The four surviving and original members of the Grateful Dead have lately announced a reunion for three anniversary concerts which will take place at Chicago’s Soldier Field on July 3rd, 4th and 5th.
As this may be great news for Deadheads, it can also be a terrible announcement, because those three shows will be the last Grateful Dead shows… ever.
“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 […] Wave that flag, wave it wide and high…” said bassist Phil Lesh.
Now, the question every fan of the band must be asking him or herself right now: “Who will replace the irreplaceable?”
It will be Trey Anastasio who will stand in the place of the great Jerry Garcia.
“Jerry Garcia was a great American master and the Grateful Dead are not just a genuine piece of musical history, but also an important part of American history. […] This is a band, born right at the beginning of electric rock, that took the American tradition and moved it forward. They really embodied the American concept of freedom, rolling around the country with a ginormous gang of people and the mindset that ‘you can come if you want, you can leave if you want. We don’t know what’s going to happen. All we know is we’re not looking back.’ What could be more American?” Said the Phish frontman, who has some big shoes to fill.