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obeygiant

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jan 14, 2002
4,180
4,096
totally cool
cnn

A three day pass for The Grateful Dead's "Fare Thee Well" sold out reunion show in Chicago are being offered for as much as $116,000 on online ticket site, StubHub.

That price gets fans a spot on the general admission floor in front of the stage. But just to walk in the door will still cost upwards of $1,435 -- and that's an obstructed view seat!

The shows will reunite the four original members of The Dead for their 50th anniversary over the Fourth of July weekend this summer at Chicago's Soldier Field.

It will also include Phish front man and guitarist Trey Anastasio, who will fill in for the iconic leader of The Dead, Jerry Garcia, who died back in 1995.

The three night concerts have been a hot ticket since the show was first announced back in January, and sold out its 210,000 capacity for all three nights almost immediately.

StubHub reports that tickets for the three day pass are posted on its site for as much as $160,000. The most expensive 3 day pass sold on StubHub so far went for $7,499.

That's a whole lot more than the face value of the tickets, which were originally priced at between $60 and $200.
Both the Grateful Dead and Phish have extremely loyal fans that have their own subcultures and even monikers ("Deadheads" for The Grateful Dead and "Phans" for Phish).

No one has paid 116k yet. 8)
 

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,986
46,448
In a coffee shop.
I'd pay $1000 to see The Dead if Jerry and Ron "Pig Pen" McKernan were still alive. Last time I saw them was around 1973

$1,000, yes, agreed, for an act I hugely admire; but $116,000?

One would want to be able to say that one's wallet or pockets are pretty much bottomless before that could be paid without suffering from Buyer's Remorse...
 

aaronvan

Suspended
Dec 21, 2011
1,350
9,353
República Cascadia
Sounds like Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

I think it's funny how these aging hippies are chasing the Almighty Dollar like a gaggle of good little capitalists. :D
 

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,986
46,448
In a coffee shop.
Sounds like Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

I think it's funny how these aging hippies are chasing the Almighty Dollar like a gaggle of good little capitalists. :D

But the point is that an awful lot of them - (not all, granted) - are good little capitalists - it is just that they gave a convincing impression for ages that they were above such sordid and mundane considerations.

Indeed, I seem to recall that the venerable Mick Jagger actually studied at the LSE (London School of Economics) one of the top educational establishments in the UK.
 

aaronvan

Suspended
Dec 21, 2011
1,350
9,353
República Cascadia
But the point is that an awful lot of them - (not all, granted) - are good little capitalists - it is just that they gave a convincing impression for ages that they were above such sordid and mundane considerations.

Indeed, I seem to recall that the venerable Mick Jagger actually studied at the LSE (London School of Economics) one of the top educational establishments in the UK.

That's true, he did attend the LSE. Jagger was known--even back in the sixties--as a shrewd businessman who negotiated good deals for him and his bandmates.
 

Gutwrench

Suspended
Jan 2, 2011
4,603
10,530
I can't believe that price, wow.

I'm not a fan of The Dead. I knew/know both Weir and Garcia. I was closer to Weir than Garcia. Both are/were very decent nice men. I didn't know anyone else from the band.

I've been around many celebrities and none expressed more concern and fondness for their fans than Weir and Garcia.
 

mobilehaathi

macrumors G3
Aug 19, 2008
9,368
6,352
The Anthropocene
I can't believe that price, wow.

I'm not a fan of The Dead. I knew/know both Weir and Garcia. I was closer to Weir than Garcia. Both are/were very decent nice men. I didn't know anyone else from the band.

I've been around many celebrities and none expressed more concern and fondness for their fans than Weir and Garcia.

That's interesting; how did you end up meeting Bob and Jerry?
 

vrDrew

macrumors 65816
Jan 31, 2010
1,376
13,412
Midlife, Midwest
If you can afford to spend $116,000 for a concert ticket, are you really sure you deserve to be a Grateful Dead fan?

From a purely philosophical standpoint, it just seems wrong to me.
 

Mr. McMac

Suspended
Dec 21, 2009
2,968
363
Far away from liberals
It's funny, the last time I saw them they were all still alive and put on 6 hour plus concerts, all for less than $10. Saw them at the Fillmore East in the late 60's for less than $5.00..
 

Gutwrench

Suspended
Jan 2, 2011
4,603
10,530
Both started professionally. With Garcia it was casual contacts but mostly professional. Bumped into him in a city in Marin County and talked for a while. That was the last time I saw him. He died very soon afterward. Weir started professionally, then became friends. I wasn't a close friend but went to a few gatherings at his home and watched a few sessions in his recording studio behind his house. I never followed the band but these two guys were very nice to everyone I saw them around. They went to great effort to be kind to their fans, and in public they were often swarmed. But Dead Heads are not like any others, I think. They are usually very kicked back and easy going. Not the typical frenzied group like others.
 

vkd

macrumors 6502a
Sep 10, 2012
969
345
A prime example of the lengths to which a person with uncontrolled senses and mind will go to achieve their totally unnecessary sense gratification.
 

jlc1978

macrumors 603
Aug 14, 2009
5,486
4,268
If you can afford to spend $116,000 for a concert ticket, are you really sure you deserve to be a Grateful Dead fan?

From a purely philosophical standpoint, it just seems wrong to me.

yea, the whole thing is uncool, man
 

Robisan

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2014
339
2,059
They can call it whatever they want, but it's not the "Grateful Dead" without Jerry.

Accept no substitutes.
 

MacsandCheese

macrumors newbie
Mar 22, 2015
12
0
I wouldn't pay that much for any band, trip etc.

Now a $1,000 for airfare, hotel, food and the show? That would be my max. Not a Dead fan but that's ridiculous.
 

mactastic

macrumors 68040
Apr 24, 2003
3,681
665
Colly-fornia
Not with Trey, no thanks.

Although I did see Warren Haynes about a year ago when he played Grateful Dead tunes with the SF Symphony backing him. Bobby was there for it, and it was really a good show. I didn't pay over $100 bucks though.
 

technosix

macrumors 6502a
Jan 13, 2015
929
13
West Coast USA
Steve did a brilliant job of creating the cult like following sometimes known as "The Apple Faithful" modeled after the Dead Heads.

Look at the Empire Apple created off their religious zealotry... :)
 
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