The surviving original members of the Grateful Dead are reuniting for a set of 50th anniversary concerts that will act as their last-ever shows.
Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will reunite for a show at Soldier Field in Chicago, the same venue where they played their last show 20 years ago. The Fate Three Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead shows will take place over three nights and are scheduled for July 3, 4 and 5.
The four musicians will be joined by Phish’s Trey Anastasio on guitar, Jeff Chimenti on keyboards and Bruce Hornsby on piano. Trixie Garcia, daughter of the late Jerry Garcia, participated in the announcement with an interview.
“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 in a statement. “Being able to get everyone back together - the fans and the band members - for this special weekend, is a really big deal.”
“Lookin' forward to this one, oh boy, you bet,” Weir added. “Let's see just how much fun we can have this 4th of July.”
Ticketing information will be posted at the group’s site.
The Dead began performing in 1965 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Since their last performance in 1995, members of the group have toured in their own bands. Both Chimenti and Hornsby have performed with them in the past.