“Fare Thee Well,” they call it. But this is more of a celebration than a goodbye: the Grateful Dead’s 50th birthday party will span three nights, set on a revolving stage at Chicago’s Soldier Field. It’s been twenty years since the core surviving members have played together. The stadium has a capacity of 70,000, and tickets have been sold out for a long time.
The initial asking price for tickets was $59.50. On the secondary market, however, the fun’s just getting started—tickets have ballooned to $116,000. Trey Anastasio continues to fill in for the late great Jerry Garcia, joining the four original members: Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann.
Granted, that $116,000 is the only listing that high—the rest of the available tickets are less than $1,500. What will you get for the extra $114,000? Perhaps a lock of Jerry’s hair, or control over the setlist. Perhaps you are airlifted onto the field and fed shrimp by the band. Only one way to find out.
