It dawned on me half a year before I boarded a plane to Chicago for the final three Dead shows. The King Sooper’s (Western Union) teller laughed when I told him why I needed seven money orders to purchase, potentially, just three tickets. “So there are different price points for various seating levels.

They were all there. All of the things that make a show great.  Not just the music but the people, the atmosphere, the place, the time. It’s a unique time to be taking part in Musical history. Electronic music rules the club, the theater, TV and everywhere in between.  The era of the D.J. I’ve heard it called. However there is another group of people. Not rebelling against culture, not fighting the times, simply being different for difference sake.

As the years accumulate since the passing of American music icon Jerry Garcia, performance recordings long lost have continued to reemerge. The guitarist, singer and songwriter’s roots were deeper than his rock ‘n’ roll project Grateful Dead. He was known and respected in Palo Alto, California as a folk guru who played regularly with the best of the local scene.

For a band that excels in the live music setting, Umphrey’s McGee have not really released a whole lot of live material in the past, at least not when compared to a lot of their jamband counterparts.  Outside of Live at the Murat and a few Hall of Fame releases, most of their official projects have come out of the studio lately.  Now with the band working to spotlight their standalone streaming platform on the UMLive App released less than a year ago, the demand for live performances has become greater than ever before.

Samantha Fish, a young and incredibly talented guitarist, visited Fayetteville, AR for a show recently. Grateful Web sat down with her to discuss her experience as a musician and her new album, Wild Heart.

GW Describe your music to someone who hasn’t listened to it before.

After 20 years since their last performance at Soldier Field, the Grateful Dead performed to record crowds each of their three nights. Last night's final show will live long in the memories of those that saw the show and in the history books of Soldier Field. Soldier Field's previous ticket sales record was set by U2 at the iconic stadium in 2009 during their 360 Tour. The Grateful Dead's first performance on July 3rd had 70,764 tickets purchased. Their second performance on the 4th of July had 70,844 and their last on July 5th had 71,000.

A one-of-a-kind Fare Thee Well commemorative guitar was auctioned for $526,000 during intermission of the Grateful Dead's July 5th concert in Chicago, benefiting 17 charities tied to the band. The D'Angelico EX-DC guitar was played on stage by the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir on June 28th, and was signed by the four living original members of the group and the three guest performers.

It was purchased by Bill Rathburn of Dallas, TX.

The funds will be split among the charities, with each organization receiving approximately $30,000 from the guitar alone.

Eugene, Oregon has welcomed, with open and hugging arms, their newest music venue and restaurant, Hi-Fi Music Hall, located in the smack dab middle of downtown. Many locals remember Hi-Fi as the old Rock n’ Rodeo bar, so there is no doubt this venue seeps with musical nostalgia.

Forty Below Records announces a September 4th release date for Find a Way to Care, the new CD from legendary blues musician John Mayall, distributed by Sony/RED. Forty Below Records will also release a special vinyl LP version of the new album in the fall.

To watch the video trailer premiere of the making of the Find a Way to Care album, click here: http://youtu.be/E-jwpvB4OY0

Yes, I am a fan of the Grateful Dead. There was a period of time when they occupied an important part of my life when I was traveling to see many shows with friends and immersed in the Dead community.  While I didn’t care much for some of the personal grooming habits, appearances, or recreational habits of some hard cored Deadheads, I did love their sense of adventure, warm personalities, and iconoclastic lifestyles. The music united us all regardless of our backgrounds or appearances.