Grateful Dead survivors stage a smooth reunion
ByAug 4, 2002 10:00 PM
A two-day event headlined by the surviving members of the Grateful Dead took place without any serious problems on Saturday and Sunday (8/3-4), raising hopes that the group will take its show on the road.
A two-day event headlined by the surviving members of the Grateful Dead took place without any serious problems on Saturday and Sunday (8/3-4), raising hopes that the group will take its show on the road.
Fears were that the concert at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wis.--which marked the first time that all surviving members of the Grateful Dead have performed together since the death of singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia--would create traffic jams and draw tens of thousands of ticketless fans.
Security reportedly was somewhat heavy handed at the event, but police reported few major problems. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, police had issued six citations for underage drinking, two for illegal vending and 115 for marijuana possession by Sunday afternoon, and had arrested 15 people for various offenses, including drug charges.
“We had a very successful concert event here today,” Walworth County Sheriff David Graves told the Journal Sentinel after Saturday’s show. “I think we have to credit fans as well as all the planning.”
Walworth County officials, who were concerned that upwards of 200,000 people would flock to the area, originally denied a request by promoter Clear Channel Entertainment to stage the show. County officials reconsidered after promoters presented a detailed security plan.
The plan, reportedly a $200,000 campaign, included advertising encouraging fans without tickets to stay away from the venue as well as increased security. The promoter also covered law enforcement costs for the handling of traffic and security at the shows, and posted a $100,000 bond to cover damage to properties neighboring the amphitheater.
Reuniting as The Other Ones, Grateful Dead survivors Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir closed both days of the event--dubbed Terrapin Station, A Grateful Dead Family Reunion--with two sets. The festival also featured performances by the survivors’ respective solo projects.
The Other Ones recently announced a plan to tour the northeastern U.S. later this year, “conditional upon a safe and positive outcome of Alpine Valley,” according to a posting on the official Grateful Dead website.
Those tentative dates are listed in the itinerary below.