If you’re one of the many East Coast fans who were distraught after not being able to see The Grateful Dead play one last time, you may have less of a reason to be disappointed.
After the band played their final “Fare Thee Well” shows in Santa Clara, California and Chicago, an Atlanta deadhead Rick Kline crafted a brilliant idea to bring the Dead to the East Coast through a charity campaign. The goal is simple: fans can donate money through Challeng.org to the The Rex Foundation, a charity created in memory of the Dead's roadie, Rex Jackson. If when the Dead agree to two performances on the East Coast, all earnings will go to straight to the foundation. If the plan does not work, the donated amount won't be charged to any challenge supporters, according to Music Times.
Although the band formed in California, they have a deep history on the East Coast and in New York City specifically. The Grateful Dead first played New York in 1967 at the Cafe Au Go Go and Central Park and continued to play concerts in New York City every year from the late 1970s up until 1995. This year during their Fourth of July show in Chicago at Soldier Field, New York’s Empire State Building put on a colorful light show, synchronizing the lights with the band’s live performance of “U.S. Blues.” The Dead have cited Madison Square Garden as a favorite touring destination, and played the venue 54 times between 1971 and 1994.
If The Dead does plan to take their “Fare Thee Well” tour to the East Coast, New York City would be a likely destination spot for the final shows considering their rich history and connection to the city.
Based on ticket data from other in-demand artists who have played both Soldier Field and MetLife on recent tours, there is a 5% premium that allows for a predictable estimate that Grateful Dead shows in New York City would actually be slightly cheaper than in Chicago. For three scheduled shows, in theory, the ticket prices would be $852, $537, and $664 for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday lineup respectively, as opposed to the Chicago shows which yielded $904, $570, and $704 for the final weekend shows, according to data provided by TiqIQ.
Recently Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann expressed his desire to continue performing and expressed his sadness for East Coast fans that didn’t get to see a final show. Hopefully for fans, his desire will be met by his fellow bandmates, but until the shows are officially accepted (or declined), Dead Heads on the East Coast will have to patiently sit tight.
