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Well Played


Our readers offer their takes and pics
from the Grateful Dead’s final shows.


A Soldier Field panorama. The Dead played their farewell shows June 27-28 in Santa Clara, Calif., and July 3-5 in Chicago.
Photo: COURTESY OF DON SPERLING
Chicago Sports & Entertainment Partners’ Scott Kirkpatrick: “The music was flawless and the production was perfect in every way. My favorite moment(s) were ‘Jack Straw’ and ‘China Cat Sunflower.’ Also loved meeting those seated around me and hearing their stories … never a dull moment.”

The rainbow at the June 27 Santa Clara show made readers’ lists of special moments.
Photo: COURTESY OF BOB DORFMAN
Santa Clara featured “tasty music, cool visuals and sweet vibes,” says reader Bob Dorfman.

Photo: COURTESY OF BOB DORFMAN
Andrew Saltzman of NFHS Network: “Any Deadhead that spent time with this band over the years needed to be there … for the music, for your ‘show’ friends, for the vibe and most importantly to pay homage to this amazing institution and simply say, ‘Thank you, for a real good time!’”

Andrew Saltzman (left) of the NFHS Network, with elementary school friends Nick Styne of CAA and Bill Chanler of FindLaw
Photo: COURTESY OF ANDREW SALTZMAN
CAA Sports’ Greg Stangel: “Soldier Field proved to be a great venue choice; it was an intimate experience for all, which can sometimes be challenging to do in a stadium concert environment.”

CAA Sports’ Greg Stangel, with wife Lauren of Starwood Hotels and son Jack
Photo: COURTESY OF GREG STANGEL
Bryan Higgins of the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center: “My best moment of the show, and perhaps in my ‘concert-attending’ career, was the rainbow that appeared during the first set of the Saturday evening show [in Santa Clara].  … It was so fitting, awe inspiring, spiritual and emotional.”

Bryan Higgins (left) of the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center with a friend, father Ken and Matt Pettit
Photo: COURTESY OF BRYAN HIGGINS
Steve Rosner of 16W Marketing: “I think the time that the band took to rehearse and the two shows at Levi’s really showed based on how tight the band was on Saturday night [in Chicago] when I saw them.”

Steve Rosner of 16W Marketing (third from left) with wife Stefanie (second from right) backstage with his friend keyboardist Bruce Hornsby (third from right), family and friends
Photo: COURTESY OF STEVE ROSNER

Akron RubberDucks director of public and media relations Adam Liberman (right) with (from left) Tara Baker, Jeremy Baker, mother Camille Liberman, Beth Baker, Todd Baker, and sister Brooke Liberman. Camille holds “Mini Alan,” a small version of Adam's father, Alan, who died last May of pancreatic cancer.
Photo: COURTESY OF ALAN LIBERMAN
Bob Dorfman (right) of Baker Street Advertising, with college pal Marty, titled this photo “Touch of Grey.”

Photo: COURTESY OF BOB DORFMAN
Dylan Sperling, son of the New York Giants’ Don Sperling, shot their self-portrait reflected in Chicago’s Millennium Park “Bean” statue. Don: “That’s a lot of music in one weekend.”

Photo: COURTESY OF DON SPERLING


DON SPERLING, New York Giants

• What was your best moment from the show(s)?
Opening night Friday was magic, both sets. Opened with Box of Rain, into Jack Straw then Bertha. Second set played Scarlet Begonias into Fire on the Mountain, then closed with Help on the Way>Slipknot>Franklin’s Tower

• Did the shows meet/exceed or disappoint compared to expectations?
Friday was great, Saturday second set had some clunkers, and they still had a few good ones in their pocket they didn’t use by the end on Sunday night. Also the gear they were selling didn’t have anything that outstanding. But the overall feel and experience was fun.

• If you had to do it all over again, you would:
Plan better entrance and exit strategies … so much walking!

• Open riff:
I think I need a moratorium for a few weeks. The best part was spending all this time with my son and both sharing this unique experience.

                                                                 

ANDREW SALTZMAN, NFHS Network

• What was your best moment from the show(s)?
The energy and anticipation right before the Friday night opener of Box of Rain … people knew that this was the beginning of something special.

• Did the shows meet/exceed or disappoint compared to expectations?
Just like with previous runs … some nights the band seems really tight, other nights they can be a little sloppy. Friday night’s show was truly excellent from the song selection to how well they played with a special gold star going to Trey who certainly stepped up and took it to another level. If you weren’t tearing up on Sunday night as they closed the show with “Attics Of My Life” then the band didn’t mean that much to you.

                                                                   

STEVE ROSNER, 16W Marketing

• What was your best moment from the show(s)?
Enjoying the show and overall experience with my wife and childhood friends and seeing my buddy Bruce Hornsby with a smile on his face the whole show!

• Did the shows meet/exceed or disappoint compared to expectations?
The band sounded better than I ever could/would imagined.

• If you had to do it all over again, you would:
Do nothing different … For me the night was perfect!

• Open riff:
I think the time that the band took to rehearse and the two shows at Levi’s really showed based on how tight the band was on Saturday night when I saw them.

                                                                 

GREG STANGEL, CAA Sports

This was a special weekend of music honoring one of the most iconic and historic American rock bands. We were thrilled to be able to share the experience with so many old friends and family.

                                                                 

BRYAN HIGGINS, New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center

Taking into account the magnitude of the final shows, the Supreme Court decision a day earlier, Pride Week in San Francisco, and the fact that the region is in an extended drought, the rainbow was quite remarkable. It put a neat bow, pardon my pun, around where we all were at that time. Many people were saying it was the spirit of Jerry Garcia. It was so cool to hear and see the crowd’s reaction as more and more realized what was occurring. Music wise, my highlight was “Turn On Your Lovelight” where Bob Weir sounded as if he had transformed back to 1972 belting out vocals I had never heard in all the times I’ve seen him, which is easily more than 50 shows. “Brokedown Palace” to end the two nights was also a standout moment.
 
As high as my expectations were going into the show, they were completely exceeded. The venue, the crowd and most importantly the band were all top notch. The band played three-plus hours both nights and mixed in vintage tunes not often heard live. Although no one could ever replace Jerry Garcia, Trey Anastasio filled in admirably and alongside the additions of Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti, the band had a complete sound.
 
If I could do it all over again: I would have gone to Chicago and scalped tickets for all three nights. The shows were that good and it was such a great experience start to finish.

                                                                 

BOB DORFMAN, Baker Street Advertising

Had a great time Saturday in Santa Clara; wished I’d gone Sunday, too — better songs and better performance, from what I heard. 

My best moment of the show had to be the rainbow that appeared during the end of the first set. The band was killing it on Viola Lee Blues, when the crowd seemed to collectively look skyward and explode with a roar. Given everything that was transpiring — the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, Gay Pride weekend, the Dead’s core-four reunion — it was too perfect. 

Musically, the show didn’t quite meet my expectations. The song selection was all ’60s material (Truckin’ was the newest song played), and I’m more of ’70s Dead fan. And the band was tentative at times, everyone deferring to the other, reluctant to take the lead vocally or instrumentally. Felt like a few more rehearsals might’ve helped. But the overall experience was beyond my expectations. Got there early enough to score a floor spot close to the stage, thoroughly enjoyed checking out the amazing crowd of 75,000, and it was great to hang, imbibe and dance with old friends.

If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t change a thing — except I should’ve also gone on Sunday night, when the band was tighter and the song selection more to my liking.    

During the Drums/Space portion of the show — usually a good time for a bathroom break — a lovely women standing next to me who was clearly enjoying the intense percussion more than just about anyone, grabbed me by the shoulders and ecstatically shouted, “This is why we do mushrooms!” Proving once again that there is nothing like a Dead concert.

                                                                   

SCOTT KIRKPATRICK, Chicago Sports & Entertainment Partners

The show exceeded expectations in every way. The only thing I would change is to get more sleep but isn't that always the case at big events.

Please submit photos for review of industry conferences, parties, product launches and openings showcasing the people and personalities at the event. Include the event date, location, names/titles of those featured along with credit information. The photo specifications are as follows: 300dpi, tiff, jpeg or eps color images. Submit digital photos for review at: photo@sportsbusinessjournal.com or send color prints to: Faces & Places, c/o Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal, 120 W. Morehead St., Suite 310, Charlotte, NC 28202.

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