grateful dead played its last concert at soldier field, chicago, 14 years ago today

on july 9, 1995, the grateful dead played what would become its last concert, at soldier field, in chicago. one month later, jerry garcia would be dead. over the years, the surviving band members occassionally reunited as "the other ones" and "the dead." after a three year hiatus, they just completed a tour last spring.

in between those reunion tours, we still have plenty of "dead" music with phil and friends, bobby and ratdog, and mickey and bill playing as the rhythm devils! and, last year, it was announce that a jerry garcia biopic (based his early years from the biography "dark star") is in development.

fans have made a big deal about jerry singing "so many roads" that final night. but what stands out for me is the three(!) phil lesh tunes played that night. "box of rain" finds itself in plenty of setlists - and is a phil standard. but to see them play "childhood's end" and "unbroken chain" as well, all on the same night, is amazing!

here is the setlist from soldier field:

first set:

touch of grey
little red rooster
lazy river road
when i paint my masterpiece
childhood's end
cumberland blues
promised land

second set:

shakedown street
samson & delilah
so many roads
samba in the rain
corrina >
drums & space >
unbroken chain
sugar magnolia

encores:

black muddy river
box of rain

listen to the entire show at live music archive.