Grateful Dead Fans Flood U.S. Postal Service with Pre-Sale Ticket Requests

The Grateful Dead has some of the most passionate fans in music history. Pre-sales for the jam band's Fourth of July reunion show with Trey Anastasio overwhelmed the group's camp since opening Jan. 20. Dead 50 reports that more than 60,000 envelopes with ticket requests were received. Relix estimates that those envelopes contain over 350,000 ticket requests for the three-night residency at Chicago's Soldier Field.

"Wow! We're excited (and humbled) to discover that your enthusiasm for Fare Thee Well matches our own!," organizers wrote. "We have received an overwhelming number of mail order ticket requests. In an effort to honor the history and spirit of the Grateful Dead, we are going to try to fill as many of these orders as possible. This means there will be no other pre-sales."

Tickets for the general public will now go on sale Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. Central Standard Time through Ticketmaster. They range in price from $59.90 to $199.50.

Jeff Chimenti (of Ratdog) and Bruce Hornsby will also share the stage with the Grateful Dead. Hornsby, who has opened for the Dead on numerous occasions, said he barely had to think about it when asked if he wanted to join in the festivities.

"So for me to be able to culminate all these years creating mayhem with these guys, by being a part of these shows, it means so much. It means a great deal to me, so it was an instant yes for me," he said.

Rumors of a Grateful Dead reunion started back in November when Bob Weir and Phil Lesh put an end to their collaborative band, Furthur. Plus, 2015 marks the group's 50th anniversary.

"It is with respect and gratitude that we reconvene the Dead one last time to celebrate - not merely the band's legacy, but also the community that we've been playing to, and with, for 50 years," Lesh said.

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Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio