BLUES N'AT

     It's time to pack up the hacky sacks, incense, and sun block, load up the VW van and hit the road this summer. The four core remaining members of the Grateful Dead have announced a set of shows to commemorate their 50th anniversary.

     Dubbed "Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead" the shows will run July 3, 4, 5 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Original members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart will perform together as the Dead for the final time. They will be joined each night by Bruce Hornsby on piano, guitarist Trey Anastaio and keyboard player Jeff Chimenti. Each musician has a history of playing with the Dead or in a Grateful Dead-like project. The band promises to perform 2 sets each night.

     This event also marks, almost 20 years to the day, the final concert of the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia, also at Soldier Field. Captain Trips passed on about a month after the last curtain call. The remaining musicians carried on in one form or another for the past 20 years but decided on this one last hurrah to celebrate their golden anniversary with one last trip down the Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion.

     Although it certainly won't be the same without Jerry, you know he will be smiling down upon the throngs of Deadheads in attendance along with Pigpen and Brent and Keith and Vince. There will be a hell of a jam going on in Heaven to match the twirling transcendence going on down in Chi Town. So break out the tie-dyes one last time. It's going to be a trip like no other. Until next time, boys and girls. Peace.