Ticket Releases and The Shapiro Strategy

In News that didn’t shock me a bit, The Dead announced that more tickets will be released for The Fare Thee Well Shows at Soldier Field. If you’ve been following the blog, I’ve been talking about this for months. The announcement came via their website and was probably a poor idea. Why make an announcement 5 days before the onsale??? Just to be sure it circulates enough for every ticket agent out there to catch the news… Why not just release the tickets without saying a thing? All of a sudden, BAM! Tickets are on TicketMaster. Why not make the announcement the minute they’re released giving the people that follow the band and their social media avenues the heads up on the release? Why instead make an announcement 5 days prior to the release, lining up every single broker and person that has tickets already, as well as those that don’t, at the starting line all at once? Am I the only one that thinks this idea leaves a lot to be desired?

I’ll give you the answer now… Peter Shapiro is a genius. Say what you want about him or the event but this has been a masterful job of promoting. The tricks used are not new but apparently unknown by the vast majority of the fan base. The first batch of tickets that were released were all of the less desirable seats that most commonly go unpurchased or at the very least, purchased last. All of the shit seats are already Sold, GENIUS move number 1!!! Not only that, they only sold a percentage of the total seats available which created the illusion of a scarcity of tickets. What would Garcia say? He already said it, “Cats in the limelight, Feels like it’s all right! Everybody wants something they might not get!” Shapiro took that advice to heart. He created the sensation of lack and scarcity that not only drove demand among Dead Heads but drove every segment of the media right into his lap. Look at us!!! We sold out in 10 seconds! Brilliant Marketing! All of a sudden the demand was so inflated that everyone imaginable wanted a piece of the Grateful Dead Pie. Every news organization in the country has run articles on the demand for tickets, Genius move #2!

While tickets on the secondary market swelled up, those dumb enough to buy were spending a fortune purchasing seats with absolutely no view behind the stage. There’s a few things that even Shapiro hates to see. Fans that are extremely disappointed and an out of control secondary market. While the iron was red hot, they struck up 2 shows in California and put nearly every available seat on sale through Internet Mail Order. That was a hit as the internet mail order completely sold out. All along, The Official Home of Unofficial Grateful Dead News was reporting that there are TONS of unreleased tickets. I ran into a few people that thought I was nuts but that’s OK, they’re probably right… So here we are, waiting patiently until Friday as well as hitting TicketMaster every half hour until then(Just in case). Will Friday be the last release? If I had to guess, the next batch of less desirable seats will be put out on TicketMaster with a handful of decent seats. Why do that? Because a lot of people with tickets will absolutely buy tickets again if they have a chance to upgrade their seats from behind the stage to anywhere in front of it. Garcia might say, “Strategy was a strength, not disaster…” Genius MOVE #3!!!

Why tell everybody 5 days in advance of a ticket release? This one is a no brainer too! It ensures the next wave of seats will sell out just as fast as the first. In order to keep interest as high as possible, the sense of extremely limited availability has to be maintained. With a fresh wave of euphoria for those who get their tickets, there will also be a fresh wave of aggravation. The most important thing that will happen is EVERYBODY talking about it. The more chatter, the better. Drives all attention back to the big event. If I had to guess, I’d say a minimum of 30% of the tickets are still available. I don’t think this will be the last release either. I think tickets will continue to be released in the weeks to come right up to day of show! GENIUS Move #4!!!

When all is said and done, everybody willing to pay face for a ticket will get in. For many, they’ve spent months shitting on each and every day of their lives worrying about a problem that was never a problem. The strategy isn’t a new one at all but it was played perfectly. Like a magic trick that’s been around forever, the shit still works. The collapse of the secondary market is already beginning and following the arrival of mail order tickets plus the additional tickets being released, tix will start circulating in big numbers. I can just hear the poor fools in the lots and hotels in Chicago trying to sell their extras by saying, “I didn’t pay face brah, I got these on StubHub and I paid $(insert crazy price that is an inflated lie here).” Nobody will be buying and the Good Seats will start getting released by Shapiro at the same time through more week and day of show releases. It will destroy the greed of people that thought they’d make some money back on them in Chicago. “Oooohh Oooooh ooh ooh my plans didn’t work out like I thought. I made my trap for you but it seems like I got caught.” Peter Shapiro has done a great job playing this one and in the end, all is forgiven because we’re ALL getting in!!!

Then again, maybe I don’t know shit… I’ve also already mentioned, nobody has fewer connections than I do. Keep an eye on it and watch as it unfolds! If you’re registered on this WordPress site, please register at gratefuldean.com as I’m going to be doing all of my writing in one place and that will be the place.  It’s extremely exciting to see everybody receiving their tickets in the mail this week! Amazing that we’re only a month out!!! Can’t wait to see y’all in Chicago! If you don’t have tix, stop worrying about it! There’s PLENTY!!! Love You Long Time!!!

Dead To The Core,
Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

FB Group at The Official Home of Unofficial Grateful Dead News

Throwback Thursday: Space->Watchtower->China Doll…

We’re somewhere during Space… Garcia is playing around with his midi and it sounds like a dolphin looking for a piece of ass… I’m right on the outskirts of having complete control of my thoughts… If only this Space would end… Phil keeps making the face that Phil makes… You know the one… Like he’s saying “I don’t know what’s gonna happen… I don’t know… Maybe I know… Nope… I don’t know…” Terrapin preceded Drums so this should be a Weir tune… From deep inside The Space confusion I can hear Weir hinting at the Watchtower… The Space finds a completely silent moment… It’s so quiet amongst so many people, I feel as though I’m almost afraid to say anything… I really want to scream WATCHTOWER!!!!!!! Letting everyone know that I know… I don’t because I figure that would make me an asshole… It’s OK to know all by yourself… A guy near me breaks the silence by screaming “BROKEN DOWN PALACE”… What the fuck is he thinking??? Weir’s riffs signal the hurricane of Sound that is The Watchtower… The place comes alive in an instant!!! Phil still has the “I don’t know what’s coming” face on… The jams are as hard rockin as they could be!!! Every time it seems like the jam might break down Garcia pulls this string that seems to raise the Sail of this Magnificent Ship that instantly rights its course… Weir sings to the ceiling and it seems as though his eyes are constantly in the shadows of his brows… Anybody that ever thought Bob was looking at them while he was singing must have had seats that hung from the rafters… He wasn’t looking at you… Ever… As the Watchtower winds down the first notes of China Doll can be heard hidden somewhere underneath the closing notes of The Watchtower… It all seems incredibly perfect… The story of this Doll begins to unfold with so much meaning… For the first time I realize exactly what the Hurdy Gurdy signals and completely understand my need to abide it… The music is haunting yet absolutely beautiful… As Jerry sings “Stranger Ones have come by here” you look around and spot each one of them… You intuitively seem to know what’s going on with people around you… That guy is nervous… Those aren’t his seats… He’s hoping nobody comes back for them… That girl is thinking about her sister… That dude is trying like hell to control his high but Puddles don’t come with steering wheels… He can’t abide it… Everyone’s Soul becomes transparent as the Music completely lifts the veil on every insecurity and ego in the room… It’s Fuckin Wild… My nipples are so hard you could hang a shotgun across them… The entire band is perfectly orchestrated with Candace in command of the lighting accompaniment as the sweet harmonies blend together with Brent’s voice sounding like broken glass in a velvet bag and piercing through the darkness as we all can’t help but to think in our minds (Holy Shit there is so much beauty in this darkness and I totally GET IT!!!) and then the moment comes…. “Take up your China Doll…. Take up your China Doll……… It’s Only fractured….. Juuuuuuuuuuuust a little Nervous from the fall………. Laaaaaaaaaa La Laaa La La La La Laaaaaaaaaa!!!” You realize in that moment that you’re not totally broken… Only fractured… You couldn’t stop the tears if you tried… Just a little nervous… It’s gonna be alright…

Another moment of complete surrender to the process of Character Development brought to you exclusively by The Grateful Dead….

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

A Touch of Grey… Poupon

For those that missed it, The Official Home of Unofficial Grateful Dead News attracted the attention of a writer at the New York Times and I ended up with my picture and one lousy quote in an article on the 50th Anniversary Shows in Chicago. You can find that article here: Grateful Dead Fans Replace VW Vans With Jets and the Ritz-Carlton

I’m writing this piece aboard my yacht and eating shit that rich people eat, all while my staff of underpaid and overworked peasant servants are busy manicuring the expansive gardens on my compound and braiding the manes of my imported unicorns. I like the picture but I do have one regret. I wish I was wearing an ascot. I typically step into my 10,000 thread count Egyptian pajamas when I get home and put on my ascot to remind me of the vast wealth and opulence that surrounds me and keep any possible draft from causing a chill on my neck. That would be much more fitting for a guy like me. Ahhhh yes, the good life…

There’s one thing that was clearly left out of the New York Times article. The great equalizer of all people, great and small. The one thing that showed everyone within an hour or so how level the playing field of real life really is. What was missing was a huge punch bowl of Owsley’s Kool-Aid. For those of us that swam in the deep end of Owsley’s pool, the realization of seeing the world exactly how it is through the psychedelic microscope of unlimited perception is part of what changed us forever. I remember watching people that had great power and influence within their materially driven worlds come unglued, like a child’s art project subjected to the forces of nature. They would then be comforted and kept from going completely insane by a guy that lives in a van. Those who were high minded in their own sight were driven to tears at many an Acid Test as the illusion they maintained for most of their lives came into contact with the Great Magician. When the curtain was removed from the pillar of inflated senses of self, what was left was typically a deflated and scared child crying like they just got the news that Santa Claus died. One of the special things about this community was that there was always some folks, that the individual previously deemed far inferior to them, ready and willing to help them through their complete and total meltdown. We found through those experiences how level the playing field was for every single one of us. Preconceived ideas of the importance of people, places and things gave way to the realization that we’re all truly one. While some may have been more entertaining than others we realized the significance of the gifts that were inherent in everyone and how they were all equally important in the game of life. We saw through all the bullshit and Paper Tigers as all things appeared exactly as they were without any of the false filters that were installed in us by the media machine year after year since our births. You never knew which side of your psyche would be up for examination but with time and some repetition, all aspects of our lives and thoughts would have to endure the scrutiny of the Acid Test. Those of us that stuck around long enough eventually got our degrees. I’ve kept all of those valuable lessons near and dear to my heart and my daily affairs.

When Kate contacted me to participate in the interview for a piece the New York Times was doing, after she came across my blog, I was happy to participate. She is a really sweet woman that was given an assignment to create a piece about an issue that, in my opinion, wasn’t much of an issue. The incredibly high prices of making it to the Dead’s Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago and the all the wealthy people that were going for the party. During our interview, she wanted my commentary on how expensive tickets were and I was pretty clear that while tickets listed on StubHub for tens of thousands of dollars, nobody was buying in at that price. I told her I could list my daughter’s bike on Craigslist for $25,000 if I wanted to but nobody would buy it. I explained that as we get closer to the shows those prices will have to drop dramatically or nobody is buying them. The story wanted to focus on something other than what the scene has always been about. It’s always been about all kinds of people coming together under the umbrella of Grateful Dead Music and joining as one. Since the beginning, Dosed Doctors have shared dancing space with Drunk Derelicts… Christians danced beside Criminals… Powerful people joined hands with paupers… The truth was always that WE are everywhere. From the top to the bottom and everywhere in between. Once we entered the lot, any barrier that seemed to separate us previously vanished instantly before our eyes. That’s the Grateful Dead Community that I’ve always been a part of over the years.

Certainly, I’ve pulled no punches on my blog about how a portion of the vocal fan base think they should have everything for nothing and that they’re somehow entitled to be there because they’re more deserving than someone else. Perhaps those folks need to be reacquainted with the Great Equalizer or at the very least, remember the things we took from those experiences. Nobody deserves anything any more than anyone else. There will be just as many people that will make Chicago happen on a hope and a prayer as there are people that will be doing it any other way. Life has always been about being a contributor to me. Making a difference in the lives of others utilizing the gifts you’ve been given. Whether that’s making people laugh a little more often or being able to cook them something worth eating. Rewards in life can often be measured by how you utilize those gifts. I’m grateful that my life has been full of experiences that continue to confirm all of those things I learned in the deep end of Owsley’s pool. I’m grateful that I never see myself above or below any other individual. I’m grateful that I’ve always seen everyone in the game of life as equals and have treated them that way whether they’re my server at a restaurant or the President of a large corporation or College or a member of my favorite band. Some Rise, Some Fall, Some Climb…

Following the Dear Jerry show last Thursday, I jumped in my car and drove home, 4 hours, from Merriweather Post. I drove home immediately after because Friday morning was Daddy Day at my daughter’s school. I had time for 3 hours of sleep before getting up and ready for the dreaded day. I felt like I got run over by a herd of Rhinos wearing cleats. When I arrived at my daughter’s school, she became the happiest little thing I’ve ever seen. We ran around together for her recess and I ended up staying longer than expected to have lunch and ice cream with her. My head felt like a rotten cantaloupe… My daughter reached her little arms around my neck and hugged me as hard as she could. She said, “This is the best day ever, I Love you daddy!” My heart melted and my head cleared as the deepest sense of gratitude settled deep within me. That’s what makes me a rich man, not where my seats or hotel is located in Chicago.

California Kevin wrote to me on my Facebook Page yesterday with a beautiful picture of himself, his wife and his 2 daughters. He told his story. He mentioned he couldn’t write or type that good but continued to honestly share the path his life has taken over the years. He said that 25 years ago he didn’t have a house to live in, just a woman he loved and was beginning to create memories with. He was grateful for everything that he learned through the process but he had things in life that were more important to him than the Dead nowadays. First and foremost, being a present and loving father watching his 2 beautiful daughters grow up. He won’t be taking a Private Jet to Chicago and he didn’t score a package from CID but California Kevin is an extremely rich man. Regardless of where he’s staying or how he’s getting there… Love y’all!!! See ya soon!

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

Back In Time to Alpine In 89

For those that can’t find satisfaction anywhere since Garcia passed, there was Meet Up at The Movies. Those of us that were at Alpine that year remember a few things. We Bid You Goodnight caused God himself to cry for the next 2 days straight. The torrential rains began immediately following the first We Bid You Goodnight since December 31, 1978. I’ll never forget the opening lyrics and the intense amount of chills that coursed through my entire body. It was on a Monday and the last time my body was completely dry until some time the following Thursday. If there was ever a Navy Seal Hell Week on Grateful Dead Tour, it was Alpine 89. The first hour or so that followed our exit from the Ampitheater was pure ecstasy. Then came the realization that not only were you as wet as you were high but that, high was wearing off and wet wasn’t.

As a 45 year old man, The Summer of 89 was My personal Summer of 69. My first Summer that I said, “Fuck It!” and left home with $40 and a backpack and hitched rides around the country seeing the Summer Tour in it’s entirety, all by myself. Well… Not really by myself, a bunch of you were out there too. It’s the Summer I really learned the depth and magnitude of the experience and had sufficient time to have the outer shells ripped off of me like an onion. The year I realized I was a stranger nowhere and could find commonalities and kindness anywhere. The year I realized that I can become everything and become nothing all within the same week. The Summer I realized I could have a mountain of riches one day, ordering $50 Steaks to my room at The Ritz Carlton and having conversations with the crew at the bar and spend the following night eating grilled cheese and sleeping in the woods sharing deep thoughts with the homeless. I experienced all sides of life that Summer and I’ll never be the same because of it. It changed everything about my perspective and viewpoint on our collective existence. It was the best Summer of my life…

On to reviewing the Meet Up at The Movies… The Summer of 89 found the band in the finest form they had experienced in a long time.  As the show kicked off with Hell In a Bucket, we all instantly remembered what made The Dead, The Dead. I was right back there except dry this time. I should have gotten fully dressed and took a cold shower before the Movie to really bring it all back home. When the first notes of Sugaree get fired off I always get this indescribable and soothing calm that comes over me. Hearing Garcia’s voice is like being dipped in a vat of Cool Aloe when you have a sunburn. I was reminded of so many of those nights inside of venues when in the midst of the brain melting mayhem, you looked toward the stage and just immediately noticed Garcia’s right arm and elbow that always seemed to stand out like an angel’s wing amongst the backdrop of dim lights and his all black attire. As he ran through the solos, it was as if The drummers kept this enormous machine spinning while Brent’s sweet Hammond heaped coal into the furnace that was processed by the machine and shot out out as pure heat that flew off of Garcia’s strings like sonic bullets covering us all in the radiant glow of progressive and continuing enlightenment. The whole thing being pushed steadily forward by the incomparably deep sounds of Phil’s bass that was always there to perfectly cover any open spaces we might fall through….

The Cowboy segment never disappoints and 89 was certainly a healthy and dominant year for Weir. Then the official first set Garcia favorite of all fans born to wander the world and play the game of life through the eyes of a rebellious and unattached drifter, Althea. Every single verse in that song is a Masterpiece. Each one better than the last… It cuts you as deep as it heals you. It attempts to correct you as much as it encourages you never to be corrected. One of my favorite favorite Jerry tunes ever and I think a lot of us feel that way.

I like Victim now better than I did then. That’s all I’m gonna say. That tune really became the official Anthem for The Freaked Out Early Exit. I saw a lot of spooked out hippies head for the doors early at many a show during that tune. West LA made me realize that not only was Garcia my favorite artist of all time but that he was also my favorite Gangster! All of a sudden those orthopedic shoes started looking a little more like some crisp white Gangsta kicks that may have been a gift from a friend named Rocco or Tony Montana. The whole thing just brimming with the sound that added so many characters and colors to everything the band played. I didn’t know if I should just keep smiling or just start crying….

When Desolation Row started I went to get a bite to eat… At home… I drove home, boiled water, cooked some ziti, ate it and got back in time for the last 3 verses. When the song began, I noticed Weir appeared to have a runny nose. He actually had time to completely heal from a mild cold during the song. Deal provided everything required for an intermission filled with excitement and anticipation of more of the same high energy we were all jiving on…  I must say, I appreciated the 30 second Intermission as opposed to what felt like a week and a half of waiting for the band to come back on the night it actually happened. While I’m saying that, Is it just me or are songs actually much shorter than I remembered them being? It always seemed like Space was the hardest 3 hours to get through… Now when I listen back, it wasn’t but a few minutes… It felt like forever back in the day…

Box was always a favorite and consistently a good sign of things to come when the second set opened with it. The Foolish Heart was outstanding and because it’s a Garcia tune, I always liked it from the first time I heard it. Looks like Rain was made instantly better because Terrapin followed it. As the the band made their way into drums, we get a camera full of Kreutzmann who looked like an Epileptic that just discovered bread sticks at a salad bar. Billy could go way out there and absolutely had the best faces of any member in the band when he was really in the pocket. His eyes were so far back in his head I’m surprised he didn’t get jumped by Paramedics. I always have loved watching him. Mickey is just plain sinister on drums playing with all kinds of cool stuff back there. Shit gets weird during drums and you’d look up and Mickey would be hitting a Goat’s skull with the jawbone bone of a donkey or some kinda shit like that. They consistently created a completely unique mood, vibe and environment every night through drums. What a treat!

Watching  Jerry and Brent interact is something else that brings tears to my eyes. If any one of us tried to stand between Garcia and Brent at any point, during any show, we’d melt faster than a chocolate Easter Bunny in the Caribbean sun. When those 2 were interacting with each other musically it provided more magical moments than David Copperfield’s old Vegas routine. I’m eternally grateful to have been present for so many of those moments.

The big reason I wouldn’t miss this years Meet Up at The Movies was because of The Dew. If my Soul was a song, It would be The Dew. Watching Garcia during that was a mixture of euphoria and sorrow. Euphoric that it happened, sad that it hasn’t in 20 years and never will again.  If I was only able to listen to one song for the rest of my life, it would be Garcia singing The Dew. That night was a fine example of why. For a man that rarely moved more than a few inches during the course of an evening, nobody in history could hold 20,000 people in the palm of their hand like Garcia could. During the quiet moments, we’d all wait to breathe until it was most appropriate. Garcia smiling for one second on the big screen still sends cheers throughout Theaters from Los Angeles to New York City. I’d like to personally Thank Manasha for the last great Garcia years from the late 80s to the very early 90s. She took great care of him and he was as vibrant and alive through that stretch as I ever was able to see him. Often times in life, the bucket that holds your gifts is the same size as the bucket that holds your curses. For someone like Garcia, Balance was a point he passed by very briefly on his way to the next extreme. A talent like the world will only experience once in history, not nearly as impressed by himself as the throngs of followers that surrounded him. A reluctant leader better acquainted with his own shortcomings than any outsider would ever consider him having. It was all part of what caused us to Love him even more. Even from a Theater, over 25 years later,  his star was shining as brightly as it ever has… He made all of us feel like he was singing directly to us. We all thought, at least a few times, he was looking right at us, he was just that engaging. He didn’t have to be flashy because his core emitted more Juice on a bad day than a costumed poser could possess on their best day. He had the attention of everybody and everybody hoped, if only for a moment, to have his… That was well worth the price of admission…

Dean Sottile (Pronounced SoTilly)
The Official Home Of Unofficial Grateful Dead News

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#AlpineValley

A Swift Addition For Donna Vocals

In news that shocked pop music fans of the world like finding out there was no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, rumors leaked this week that Bob Weir would hit the road again this fall with John Mayer and bass player from the Phish, Mike Gordon. The Rhythm Devils were on board as well even though Billy thinks a lot of people, in general, are assholes. Since I will never use the term “Core + #” to explain anything that happens with the remaining players of my favorite band, from this point on I will refer to them as The members of the band not named Garcia. This will help with any confusion in the future. The “Core 4” belongs to the Yankess, Like it or Not!

Perhaps most surprising of all are the reports that Taylor Swift will be covering Donna parts and vocals. When Bob Weir was asked about these rumors he said, “I believe Taylor can intelligently interpret the vibe we’re laying down and give to it a little something fresh and new. She’s got this piece of something that really gives some perspective to the music that’s never been experienced before which I guess goes without saying being that she never experienced any of the music before.” John Mayer, hated by most Dead Fans because his records sell, had this to say, “It’s gonna be great experience for all of us and I know it won’t take more than a week or two before I get dat ass!”

Reports of the Fall tour went over like Brown Acid at Woodstock among the Grateful Dead Faithful. The announcement was met with the same kind of enthusiasm you might find with your invitation to Jury Duty. Many fans are outraged and insulted that the members of the band, that are not named Garcia, would have the audacity to play music with anyone other than the same guys that have been trying to pull off Garcia for decades. We all know by now the unbridled joy that circulates when anyone from Phish is included. This time, Dead Heads get to be treated to the band’s bass player, nicknamed Cactus because his personality appears to be that of a prick. As a veteran of hundreds of Phish shows dating back to 1991, I can assure you, he’s a creative genius that is quite prickish on the surface. I don’t know him, so he very well could be a veritable geyser of sunshine and happiness but you’d never guess that by looking at his face. Dead Heads have long felt it necessary to hate Phish for some reason and have often complained about Phish fans attempting to shove Phish down their throats. It appears like the guys left of the Dead, not named Garcia, are helping with that all they can.

It’s rumored that the first appearance of this group will take place at The Prankster’s Acoustic Acid Test, 4th of July weekend. Rumors that The Pranksters have rented out all of Northerly Island for nearly a week are widespread. The Band of Jokers were in Chicago securing legal permission to host their festivities which shows that these people are smarter than your average bears. I never knew those Clowns had that kinda money to be honest with you. Seems like they possess way more power and resources than anyone may have imagined. Apparently, Prankstering is Big Business. I’ve been doing all this shit for free… What the hell am I thinking???

I look forward to a young guy like John Mayer taking on a project with our favorite musicians almost as much as I look forward to hearing what a well studied Trey will be bringing to the experience. I know my opinion may not fall in the majority of those that make up our scene but give a musician like John Mayer or Trey some time to study the master and I think the end result will be great music. The problem is, what we experienced was the Soul of Garcia. No amount of study or natural talent can give a guy that.

Brings me back to one of those moments… Black Peter, Vegas ’91… In the midst of this solemnly tempoed tune, Bill and Mickey’s cymbals sound almost as though they’re being dragged along the ground while walking across the dry and somber landscape the tune paints a picture of… Garcia seems to stroll through a low lying garden of sound searching for the note that best represents the collective soul of the entire experience like someone might search for a 4 leafed clover… As he riffs through a multitude of choices he finds the one that speaks most clearly to him and, as a result, all of us as well… He picks the note from the garden as he sees fit and pulls the string with all he’s got unleashing this enormous wave of emotion infused in a Psychedelic Blues that seems to wrap around the entire venue, instantly pulling from every direction all attention, emotion and everything significant at that moment in time back into himself… As Garcia’s notes get higher, Phil’s get increasingly lower seemingly acting as cushions that carry Garcia’s notes into the stratosphere by way of our hearts. All attention, regardless of how scattered, instantly returns to the stage where Garcia is firmly planted like a Mighty Oak. As his glasses slide lower down his nose his eyebrows rise higher up his face as the sound of all of us getting hit with something so heavy, all at the same time, creates this spiraling tornado of applause and acknowledgement that pops the lid off of our collective consciousness as our eyes lock with strangers off in the distance having the exact same experience and uniting us instantly with strangers in the distance… As we swelter in the desert heat having our minds stretched like hot gum pulled from the pavement, Garcia stands there cooler than a Snowman screwing an Ice Princess… It’s hard to describe the way those moments removed the thorns from our own thoughts and lives but they absolutely did…

Yup, That shit isn’t happening again regardless of who’s playing guitar. Those are the moments that the most skilled of mimickers can’t recreate on their best days. It’s the reason why the music will never really go Further because Further would typically imply deeper, better, more meaningful. The music can continue and move on and be respected and honored but I’m not sure it can ever really go “Further” if indeed that’s what Further would imply.

In hilarious news, it was reported that Pay Per View options would be available for the Fare Thee Well Shows, more or less insuring theaters would be as empty as the Bottle Garcia sings about in Ship Of Fools. Even funnier was a Pre Sale for Pay Per View Broadcasts. That’s about as necessary as more Grateful Dead cover bands in Chicago 4th of July Weekend. Either way, everybody is going to get all The Dead they can possibly handle. That’s probably a good thing…

Check out the World’s biggest Fan Appreciation movement currently underway at #NFA on Facebook!

Gratefully Deadicated,

Dean So Tilly

Fantastic Mail Order, Theaters And Acidless Tests!!!

In a refreshing change of pace, The Internet Mail Order went off without a hitch. The only people bitching were those that are excellent artists and figured their talents usually took them to the front of the line. According to the Blogger guy that wrote the “Not Your Grateful Dead” article somewhere, a guy basically competing for the prize of World’s Biggest Whiner and Pain In The Ass, Peter Shapiro called him to see how they could work together to make Santa Clara better. It seems more like Peter asked Trey for some help as the same people that have been doing Internet Lotteries for Phish took care of the Ticketing. The process was so easy that many people were completely confused once finished. It couldn’t be that easy could it??? No Index Cards, No 17 Postal money orders, hopefully all in the correct amount to fill out, No trying to be Stanley Mouse on the envelope, No trying to fit an envelope inside of an envelope after doing all that? Within a day after the deadline, everybody knew whether they got tickets and if so exactly where their seats were located. Not to mention, using a Credit Card, some people will be able to pay this off by some time in 2025. I hate to say it, but y’all can probably thank Phish for that. If this was done for Chicago, it probably would’ve led to Elvis at GDTSTOO living a few extra years. This process has probably aged the kind soul ike the cheese that rich folks eat. From what I could imagine, Elvis probably needs about a month of sleep… Some of you will get your money back in time for Christmas shopping, for others, there’s always All Saints Day.

Here’s a blogger that can help you out a little bit if you want some advice. My 6 tickets for Santa Clara came along with a $200 “Service Charge”. In the future, can you do me a favor? Just include that shit in the ticket instead of giving everybody another item to complain about. In the past Service Charges were something you incurred at a Bachelor Party or curbside in Manhattan. At least you were well aware of the service that was being provided. Except, in those scenarios, I was doing the screwing, not receiving it. Doing the math on Levi’s, there’s about $5.5 Million Dollars in Service Charges. I’m all about abundance so I’m not gonna hate on anybody too much but, that’s a lot of fuckin. I guess with the bounteous good will and appreciation behind the event and all, we’ll just call it Making Love…

In a questionable move announced this week by the folks at jambands.com and every other .com that wants a piece of the traffic that talking about World’s Greatest Band of all time provides, The Fare Thee Well Shows, in Association with Peter Shapiro and a few other companies that basically mean Peter Shapiro as well, the broadcast for the shows will take place in Theaters. I personally think this idea stinks worse than an LSD fart in a humid tent. Heady Dreadies and others that enjoy roasting new hybrids of Marijuana as often as kids roast marshmallows by campfires were outraged by the decision. Instead of streaming the shows from the comfort and safety of their own homes, Dead Heads will now be forced to play cops and robbers with security guards in cinemas like back in the old days. Instead of kicking back on a Summer Night and drinking a few Sammy Smith’s Oatmeal Stouts while tuned in from your living room, Have a Coke and a Smile bitches!

How about people with kids or folks that don’t live in the USA? A decision like this one obviously didn’t involve a discussion with the blogger guy that has all the answers. I’m baffled by this one… This was a no brainer or so I thought. Bands have been streaming couch tour for years. It’s one of the few things that kept me from selling my children when they were really little. When I first had kids and wasn’t able to attend shows like I used to, I invested in a Supreme Audio Visual Environment for my living room. Why? Because EVERYBODY that is somebody has an online stream. What the hell were y’all thinking? Now a bunch of Dead Heads have to sneak all kinds of contraband into a theater where they’ll be for 5 hours, 3 nights in a row. They’ll  get lit up like a Grow Room then have to drive home. Why did this really simple item get so messed up? Thank goodness for those new fangled vaporizer devices. Nowadays, Chewbacca look alikes can huff up like George Jetson and go practically unnoticed. Back in my day we had a thing called a bullet and a gym shirt with a bunch of brown spots on it from where we exhaled cannabis flower exhaust to contain the aroma.

It might be a good time to apologize to mom and dad about why the water in all of their sinks came out all messed up. That was me, I took all of the screens out, Sorry about all those calls you made to the plumber. As somebody that doesn’t drink or do drugs, it’s no big deal to me, I’m just sticking up for my stoner friends on this one. Epic Fail forcing people to leave their homes to participate. The sound and video will be incredible, there’s your consolation prize, Enjoy the Milk Duds! I would imagine more options may become available, I’ll be in Soldier Field…

THE INFORMATION BELOW IS NO LONGER VALID Due TO THE PRANKSTERS PULLING OUT OF THE EVENT AND QUESTIONABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED. YOU CAN READ IT FOR LAUGHS BUT THAT’S ABOUT ALL… I will DEFINITELY NOT be there or participate in any way. SEVERAL ARTISTS THAT THE PROMOTER LISTED AS CONFIRMED HAVE SAID ON THEIR PERSONAL FB PAGES THAT THEY WILL NOT BE THERE.

Rapidly becoming the biggest event in Chicago’s history, The infamous Bus of Never ending Adventure, Furthur, is preparing to roll into Chicago and will be leading the way to providing an entire weekend of endless entertainment. Yes indeed, if you’re not already aware, 4 Humble Heroes are leading the way from Oregon and are bringing The Merry Prankster Flavorlution to Chi town in what’s shaping up to be the biggest event of the weekend by far. The Merry Prankster roots go way deep into the Grateful Dead Culture so the names that are being mentioned around their weekend event are absolutely mind boggling. Being a close friend with Zane Kesey and all of the Official Pranksters(Blatant Lie) and talking to them all as much as I do(2nd time in one sentence now) this whole weekend deal will be like what might happen if Disney World ate a bunch of Sugar Cubes. The list of people that will be passing through and performing will make this event a veritable Who’s Who in the world of That’s Who. The organizers of the event have been adamant about letting people know that it’s not 1965 and most of us are too damn old to be filling our bodies with a bunch of narcotics. There will be absolutely no LSD at this event(I’m talking to you, Officers). There will be acres upon acres of absolute mayhem and adventure with the most fun group of folks that can be rounded up and they’re putting on a party that is absolutely second to none. You can catch more info as it develops on their Facebook Group that’s here. The folks over there are working overtime to make this the best and most reasonably priced event of the entire weekend. I’m not sure whether or not they’ll have “Service Fees”. Hopefully they read this and just include that shit in the price of the ticket

Bob, the community mourns with you on the graduation day of your father. His contributions to this world made a difference much bigger than he probably ever imagined. It’s with my sincerest and heartfelt sympathy, I extend my love and condolences to you and yours…

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Preparation for Soldier Field in full swing

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Throwback Thursday to Scarlet Begonias Oakland Coliseum 12/27/90

Intermission has been awesome!!! I don’t know if it is all the chemicals but I never saw so many beautiful people in my life… It’s like a damn Hippie Beauty Pageant in this place tonight… Everywhere I went I saw exactly who I was hoping to see moments before I ever saw them… I’m gonna have to find myself a kind woman in here tonight on the same high I’m on… The mood in this place is so electric…. No drama… Nobody freaking out… Everybody in this place seems just right… I’m not sure my chemistry has ever been so ideal in all of my life… I feel like an absolute Ray of Light… I’ve helped 3 people get out of the problems in their own head just by smiling at them… There’s some Magic all over this place… I missed the guys climbing up the ladders… I hate when that happens… There’s a patchwork of smiles… Beachballs bouncing around leaving crazy trails… I don’t know who that dude we’ve been selling Buds to is but he’s definitely well connected… We haven’t been further back than 10th row the whole tour… The Anticipation in this building could be weighed with a scale… Air has a very definite heaviness in this place right now… Your mind screams, “TURN THE LIGHTS OUT!!!!” It’s as if Candace hears you scream in your mind… Lights Go out as The Instant Roar of the crowd is immediately followed by the sight of Flashlights leading The Band to the stage… They emerge from behind their stacks of Sound equipment laughing as if there’s a joke between them… The energy shared in this place is all over them as well… It’s clearly not just me…. When the noodling and tuning starts it becomes immediately clear… It’s gonna be Scarlet->Fire!!!! This takes the intensity to an entirely different level of high!!! Every member smiling… Bill and Mickey warming their chops on the hi-hats… When the affirmative notes of Scarlet Begonias are struck by Garcia… He smiles down the line of people in the front row causing every person within his vision and even those beyond it to believe they just had an intimate Soul Experience with him… As the riffs roll out and the rest of the band gets behind the movement, Garcia seems to be caught up in the vibe and seems a little slow getting to the mic… I think to myself “He’s definitely missing the cue”… Some how… In perfect Garcia time… He gets there some way and the Raging Party officially takes flight as Jerry’s eyebrows, slightly elevated, rejoices with his voice through half of a smile, “As I was walkin’ ’round Grosvenor Square!!!” Holy Shit this is tight!!!!!! The band sounds like a well oiled machine as every component falls into it’s perfect and proper place… The notes that come off of Garcia and Weir’s guitars spin my my mind… Any wayward thoughts fly away… All negativity is sent packing… I found such a funky dancing groove in the pocket that I feel like the 7th member of the band… I’m like a human metronome and I swear the band is actually using ME to keep time… I couldn’t stop smiling if I tried… There’s something so cyclical about Scarlet…. I feel like we’re all on this Psychedelic Merry Go Round… It’s Impossible for anybody to sit still at this point… Every verse speaks deeply into the experience… The Band hits their marks in perfect unison… They absolutely drive the whirling dervish of tie dyed sweat that most of us are quickly turning into… My body is seemingly taken over by the absolute clarity and volume of the massive trampoline of sound that’s springing all of us higher and higher… I catch the eyes of everyone around me… We’re all being blown away by what’s taking place… As the Merry Go Round Spins, Garcia fires off notes that feel like ornate sparks being thrown from his strings to elaborately decorate and detail this creation… As we approach the final verse Bill and Phil hold down the foundation of the groove while Mickey climbs the percussive Ladder of Life running his sticks up every tom tom he’s got… You know that sound!!!! Garcia’s licks seems to intentionally linger behind just enough for him to accelerate as quickly as possible as he begins to make his final move…. It’s as though he’s gotta catch up to the proceedings at hand without leaving any note out from the run as he makes the musical sprint to the finish line… Scales being peeled off rapidly, his face assumes the determined and intense look illustrating the effort that goes into this stretch to the finish line crossing it with the rest of the band, as well as all of us, as we collectively declare, “THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS PLAYING “TEA FOR TWOOOOO”!!!!!!!!!!! THE SKY WAS YELLOW AND THE SUN WAS BLUUUUUUE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every cell in my body climaxes with the moment as I’m fully awakened to the realization that EVERYBODY truly and completely is Playin in the Heart Of Gold Band… It’s all of us… Everybody…. Like ’em or not… Everyone one of us is a necessary and required ingredient to all of this wild shit that’s happening… In my current state of mind I think I’ve discovered something that’s just as new as when I discovered it during this same tune just last week… The jam heads for exploratory ground… Noises from instruments that aren’t even present can be heard in the thick layers of sound that are coming at us from the Band like Lava flows from a volcano… It’s no coincidence that particular vision emerges in my thoughts and overtakes my senses… Just as Lava flows from it’s Source, Surely there’s some Fire coming our way!

Preparation for The Dead’s Fare Thee Well shows has begun!!!check it out here.

Gratefully Deadicated,
Dean Sottile (pronounced SoTilly)

www.gratefuldean.com
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The Weak In Review

The week following internet ticket sales proved to be as flattering on Dead Heads as spandex on fat chicks as the Dead community showed its ass more frequently than a spinner in a miniskirt. The community has rapidly turned into its own microcosm of “haves” and “have nots”. The “haves” have been busy blowing cheerful sunshine into the bludgeoned assholes of the “have nots” as the mood across message boards is a mix between a wake and an Iron Maiden concert. It’s times like these you wish more people would’ve been hauled off into the middle of nowhere by bandaid wielding cultists that puddled naive wanna be hippies with Neosporin on the maroon bus to spend their days building furniture.

Hunted turned hunter, Paul Abdella, has now become the Kingpin of the Anti Scalping Task Force leading the charge in filling the underpants of scalpers with broken glass and scorpions. Paul has declared every day until July 6th “Flag Day” on Craigslist, ebay and any other site attempting to scalp tickets to this event. His lengthy posts are scattered all over the internet attempting to utilize passion and emotion while speaking to a bunch of ticket agents that don’t give a shit. When asked about Paul’s existence, a scalper named Dagma, without a doubt the ugliest son of a bitch I’ve ever seen in my life, said, “If he spent that much time getting another fuckin job he’d be able to buy his tickets within 2 or 3 weeks!” Paul and his faithful army of flagits move forward none the less in this battle of wills.

In an effort to apply some salve on the butthurt of thousands, a celebration honoring the music of Jerry Garcia was announced for May and seemed to make everybody happy for 10 minutes. Then somebody checked their calender and realized the show was on a Thursday, perfect only for people that live in D.C. or those that still don’t have jobs or young kids. It looks like everybody other than Trey will be there but ya never know… 86 of your favorite musicians are scheduled to perform. The backstage area will be as crowded as the men’s room at Phish concerts.

This event should obviously sell out in 10 seconds and leave everybody complaining until May. Why wouldn’t it, the same guys are gonna be there and the capacity is 1/3rd of Soldier Field and there’s only 1 night. I wonder why the hotels haven’t sold out yet. Ticket prices have been left to the imagination and are posted absolutely nowhere. Their inevitable unveiling should provide another fine round of insults aimed at all parties involved while .0001% of proceeds will benefit the Rex Foundation. Unless of course there’s a loss on the cooked books at which time the Rex will get about $75.

Deborah Koons, fresh off of vaginal rejuvenation surgery, was not invited. I know everybody is heartbroken about that but her spirit is alive and well and can be experienced through non stop bitching and chronic insane behavior on any of the Dead’s official pages. What the fuck happened to us? Didn’t we used to laugh our way around the country without a care in the world? If the attitudes displayed as of late were that way since the beginning, we wouldn’t be celebrating 50 years at all. We all went on Tour to live in a world free from the bullshit that it appears we’ve currently become. Where have all the people gone, my honey???

It was brought up on my Facebook Group whether or not I would have the same things to say about everything if I didn’t happen to score tickets through CID, the only officially licensed scalper of The Anniversary Shows. My response is this, I mail ordered for one set of shows every year since ’87, New Years Shows. Between The Grateful Dead and all the New Year shows Phish have played, I’ve mail ordered for tickets or entered the lottery for the past 27 years. I received my tickets TWICE… NYE ’89 and Big Cypress in ’99 (EVERYBODY got their tix to that one). Since tickets have been sold online through Ticketmaster, I’ve scored exactly ZERO tickets for New Year’s Eve Phish shows. That’s a pretty bad record for scoring tix in advance for the big ones. I actually don’t think in my history of more than 350 Dead shows (all with Garcia, offshoots don’t count) and over 200 Phish shows, I’ve NEVER had tickets this far in advance. I never cried about the band’s popularity. I never cried about scalpers. I never worried about any of it until the day of the show, usually once I woke up around 3:00 PM or so. I got shut out of New Year’s Eve once in 88. I was young and inexperienced in the ways of shows and didn’t really know anybody on the scene. Since then, not only have I scored tix for all the big ones, I’ve always had great seats.

Chill out y’all… There are tons of unreleased seats for these shows. They did a brilliant thing by selling all of the bad seats first. Nearly everyone I know that scored seats on Ticketmaster scored 3 day passes behind the stage. I don’t know a single person that got decent seats from Ticketmaster, do you??? Look on StubHub or ebay and all you’ll see is uppers, seats behind the stage, or directly across from it, both endzones, with little to nothing in between. The best way to keep scalpers at bay is releasing tickets the week of the show. Scalpers have too little time to deal with them at that point. Shapiro and the crew are pretty smart. There’s a lot of tix that haven’t been released. I’d wager to say that half of the seats have actually been sold. Be patient, spread love, trust in the process. Love you long time! Talk to y’all soon!

If you have an extra, sell one to Eric Schwartz. He’s a true contributor to the scene for a long time and hosts Lone Star Dead Radio out of Dallas, TX.

Gratefully Deadicated,
Dean Sottile (pronounced SoTilly)

www.gratefuldean.com
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Totally Sold Out Week In Review

In two days that sent shockwaves through the spine of what’s now become the biggest event of the year, the same people that have been cured of their porn addictions spent equal amounts of time exercising their frustrations in front of computers. It seems like most of us had as good of a chance banging a porn star as we did getting through on CID or Ticketmaster’s websites. Young heart throbs, One Direction’s previous Ticketmaster record was sent in one direction, down the ladder and replaced by the resurrected Kings of Music as epic numbers of people hit the ticketing sites with every electronic device in their household, all with 10 browsers open. According to authorities within Ticketmaster, the site has received more hits than any site in the history of the world. For the first time since Frank Sinatra, it’s really cool to be old again.

Reports of widespread vertigo followed a day filled with staring at more rotating balls than a participant in a naked Twister tournament. As I write, I still feel like I’m spinning. According to Ticketmaster Time, and teenagers stories of screwing, 3 minutes lasts nearly an hour. For many of us, victory seemed certain until our suspense filled wait returned nothing but an error message as “The Final Four” broke the internet for the third time since January (as a life long Yankee fan I refuse to call them the Core Four).

In a matter of minutes, screen shots from successfully completed orders flooded Dead related sites and for approximately 30 minutes outnumbered those that were complaining. This was another first in the history of the internet. It was also interesting that many people who posted their emails from GDTS TOO, already guaranteeing them tickets, also posted pictures of their successful orders on Ticketmaster. Why were they on there in the first place? To secure tickets for “Family” right? This is the time when everyone that’s talked about cash grabs, StubHub and kindness will be put to the test. Many of you reading this will use the multiple extras to fund your trip and feed your own cash jones. You’ll talk at length about kindness and scalpers and the band being greedy but your extra tickets are already on StubHub. You know who you are. Nobody else might know, but you do. Here’s a suggestion for you, just keep your mouth shut and refrain from all posts regarding scalpers or the band’s and promoter’s financial interests. These are the times when that mirror of self analysis and discovery might show you somebody you’d rather not see. I hope you still don’t use psychedelics because you’ll be tormented by your own decisions during the shows and you’ll feel as though everyone around you can see right through you. You can hide from message board exposure perhaps but what The Dead taught us is that you can’t hide from yourself. Have fun with that…

While many complained feverishly about ticket prices and packages other purchased them just as feverishly. Many posts about the cost of tickets 20 or more years ago reminded me that the best product in the history of live music basically gave themselves away to us for the first 30 years. In my opinion, spending less than $3,000 on a package to be part of an entire weekend celebrating something that has given me more joy in life than anything other than my kids and sharing in this historic moment in musical history is a very small price to pay. It’s become clear to me that the biggest problem our community has suffered with for a long time is the disease of mental poverty and the idea that everything should be given to them. The idea that anybody that has achieved anything in life or makes a respectable living is somehow not a “Real Dead Head”. The thought that because someone can’t afford this trip at this time in their life, that everything about the trip or those that can is wrong, is simply ridiculous. People that cry about money will always cry about money regardless of how much or how little they have. Most of them will never have much because they always see it as a problem and after all, who wants more problems? For decades the mark up on drugs, T-Shirts and grilled cheese sandwiches has been pretty high. I guess “Real Dead Heads” are just all about a cash grab. Those that are truly in a place of need, I’m sorry and I sincerely wish I could make it all better for you. Unfortunately, me having less will never provide you with more. This event, to me, is well worth the considerable sacrifice in time and money I’ll be making in order to be there. I have no problem contributing generously to the community that enriched my life far beyond my ability to repay. If we had to pay for everything the Grateful Dead have given us in life, NONE of us would be able to pay it back.

The purpose of this week in review is to reach out and give all of you a gigantic virtual hug. I’m as happy for those that have acquired tickets as I am sad for those that haven’t yet. This reminds me a lot of what brought me so deep into the Grateful Dead experience in the first place. The ability to experience such a wide range of intense emotions. Some rise… Some fall… Some climb…

Within the context of a single show we laughed and experienced moments of intense ecstasy. We sat stripped of our egos looking at our own souls and cried from deep within our hearts during other moments within the same show. We expressed incredible joy in the midst of a Scarlet-> Fire jam and found ourselves in a puddle of our own tears during the Wharf Rat an hour later as the syrupy sweet harmonies of “I knoooow that the Liiiiiiiiiiiiiife I’m living’s noooooo good” blasted through us to our core and shook any wayward fragments from our foundations. It was easy to look around you and see thousands of others being stripped of their bullshit along with you. Those that came around long and often enough to become clear and solid enough on the inside found pure bliss knowing they were free from the need to get up and fly away yet could, just for the sake of it, if they choose to do so. They weren’t now in this position to judge those that hadn’t got there yet. They were there to be compassionate and supportive of the process they already passed through and to love and nurture those that were where they used to be. You did this knowing you could return to the side of the equation requiring compassion and support at any time through the inevitable trials of life. That kind of compassion isn’t supposed to be based on whether or not we get our way or things turn out in our favor but simply because we choose that as a way of life regardless of the perceived short term outcome.

I think we all actually enjoy or at least recognize the immense value and potential for growth in the entire emotional spectrum. Within our lives with the Dead we were able to experience all of them intensely but within the confines of an event that would limit how long most of those emotions would linger.  After we were usually left raw and emotionally dismantled from a Garcia ballad, Weir tunes as show closers typically allowed us to leave with a bright outlook for our future. It was a 3 hour sermon on life that usually ended with a message of hope.

I’ll admit I was extremely wrong about the demand surrounding this event. I thought Soldier Field was big enough that there would be free tickets in the parking lot. Furthur played for years and wouldn’t come close to selling out Soldier Field. I sure was terribly wrong… There was no way for anyone involved to predict what this has become. If so, they just would’ve rented the state of Kansas for the weekend. Looking for people, places and things to blame for problems, never in history, has solved a single problem. Living to be a blessing to others has solved many of them. As mail order confirmations overlapped with online sales, there’s going to be A LOT of people with extra tickets. Will you be one of the people that rationalizes your way to StubHub citing mama’s health crisis or fabricating some other tragedy as your reason to do so? I hope not…
Will the way you live cause one of those people with extras to want to give you one? I hope so…

As a Dead Head that got a haircut a couple of decades ago, I’m always amused at all the kind “Real Dead Heads” in full Guatemalan Camo and dreads, that see me at the Cap for a Phil show and find me to be the ideal candidate to scalp an extra to. They see me coming from a mile away and offer to “Hook me up” brah. Apparently I’m too clean looking to be a “Real Dead Head”. When I begin to speak their language and call them on their behavior, they instantly begin to look like a dog that shit in the living room. Ears back and struggling with eye contact, totally busted… In the months ahead, don’t find yourself looking like a dog that shit in the living room…

Love you all…
Gratefully Deadicated,
Dean Sottile (pronounced SoTilly)

www.gratefuldean.com
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GDTS TOO Creating An Avalanche of Joy

Screenshots from mail order lottery winners began popping up like chiggers in a VW Bus full of caucasian Rastafarians today. The folks at the Stinson Beach office have been busy crushing the hopes and dreams of nearly 40,000 people in the past few weeks by sending back their loot along with a rejection letter that was as creative as my undecorated envelope. Every single one of those letters has been posted twice on social media websites and has become as nauseating as being geeked out on cocaine and competing in a chili eating contest. When asked what the past few weeks have been like, workers at the GDTS TOO Office said, “We’ve worked more hours than kids sewing Nikes in sweat shops.”

90s Tour Vet cheerleader and favorite dreadlocked caucasian, Allison Moseley, posted a brief video clip encapsulating her excitement on her very own Fan Page that was created by her devoted admirers. It seems like there’s some justice in the world when someone as kind as Allison gets her tickets. When questioned about her recently received email Allison, who never cussed even once, ever,  said, “Gah!! Love. Jeepers I’ll tell ya. Major awesomeness… Gah!!”

The current change of pace has been welcomed by those in the office as over 20,000 emails are now being logged and processed by people that are, at best, mediocre at typing. Asked about the change of energy within the ticket office, the current Epicenter of the Grateful Dead Universe, Elvis said, “This stage of fulfillment is like finding a sandbox filled with Xanax after being up for 2 weeks on Bear’s Crystal LSD.” Reporting on the current activity on all things Facebook, looking stunning with newly cut and colored hair, Jen Brandse said, “90s group members seemed to be leading the pack in victory messages over those in the 80s group while those in the 70s group were trying to remember their aol passwords from accounts they opened when phone lines screamed with mystical beaps and incredibly loud static, when the internet was merely a newborn.”

The messages of congratulations that followed posts by newly notified winners were filled with as much covert butthurt as John K’s message to Trey. The next phase of our happy little journey together will be over 300,000 posts including screen shots of emails from GDTS TOO, CID Entertainment and Ticketmaster. Even though every single picture looks absolutely the same, fans, like perverts in trench coats, are consumed by the need to show everybody theirs. Meaningful conversation can wait another few weeks while we inundate our sites with the exact same images over and over and over again. I’d like to add, You don’t really need to do that y’all…

Good Luck this week my friends and family! I Love and Appreciate you all and there’s not a thing you can do about it!

Gratefully Deadicated,
Dean Sottile (pronounced SoTilly)

www.gratefuldean.com
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