Original Grateful Dead Members Celebrating The Big 50

Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will come together in Chicago for three glorious nights this summer. Mail order sales for “Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years Of Grateful Dead” begin this month. Presales and general onsales launch in February.

Jerry Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia revealed the good news on Dead50.net today. Dates are July 3-5 and the place is Soldiers Field.

Joining the Dead veterans will be Phish-man Trey Anastasio on guitar, Ratdog/The Dead/Furthur keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and Bruce Hornsby, who played more than 100 shows with the Grateful Dead, on piano.

(click on image for complete poster)

You can bet the original members have plenty to say about the summer shows scheduled within days of the 20^th anniversary of the final Grateful Dead concert, which also happened at the Chicago venue.

“I have a feeling this will come out just right,” Hart said. “Can’t wait to find out. … Here we go!”

“The Grateful Dead lived an incredible musical story and now we get to write a whole new chapter,” Kreutzmann said. “By celebrating our 50th, we get to cheer our past, but this isn’t just about history. The Grateful Dead always played improvisational music that was born in the moment and we plan on doing the same this round.”

“It is with respect and gratitude that we reconvene the Dead one last time to celebrate – not merely the band’s legacy, but also the community that we’ve been playing to, and with, for fifty years,” Lesh said. “Wave that flag, wave it wide and high …”

“Lookin’ forward to this one, oh boy, you bet,” Weir said. “Let’s see just how much fun we can have this 4th of July.”

As the band did for years and years through the original Grateful Dead Ticketing Service, tickets will first become available via mail order on a first-come, first-served basis Jan. 20. An online presale through Dead Online begins Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. CST. General onsales launch Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. CST.

“The great thing about these shows happening in Chicago, not only is it the amazing Americana of Chicago – the central location for all Dead Heads to come gather – but it’s also the last place the Grateful Dead played together in 1995,” Trixie Garcia said. “Being able to get everyone back together – the fans and the band members – for this special weekend, is a really big deal.”

Head on over to Dead50.net for more information.