Grateful Dead Members Help Bid Farewell To Candlestick Park

Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay will sing the national anthem Thursday (9/30) prior to the final San Francisco Giants baseball game at 3Com Park, the windy stadium formerly known as Candlestick Park. The Giants will move to a new baseball-only ballpark dubbed Pacific Bell Park next season, leaving the building to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Giants opened their final home series at the much-maligned stadium Tuesday (9/28) against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the Doobie Brothers (another San Francisco Bay Area-based band) performing the anthem. The 39-year-old Candlestick Park is the second-oldest ballpark in the National League. Chicago's Wrigley Field, built in 1914 is the oldest.

The Giants' new $306 million, 48,000-seat ballpark is scheduled to open next April with a series against arch rivals the Dodgers. The stadium is under construction in San Francisco's China Basin area.

Detroit's Tiger Stadium, which was built in 1912, hosted its final American League game on Monday. The Tigers will be moving into a new facility, Comerica Park, next year. Tiger Stadium will be demolished.

The Weir-led band Ratdog embarks on a theater tour on Oct. 21. Phil Lesh & Friends will hit the road with Bob Dylan in late October.