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Grateful Dead to reunite and play with Trey Anastasio of Phish at Soldier Field

"Trey is schooled in what we call 'the fluid tonic,'" praises Bob Weir.

By Matt Bradwell
A Grateful Dead "Steal Your Face" patch on the back of a fans' denim jacket. File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI
A Grateful Dead "Steal Your Face" patch on the back of a fans' denim jacket. File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI | License Photo

CHICAGO, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- American folk legends the Grateful Dead will reunite for a trio of shows at Chicago's Soldier Field in July to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, joined by Phish guitarist and fellow jam-scene pillar Trey Anastasio.

"I saw my first Dead show at the Hartford Civic Center in 1980 when I was 16," an excited Anastasio told Billboard.

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"After that, I went to as many shows as I could, sometimes even standing right in front of Jerry, up on the rail, a few feet away from his amplifier. I've been listening, going through the history, and it has been really fun."

For their part, the remaining Dead members feel Trey is the perfect fit for their final show, as he honed his guitar skills playing in the style that endeared the Dead to legions of fans.

"Trey is schooled in what we call 'the fluid tonic': listening intently to what's going on and reacting meaningfully to what other people are playing," says Bob Weir.

Phish was also among the class of early 90s alt-rockers personally endorsed by late Dead front man Jerry Garcia.

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"They're like us," Garcia told the Chicago Tribune in 1993, two years before the band's final show with him, also at Soldier field.

"They're following the Grateful Dead tradition of screw the record companies, screw MTV, just go out and play to real humans. And it's working for them. That's the story. If you want to survive in this business, you go out there and pick up your audience, you recruit 'em. That's who you're working for. If you're a performer, that's where it's at. Not playing to a microphone in a studio or a TV screen."

The 50th anniversary shows will be held July 3-5.

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