The Grateful Dead Break Attendance Records at Chicago’s Soldier Field

2015-07-12

Story by Cat Badra

The Grateful Dead’s final shows broke box office records

There will never be a question as to whether the Grateful Dead went out on top. They certainly did. The band’s final three shows — which took place earlier this month at Chicago’s Soldier Field — were the highest attended events ever at the venue since Soldier Field underwent renovation in 2003.

According to Billboard, reports that the band’s final gigs July 3 through 5 , dubbed the Fare Thee Well shows, attracted 70,764, 70,844 and 71,000 attendees, respectively. That beat U2’s previous record of bringing 67,936 fans into the venue in 2009 during the group’s famed 360° Tour.

The Grateful Dead’s final three shows featured the Grateful Dead’s four surviving members of rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, bass player Phil Lesh and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, as well as Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti. Needless to say, it was a star-studded cast.

The set for the final show, according to the Jam Bands website, included eternal Dead songs such as “Truckin,” “Touch of Grey,” “I Know You Rider,” “Built to Last” and “Not Fade Away.” Their final song was “Attics of My Life.”

Cat Badra
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