12 Unforgettable Moments at "Fare Thee Well" in Chicago

Over 4th of July weekend, the Grateful Dead celebrated their 50th anniversary in the best way imaginable. The weekend was filled with sunshine, good vibes, and plenty of stellar moments. From record breaking attendance to concert rarities, a few unexpected faces, and a final message of hope, here are "12 Unforgettable Moments at 'Fare Thee Well' in Chicago."

 

1. "Box of Rain" opened the three night run, honoring the band's final song performed at Soldier Field in 1995.

Bassist Phil Lesh sung his heart out and the vibes and smiles were as big and beautiful as ever. "This is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago."

2. The "Ripple" encore on July 3 had the whole crowd singing together like one big happy family.

With so much anticipation and a few disagreements, by the time "Ripple" closed out the first show, the audience was singing together as one: "If I knew the way I would take you home."

3. President Obama bids the Grateful Dead farewell with a personal message to the band and its fans.

The message included a quote from "Ripple" and a nod to the late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia.

4. Everyone got to shine.

Not only did Trey get to hold his own, but keyboardists Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti had their own special moments.

5. Headcount.org raised 526K from one signed guitar.

That's right, Bill Rathburn of Dallas, Texas purchased the guitar during intermission for $526,000. Signed by Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir, the D'Angelico guitar was played during the second night of Santa Clara, California. The "core four," along with the three guest musicians, donated their John Hancocks to the cause and 17 charities picked by the band will each receive around $30,000.

6. "Fare Thee Well" breaks U2's 2009 ticket sales record at Soldier Field, three times in a row.

Soldier Field reported that fans bought 70,764 tickets for Friday's show, 70,844 tickets for Saturday's show, and 71,000 tickets for Sunday's show. The previous record, held by U2, was for 67,936 tickets sold in 2009.

7. New York celebrates the Grateful Dead with a synchronized live light show at the Empire State Building. Wave that flag!

The Empire State Building's lighting director Mark Brickman worked with the Grateful Dead to coordinate a light show that went along with the band's performance of "U.S. Blues." A video of the light show was displayed to the crowd during the song.

8. Several celebrities were spotted throughout the crowd honoring the Grateful Dead at Soldier Field.

Although no one could come close to the Bill Walton's dedication, other celebrities spotted at Soldier Field this weekend were Bill Murray, John Mayer, Katy Perry, “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin, Sen. Al Franken, Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell, John Popper of Blues Traveler, actress Chloe Sevigny, and more!

9. Bob Weir shows off his sense of humor by sporting a "Let Trey Sing" t-shirt for the final "Fare Thee Well" encores.

When Trey Anastasio sang a total of two songs in Santa Clara, fans advocated for equal opportunity singing with the hashtag #lettreysing. It was a great moment for fans of both Phish and the Grateful Dead.

10. The band dug deep into their catalog for concert rarities.

"Mason's Children," a song the Grateful Dead only played 18 times between December 69 and February 70, opened Friday night's second set. On Saturday night, the second set included "The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)," a song only played a handful of times in 1967. Sunday night saw the stadium serenaded by an emotional “Mountains of the Moon,” a song not heard in concert since 1969.

11. Sunday night, the audience chant of "You know our love will not fade away" thundered into the night.

Before the final encores on Sunday, a rollicking "Not Fade Away" closed the second set. The audience showed their love and affection by continuing on with the chant after the band left the stage. When the band returned, the chant continued until the encore began.

12. The Grateful Dead close out their final show with the words "Be kind."

To close out a beautiful end to a beautiful celebration, Mickey Hart told fans to take the feeling they had at that moment and do something positive with it. Hart said in closing. “I’ll leave you with this: Please, be kind.”