracks available for pre-order
Massive Grateful Dead box set with 60 CDs and unreleased tracks available for pre-order If you have enjoyed the musical ride of the Grateful Dead, there's a new box set for you: "Enjoying the Ride," has 60 CDs marking the band's 60th anniversary. It has 17 complete concerts and more. Want the music to never stop? There's a new massive Grateful Dead box set just for you. "Enjoying the Ride," is a 60-CD box set encompassing more than 60 hours of music, collected from the iconic band's live performances from 1969 to 1994. Available to pre-order now on and due out May 30, 'Enjoying the Ride' ($599.98) comes on the 60th anniversary of the iconic band's formation in 1965 and changing its name from the Warlocks to the Grateful Dead later that year. Nearly all of the 450 tracks in the set are previously unreleased and fans can listen to three of those tracks – unreleased versions of 'Scarlet Begonias,' 'Touch Of Grey,' and 'Fire On The Mountain,' recorded live at the Berkeley Greek Theatre on July 13, 1984 – on streaming services now. 'My health must come first': Billy Joel delays 8 concerts for surgery recovery The collection is comprised of concert recordings from 20 different venues across the U.S.: 17 full-length concerts, some with additional material from the same venue, plus multiple performances from shows at three other venues: Fillmore West, Fillmore East, and Boston Music Hall. 'On these 60 CDs, you'll find music spanning more than 25 years, from 1969 to 1994, with the venues and the millions of journeys to get to them, making an essential part of the story,' said Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux. 'Going to see the Grateful Dead, following them from city to city, was likened to the modern equivalent of running away and joining the circus. These 20 venues are where the circus took us, and the show was something we never wanted to miss.' The box set has a special meaning for Rhino Records President Mark Pinkus, because it includes that July 1984 show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, his first-ever Grateful Dead concert, which he recalls had an "epic 'Dark Star' encore. "This show marked the start of a lifelong journey for me, and I'm willing to bet there are many shows in this fantastic set that will resonate with fans who also found community on the road," Pinkus said in a statement. "I am forever honored to work alongside David and the Grateful Dead to keep this long, strange trip alive.' Only 6,000 individually numbered copies of the 60-CD set will be made available. Digital downloads in ALAC ($399.99) and high-res FLAC ($499.99) will be available on the same day. Included with the set, a tour guide with liner notes by Jesse Jarnow (author and co-host of the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast podcast) with a producer's note from Lemieux, plus scores of photos. Get an edited-down Grateful Dead retrospective If 60 CDs seems a bit much, Rhino is releasing some smaller versions: Vinyl LPs: 'The Music Never Stopped,' ($149.98) is a six-LP version of the music in the box set with at least one song from each venue in the deluxe set. 'The Music Never Stopped,' ($149.98) is a six-LP version of the music in the box set with at least one song from each venue in the deluxe set. Compact discs: A three-CD version of 'The Music Never Stopped' is priced at $34.98. A three-CD version of 'The Music Never Stopped' is priced at $34.98. Digital: A download version of 'The Music Never Stopped' is available in ALAC ($14.99) and high-res Flac (26.99). For the record, this isn't even the largest Grateful Dead CD box set ever released. A decade ago, Rhino released "30 Trips Around the Sun" for the band's 50th anniversary, a collection of 80 CDs. Only 6,500 were made, but there's a few available on eBay, starting at $2,300. For a supposedly fading technology, compact discs have shown some resilience. Other musicians recently issuing mega-box sets include Bob Dylan and The Band: The 1974 Live Recordings ($159.99), a 27-CD set with 417 live tracks from the 1974 tour, and Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976-1987), a 17-CD set of unreleased albums and songs, including alternate and live versions (deluxe version with Blu-ray Disc, $449.98; CD version, $239.98). Also on tap: Dogfish Head's Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale The new box set isn't the only celebration of the Dead's legacy being served up. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery recently released Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale, in collaboration with the Grateful Dead. The 5.3% ABV beer is made with granola and krenza, a sustainable grain. 'As a beer geek with a music problem, few things in life are as sensorially sensational as enjoying a great beer while simultaneously listening to some great music,' said Dogfish Head founder and brewer Sam Calagione in a press release. It's the third beer the Delaware-based brewery and band have collaborated on. 'With its layered, nuanced flavors of tropical hops complemented by its malty body, our Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale is as compelling and joyful as the band's music.' And the live music hasn't stopped either. Dead & Company, which includes Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, will kick off their second residency at Sphere in Las Vegas next week. Follow Mike Snider on Threads, Bluesky and X: mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
