Grateful Dead Reportedly ‘Considering’ Adding Two More Reunion Concerts
As it turns out, the Grateful Dead reunion concerts scheduled for July 4 weekend might not be the only opportunity to see the band. Rumors are now circulating that they may play two shows in Northern California.
Billboard is quoting a source that suggests that the Dead are "considering" two nights at either Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara or AT&T Park in their hometown of San Francisco. If true, it is expected that these will take place June 27-28, the weekend before the Chicago concerts, which will help soothe those who were shut out of tickets while preserving the advertised status of the Chicago dates as the last-ever Grateful Dead concerts. The magazine was unable to contact promoter Peter Shapiro for confirmation.
The Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well reunion shows were announced in January, with Chicago chosen because it was the site of the last Grateful Dead show a month before Jerry Garcia's death in 1995. Surviving members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be accompanied by Trey Anastasio of Phish on guitar, keyboardist and longtime Dead associate Bruce Hornsby and unannounced special guests.
Demand for the 210,000 tickets for the Chicago shows far exceeded the supply, which has resulted in scalpers asking for up to $10,000 on the secondary market. One desperate fan even went so far as to attempt to sell what he claimed was Garcia's missing finger in order to buy tickets.
The influx of Deadheads to Chicago for the weekend prompted city officials to deny a petition to allow camping and overnight parking around Soldier Field, which is located in parkland along the city's lakefront. A spokesman for the stadium cited safety concerns as the reason for the denial.
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