Grateful Dead Announce Box Set Releases of Final Concerts

This Fourth of July weekend will bring a wide range of emotions as the Grateful Dead embark on their "Fare Thee Well" concerts at Chicago's Soldier Field. The final performance of Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be issued via basic and all-star bundles of concert footage on both CD and video.

Joined by friends and fellow musicians Trey Anastasio of Phish, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and pianist Bruce Hornsby, the band's official website will offer audio and video footage of the entire gig, called Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead.

Scheduled for release on November 20, the concerts will be available for purchase on a two-CD "best of" collection, incorporating climaxes from each of the three nights, notes Rolling Stone. Also available digitally, a two disc DVD and Blu-ray release will contain full video footage form the band's final goodbye concert. In absence of the late Jerry Garcia, the remaining members of the Dead will distribute a basic, four-CD set including either double discs of Blu-ray or DVD with audio and video extras. The most lavish bundle offered, via Dead.net, contains full audio and video across 12 CDs and seven DVD or Blu-rays. Only 20,000 copies were produced and marked with individual numbered packaging.

One particular bonus DVD or Blu-ray among the various packages features behind-the-scenes moments filmed by Kreutzmann's son Justin, will include the overwhelming 350,000 tickets at the ticketing office, Soldier Field parking lot preparations and backstage looks during the gigs.

For fans who can't wait to get their hands on the box sets, the shows will be broadcasted live on SiriusXM's Grateful Dead channel 23, available via pay-per-view as well as exclusively screened in movie theaters. Weir has high hopes for the band's wrap-up gig, expecting the chemistry to be as strong as it was during their glory days. "It's going to be a work in progress until we walk off the stage that last night in July," he said. "Just like always."

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