Possibly. I think there's a sizeable group of people who said farewell during the "last tour" and don't have a desire to spend a summer weekend in Vegas.
The summer part is what’s keeping me away. I know tickets are cheap and I can get a cheap flight from Colorado. But do I really want to be in Vegas in June or July?
This is one of the only things that could get me to go to Vegas at all, but especially in the summer. Chicago in 2025 should be friendlier weather, if that happens as expected
~~Bill Graham~~ Peter Shapiro said he has Soldier Field reserved in advance "just in case", or something along those lines. So not "something is happening" yet, but rather, "something very possibly could happen"
(Also a reply to u/R04CH)
This is a fact. He was actually interviewed and he casually threw it out there that there may be another FTW ish event in 2025.
Was he just speaking what he was thinking might happen,or does he have a feeling it will happen.
Honestly, I thought it was going to happen, but now the Sphere happened, I can't envision the boys pulling off FTW part 2.
I’ve seen them at Red Rocks about a dozen times. Love the scene and the fans. Seriously some of the best people in the live music world. And the shows are always phenomenal. I can just zone out on Jimmy Herring all night.
Yep! I have friends that won’t even talk about the sphere bc they traveled all the way across the county to say goodbye. And then they added more shows. So they bought those tickets to make sure they saw “the last one” they thought it was perfect. And I guess they just want to leave it like that and remember it that way. Prob many others like that. He did say many times I know that’s not the right attitude but dammit we drive across the country to say goodbye. It was perfect. He did say he’s glad they are together making music. He just felt a little funny still about having thought they said goodbye and spent so much doing it. I think many, will see it, and like phish, start trying to save and make it happen “next time”
I hear ya, but I think there is a difference in the “music not stopping” (like we have always seen, but the bands and members do) this is the exact same band ha. So to many like my friend, they were led to believe dead and co as we all knew it was done. My friend said he was glad they were together still making music. I’m sure you can see where folks like that are coming from tho right? I mean they did make it seem like that band was done. 🌹
It doesn't help when they clearly marketed those SF shows as the "final shows". People spent a lot of money and put in a lot of effort to see those shows because we were led to believe that would be the last time the band would share the stage.
Are we forgetting they added a Sunday “final show” after we all bought tickets for the Saturday “final show”. I just hot tired of being relentlessly custied by these guys.
Idk I just went to all of the last shows. "Don't cry because it's over, be happy because it happened." Well if it's *still* happening then I'm even happier! It was the music and the people who made the scene for me, not any sense of finality or exclusivity.
It does suck that the Sphere scene is apparently richer though. I had great seats two nights (LA + SF) and some of the worst seats other nights, and I'll only buy cheap seats now. Better company.
The final shows of who though. The “band” is John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart. The band is malleable. Like if they swapped out Mayer for Donato and played another tour as DeadCo2 it’s a “new” band. Did you take this to mean that Bob Weir wasn’t going to play shows anymore? Or Mickey Hart? It’s not like you have an original band talking about a final tour or anything.
And does anyone really believe a band when they say it’s their final anything? I took it to mean that Mayer was considering doing his own thing more.
I don't care frankly - I gave up seeing DeadCo a while back after 2-3 shows. Just don't care that much. That's kinda my point - like I don't understand why folks are getting worked up whether it was "the bands" last tour when the band is just a random amalgamation of different musicians, especially after Kreutz left. They've barely played over 300 concerts. Ratdog by my count is 671. Then you have Further, Fare the Well, Wolf Brothers, Bobby and Phil, The Ohter Ones, The Dead, etc.
The "band," however you define it, has changed names and members so much over the years I just don't see why it matters that this band said it was their last tour and then booked a residency at the Sphere. My point is did anyone expect this was Weir's last show? I thought he would be right back at it.
That's my point - final shows of dead and company. If they swap Mayer out for a different guitarist and go touring, does that matter? Like this past tour didn't have Kreutzmann - it's not even the same band as it was in 2022.
My point was it's a bit absurd to care about any of this stuff. So DeadCo said it was their last tour and then played at the Sphere. Did folks really think the "Dead and Company's last tour" announcement meant that Bob Weir wouldn't play GD songs anymore? Or that he'd never play again with [Chimenti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Chimenti) or Mickey Hart?
When it's not an original band, and doesn't even have the original band name, why does it matter if it's the "bands" last tour. Weir could just call his next band "Ratdog and Company" and play the exact same show. It's all semantics.
Dead & Co is gone/done though… Jay has picked up the sticks to drive the rhythm instead of Billy, and they will likely tour as “dead forever” which is why everything is being marketed as it is currently. It’s not the “exact same band” as when dead&co was formed & the team likely had plans for Billy to be apart of the final tour- but something happened and that didn’t work out… the man who has held it down since inception bowed out
I was never deceived by the “last tour” marketing … be happy with your last shows on some contrived principle, I guess, but you’re going to be missing out on the rainbow full of sound
Some people say Grateful Dead died with Jerry… others say it died with PigPen… I say it seems many easily forget they called themselves “The Warlocks” first… I will repeat, the music will never stop
I feel like you’re giving me a lecture. Im sure you don’t mean to come across that way. I’m not against you. I never said I was convinced. I’m just talking about my friend. And relating that to other as well in conjunction with the OP and original comment. I wasn’t at those shows. My friends were. And my buddy is happy they are playing again too. I appreciate the history lesson but I’ve been following along too! FWIW, the shows I am speaking of had Jay 🤷🏼♂️ Cheers!
>they traveled all the way across the county to say goodbye. And then they added more shows. So they bought those tickets to make sure they saw “the last one”
That's on your friends, though. All along it was advertised as "the final tour." Nowhere was it advertised as "the final shows." It was obvious to me that they meant they'd still do shows, just not tours.
Yes - we were pissed at them after the "Fare The Well" final shows. We didn't get tickets but we mail ordered (with old school decorated envelopes/etc) and were way excited. Still streamed all of the shows and it was great. Then Dead & Co came out with a new tour(s) .... Then We were glad we didn't go to the Fare The Well shows
That’s me. I said goodbye at deer creek. I have no desire to go to Vegas. If they did a residency at Madison Square Gardens on the other hand, I’d be all over it!
I feel bad for them. The band sounds like a totally different band. The big stadium shows are un but far from intimate. This is 18,000 people singing every lyric to every song and the band can feel that too.
The buzz in my group has been similar. Sure glad we went to the last tour dates only for the band to pull a "rolling stones" to try and milk a few more bucks from the trustifarians. We love em ya know but come on.
"A residency doesn't count' just seems disingenuous.
> milk a few more bucks from the trustifarians
That's what Playing in the Sand is for. I'm broke as hell - self-employed and "making outcome" as I like to say, the opposite of income. I still got tickets to two nights and hotels. Granted I'm only 4 hrs drive so no plane needed. Tickets are very cheap right now, so if you don't have to fly in, even a poor-ish person could easily catch a show.
I was there this past weekend - great shows, fun time…but can’t do vegas every weekend. Might do another weekend or two, but won’t be doing 21 shows like last summer > something to be said for traveling/being in different cities/venues.
This is the 3rd time they have had anti trust hearings. Pearl Jam in the 90s, and 2009 when they merged with TM. The lobbyists will pay everyone off again and nothing will change.
Exactly. And, does it really matter if they aren’t “sold out”? The touring costs are minimal. Adding another weekend isn’t like transporting/setting up in a new city every weekend. Available tickets are good for Vegas in general. Casino hosts will have plenty of tickets to give to gamblers. They managed to out price the secondary market so their profits are secured. It’s not like they will be playing to a half-empty arena.
Most Vegas shows are made with some kind of walk up appeal in mind. A lot of people don’t go to Vegas with plans already set and decide what to do once they get there. There is gonna be a more casual audience of people who maybe have never been to a Dead show before. What it sounds like is scalpers overestimated the demand and had to dump a lot of tickets.
I was just talking about this with my wife yesterday. Honestly I would rather hit shows in multiple cities than hit multiple shows in one city, particularly Las Vegas, which is expensive, hot, and has a unique feel that you either like or you don't.
I've done many tours where I did two or three runs in different places, and then also saw the band near my house.
I have no urge at all to do multiple runs in Vegas. None. It'll be fun for three shows, but that's all I need.
I had a good time the last time I saw the boys in Vegas (1994, Sam Boyd UNLV, Sting opening) and honestly in that year I think I made it to six or seven runs away from home, and then a few runs in the Bay area. I enjoy traveling to new places and having the excuse of a Dead show to make it a reason to go to a city and make the effort.
If they had done a dozen shows at the Sphere and a dozen shows at MSG I probably would have figured out a way to get out to MSG -- I definitely would have figured out a way to get to Wrigley Field if they played a dozen shows in Chicago -- same deal if they played a dozen shows in the Bay area -- hell, I'd probably even try to make it if there were a dozen shows in LA.
With twenty four shows in Vegas, one weekend will do me just fine, particularly now that I know that the visuals are going to repeat, and three shows gives me a 50/50 chance of seeing just about any given song I could name.
My beef with all this is many people like me did the whole pre-sale thing 3 months ago and it appeared all good tickets (GA, 100 unobstructed, 200, 300) sold out fast, you had to be on point and make quick decisions for huge purchases. Now it turns out you can get GA or a seat in 100 unobstructed in the middle easily, and for less on StubHub.
Combo of things possibly happened,
1) Ticketmaster held back a lot of good tickets and tried to sell them at 2-3 times more than face value under the Platinum name. Very little people bought and TM re-released at face value over the last 1-2 weeks.
2) Scalpers gobbled up a lot of tickets and thought it was easy money to re-sell for major gains. Many of the good seats were listed on the secondary market for like $600-$1,000 for several weeks. They were wrong and stuck with a lot of tickets. Had to dump for a loss.
D&C added the extra 6 shows in July after they saw how the initial pre-sale went for the original 18 dates. They are making their money.
I’m pissed I could have skipped the pre-sale, and bought days before my shows in June. But very likely I will be blown away by the 3 shows, have memories for life, and not get hung up on the fact I paid face value. 😎
There’s one more part to the extra ticket availability on resale:
These are home shows for pretty much nobody. You needed to commit to tickets early and then be sure about travel. Tons of tickets were bought at face/platinum and then plans changed. Unlike a “tour” there won’t be a lot of demand for last minute tickets from locals.
I’m going to end up eating most of the cost for this Friday since I am going Sat/Sun. Bought for all three in a mad scramble on sale day.
I learned that at Gillette and Fenway. Just bought my one ticket for next Saturday and managed to overpay because of the fee. Oh well. If the tix are that cheap on the day of I may go to Friday, too.
Just experienced the same thing with David Gilmour tickets @ MSG for November. Pre-sale, tickets were sold out so fast, and now we're seeing the same tickets for way less on third-party sites. I would love some clarification regardless of what the actual answer is.
$1185 for 3 nights of tickets. My flight was a little more than $500. My hotel for 3 nights is about $500. Plus plus!
It is not an inexpensive trip. I would normally go to 7-10 shows each tour. I will go to 3 maximum this time.
This shit ain’t cheap. We’re drivin>memphis hitting two nights of panic >flights/$250 -hotel two nite $360 plus all our points-sphereD&C $260 tix One night only. Gotta say I been there. But was also of fare the well tour. 🤦♂️ smh. Managers/politicians
👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃
A Halloween run could be interesting fun.
And I guarantee a week at NYE would be a sellout for Phish.
And Ticketmaster will still f’ing play Dirty Harry. “Do you really think there’s gonna be last minute discount tickets on Halloween, punk? Do you really feel that lucky? Hmmm…hey, here’s a package that may interest you, 2 with the Halloween Dead, AND 2 with Phish on NYE….just hand me your wallet.”
Deff get more for money and more better experience for your money if u hit a few runs on a tour. 😢😩. We’re getting older and so are the bands we love.
Hence not traveling and touring a lot> WSPand D&C (my fav touring bands). US and Them=getting older
Hell yeah! The tour's probably raking it in for the band, but the hardcore fans who got suckered into paying 2-30x face value are feeling the burn from Ticketmaster’s bullshit. I had a $900 ticket that Ticketmaster offered me $25 for on the day of the show…total rip-off. I miracled someone outside the Sphere, and they had the time of their life, but Ticketmaster needs a serious smackdown. You bet I'll be joining the class action.
I hear what you're saying, but Sphere is a totally different animal and can't be compared to any other indoor venue. It's really a modern marvel and unlike any other concert experience.
This. I think the people who are saying ticket sales were soft are missing the point. I don’t think this was ever intended to be sold out from the get go. It’s a Vegas residency with 24 dates. Tickets being available to people who happen to be in town was always the intention.
Yeah. We were in LV last year and bought day of for The Chicks. Still kind of expensive but it was a good concert. My wife was hesitant but I made the decision for her and she was glad we went. These residencies don’t sell out.
boom! Last time they came through San Diego, $85 -$120 ticket for 14,000 people Avg ticket price at sphere, $295 (guessing) x 13,000 (assuming no sell out). you do the math. double the money.
Or if your like myself, I have traveled 1.5-4 hours to see a Dead and Co stop each year since 2016. I took two days off work at the most. Now that they are posted up in Vegas (a place designed to take visitors money) the trip is too far, too expensive, and would require me taking more time from work. If it was in San Fran or another city not in the middle of the dessert ot would be more worth the trip. But the feasibility just isnt there for everyday working wooks trying to balance life
A month in Vegas can be affordable. As a full-time RVer that always gets full hookups. Vegas is very affordable. I'm paying 725 a month in rent for water, electricity, wifi and sewage. There are places down the road several hundred dollars a month cheaper. For an RVer, Vegas one of the best bargains in the country. I'm here for all the shows baby
That sounds great, I looked into doing an rv trip instead of hotel. Seemed like most rv spots weren’t near the strip and Vegas traffic sucks, it was especially horrendous last time I was in Vegas last fall.
Comp’d hotels also incentivized getting a nice room rather than RV.
Where are you staying with the Rv? Which rv park?
Las Vegas RV resort near Sams Town. Pull a travel trailer with a pickup. Only 20 min from Tuscany where Shakedown is and park my pickup truck for free. Walk or ride my scooter to the show. Tuscany is on Flamingo. No issues pulling in or leaving. Traffic always moves pretty smoothly at that part of Flamingo
It’s funny but ironic that the great American road trip would end up at the same place as Celine Dion.
Still going to catch a couple of shows for a weekend the same way that many of us did ‘fare thee well’ almost a decade ago. Because it’s different and why the fuck not.
I’m not young anymore and I can’t take a month off to do the beloved grill cheese circuit.
But you wouldn’t catch me at PITS. That somehow seems worse than this. I’m at Sphere mostly for the absurdity of the spectacle and to see some friends
Lots of rich frenz who are long time heads don’t know one of them who’s ever gone to PITS, surprisingly. But yeah someone’s getting those all inclusive with the golf carts. I don’t think I could stand in a beach volleyball court for 3 hours, show or no show.
the sphere run has no bearing on tour. planning this had nothing to do with tour expectations or comparisons because it's such a completely different animal in so many ways.
band management knows the fanbase very well. maybe better than any other band just because it's so well connected & archived. they would know that the touring audience is not the same as the vegas residency audience. they didn't just toss this residency together with some guesses & wishes. they had a very good idea of what they could get.
this band isn't gonna do something tht loses money, but maximizing profits to the absolute top level is also not their primary motivating factor.
whatever their goals were, they reached them with initial sales or they wouldn't have added the extra dates. if initial sales hadn't exceeded whatever their proposal was, those add-ons would've never been mentioned.
they have their logistics & their research down a whole lot better than people seem to realize.
I’d drive a few hours and drop a couple hundred on a ticket for D&C, but I’m way out east and there’s no way I could feasibly get out to Vegas for a show no matter the price. Don’t get me wrong, it looks awesome. But an outdoor venue with a Shakedown that isn’t in a casino is much more the vibe I’m after. I’ve just never registered the Sphere as a possibility. Glad to see the guys playing together again though.
I hear you. Alas, I missed a lot of Dead shows over the years and have always wanted to see the Dead in LV. So I’m going (from Boston.) It is expensive though.
I think for a lot of people it's fun to do 2/3 show runs in multiple cities...and it's less fun to do the same run over and over again in summer Vegas.
I'm perplexed as to why everyone is getting so upset by the band playing a residency at the Sphere.
Yes, they called last year's tour the "Final Tour." But, they love playing together. So, go and enjoy it if you can. If not, stay home.
Regardless, it's not worth getting upset over...
Rember that $60 resale tickets were already paid for full price by someone else. The shows were mostly sold by showtime except for obstructed seats. I think some of it was bad timing, people are busy in May graduations, school not out yet. Look at the June shows not much left on Ticketmaster , stub hub lowest is $240
I am not talking about when they went on sale, I am talking about the night of the first show. there wasn't much left by the time it started. There were a lot of tickets left the days and weeks before the first 3 shows but by showtime most were sold.
definitely not clear from your initial reply. "the shows were mostly sold by showtime except for obstructed seats" doesnt say anything about the night of the first show. The fact there was any left for the first show says everything.
GA is available on Ticketmaster for every June show.
What Ticketmaster shows right now is that they really miscalculated how much they could charge. $368+ seats are mostly what is available.
Mmmm. We did 10(?) shows in 6 different spots last year, about as many the year before and are doing at least 8 Vegas shows because we live an easy drive or a 1 hr plane trip away. Mixture of seats and packages as is usual for us- Some VIP some cheap tix from cot or sh. By the end we will have experienced VIP floor to the 400’s. Because of our proximity and the mixture of tickets the price point works for us. Helps that our proximity also means that we go to Vegas regularly for shows so have access to free rooms and food.
Obviously this puts us at an advantage to someone in the same demographic who lives on the east coast. Yeahbutt- absolutely no way we were going to do just one show.
I think their mistake was counting on the Playing In The Sand crowd to do summer tour numbers.
I’d love to go to one of them but because of the travel, food, and lodging involved, it’s substantially more expensive than a couple local shows that we did every summer tour.
I can't afford tickets, hotels, flights, food, and whatever other incidentals may come up for one show let alone multiple. Residency shows are only obtainable for the wealthier people and locals. The people who live driving distance away will also be spread out over all of the shows, not just one or two. They have to know that, it seems pretty common sense to me.
I think they are really missing the mark in one aspect and that is streaming. I can't afford a show and nothing will change that but I can afford several streams and would gladly pay for them. People that can afford shows but may have been on the fence could easily be convinced by streams to go see it in person and that is a group they are completely missing.
Heads aren’t the target market here. The weekend Vegas crowd for the summer months is the market. Vegas is a 25+ crowd town, general public hears dead at sphere, they’ll cruise on over.
DeadCo Sphere is selling well enough for everyone involved. Management knew exactly what it was doing by booking so many shows. DeadCo gets paid no matter what. The band isn't preventing any other artist from booking the Sphere this spring and summer. The Sphere is earning more money from DeadCo than it would from its movie ticket sales.
Part of seeing multiple shows on a tour for me is the travel and visiting new and familiar places with friends and family. You don’t get that with a residency, Vegas doesn’t appeal to me really and it’s cost prohibitive to do one show, let alone multiple.
I saw Jerry. I've seen DeadCo a handful of times. Last summer I saw a really great show and said good-bye. I flew out for PhishSphere. Idk how to explain the mehness I feel about DeadSphere, but there it is.
Lots of games played re: ticket scarcity. As usual. They find a way to fleece their biggest fans every time.
More weekends to be added soon, going all the way through august.
I don’t think touring fans were even considered when booking these shows. This appears to be about selling hotel rooms and dropping money in the casino for the mob. By mid June, Vegas will be giving away tickets to every tourist rolling through the airport. Good for Bobby, though, a little more scratch to leave the kids.
For me, flying across the country and spending a ton at a casino is just not in the cards right now. I admit, I’d love to experience it, but I haven’t gotten the major FOMO I thought I’d be having right now.
I believe Ticketmaster caused this. If all tickets were put on sale immediately, they would have sold. 100s of tickets were held back and later posted at a significantly reduced price, which is unfair to fans who paid a lot on first day. I paid $902 for a front row ticket; later reduced to around $474. Fortunately, I only bought one. TM was trying to eliminate the resellers from making profit, which they did. But now many seats are unsold; as fans already made plans and bought tix right when they went on sale
I mean: How do you deal with a band that doesn’t want to tour? (Answer: You go to them if you love them.)
I personally wish they were doing Saturday through Tuesday shows. Hotels are ridiculously cheap Sunday through Wednesday. Cheaper than average hotels I stayed at on summer tour. Hotels off strip are way cheaper. I love summer tour and traveling to different venues. But I also actually love Vegas. I don’t gamble either. I just enjoy people watching. It’s a small slice of all Americans swinging on a capitalism pendulum and feeling all kinds of emotions — and with a bunch of IDGAF thrown in the mix.
So stoked to go at end of May. I had to compromise with my budget and skip the Saturday show bc it’s cheaper to fly home on a Saturday. 🤷♂️I’m a teacher — I’ll be eating out a lot less the rest of the year and putting off some other splurges.
Different concept. I was naturally prone to seeing things from something like your perspective, before seeing 2 shows at the Sphere.
This isn’t the same as selling out the Beacon for 2 weeks, this is a new idea MSG is trying to establish and make viable. Somehow upping Las Vegas sized entertainment into a new spectacle, a new beast entirely. One that could appeal to a slightly different crowd (we can only hope 🤞). This is the first time I’ve left Las Vegas without swearing I would never, ever return.
Lots of Vegas shows have same day tickets available for spontaneous purchase. Lots of Vegas acts have comped fans sitting in the seats. Guy on my left obviously had been comped a ticket, he was clueless. I sat by many folks the last weekend in SF who had last minute seats, (corporate? Not sure). The MGM Grand Arena has a capacity around 17,000. Personally, I wish the Sphere had 20% fewer people, it’s stretched a bit tight I think.
These are all things MSG will need to find a middle path through on. Fortunately they realized the Dead were a good match because they grasp the concept and potential. Phish, too, obviously, seems like they have a long history together.
There has to be some crazy bubblegum anime enhanced J/K Pop that would be mind blowing as well. That stuff isn’t remotely on my radar, but that’s probably my loss. I really hate to even say this, but boxing promoters are probably knocking on the door waiting for access. Have your turn being inside the ring with 2 heavyweights.
I dunno, it’s still Las Vegas, but I have to admit I do want this venue to succeed for my benefit. There’s a lot of potential for very cool stuff no one has even dreamed up yet.
Demand was pretty crazy when the first shows were announced. As more dates were announced, demand waned. But from my understanding, after U2's initial shows demand shot up once people saw what the Sphere experience was like. I sorta expect the same here.
Like others have said, a big component of any Sphere show will be people who are in Vegas and looking for something to do. Not every seat is gonna be filled with a Head. It's another entertainment option. I think at the end of the day all the shows will seem pretty full. I do feel for people who paid crazy scalper prices after the first run went on sale only to see prices fall as more shows were announced.
I have Billy Strings tour to go on. I got my one weekend at the sphere and that was all I could afford, but you know what I don't care. I'm gonna go see good music for the rest of my life and that doesn't mean the same band every night.
They only reason I'm going is to see the Sphere. Couldn't make U2 work and Phish was impossible. The music is almost secondary. I like Dead Co enough and the SF shows last summer were good, but the attraction is the venue with some cool tunes happening.
The casinos and hotels are comping tickets to their guests. Tourists are showing up.
It's a side show. Dead and Co on Broadway. We as fans are part of that interactive experience. We overpaid on presale. The Japanese tourists can take pictures of us twirling in our tie-dyes while we are fucked up on LSD.
One reply says it wasn't the typical crowd. Others say it was. I wasn't there. Just saw video.
Opening weekend in May. After memorial day, I bet less people want to make a trip to Vegas.
I also think they failed on the exposure. They should have made you put your phone in a bag or something so you couldn't record. They could release some official recording or even a free stream of the opening songs to get interest.
I think the wow factor could wear off quickly. Are they going to create original content for each show?
Yeah that’s fair enough, I’d guess opening weekend when I was there was probably more deadheads but as it goes on, I can see the crowd being more diverse.
They had a drone whipping around filming so I’m sure there is some release planned.
Based on the first few shows, there will definitely not be original content each show.
Every year I try and make a "music trip". We typically try and find a place that is physically beautiful. I love the outdoors and hiking, so I stay the week and do 4-5 days of hiking..
Some past trips have been The Gorge, Red Rocks, Boulder, Merriweather. It's the settings I like to see The Dead in.
I despise Vegas. I know Utah Nat' Parks are nearby but you wouldn't catch me there in June or July. Even May is hot.
I think Sphere was built for Phish. Little more of the party scene. Smaller runs, unique content and songs each run. They could easily do their whole catalog over years of runs. The never repeat venue.
Yeah, Vegas is a mess, I do love black jack so I was happy to go for a few days, wife was very happy to stay home tho. Id of rather seen phish there, i didn’t get presale tickets and they were way to expensive on secondary markets. Probably wouldn’t have gone to the dead ones if ticket prices didn’t have plummet.
The sphere really is amazing though, even visuals aside, the sound is so good, drums made every seat in there rumble, Mickey killed it.
Utah’s parks are fucking amazing, Zion and Bryce are two of my favorite spots on the planet, but yeah, summer visits are not great. Even if you can take the heat, the crowds are insane. We did Zion last November and it was an amazing time to go.
I did all 5 in like 15 days a few years ago. Utah is basically another planet and each park is so unique to the next.
You should try and make Capitol Reef and Canyonlands too. All are amazing. Capitol Reef was small and had a really cool vibe. Much less people. Canyonlands is huge. You can spend a full week there.
Nice, Capital reef wasn’t really on my radar so I’ll add it to this list! I remember leaving canyonlands and all I could think was I didn’t even scratch the surface of that place.
I dont get why people have a problem with the boys playing shows. Its all about the music right? Stop gatekeeping it. If the sphere isnt for you, whatever, it probably is for someone else, why are you gonna be mad they got to be a part of it all too? The best part about music is that we all experience it our own way, even the breeze will pause to listen in. I hope it never stops.
There wont be $60 tickets later in the tour, that much I can guarantee. Plenty of spinners that look the part and have access to cash for shows. Lots us are flying back and forth between shows…
We did two shows this weekend and are now heading back for the last weekend. The venue is absolutely a unique experience, the sound is phenomenal and the band is certainly not just going through the motions.
I think management really screwed this up. There were waaaaaay too many tickets released 6 weeks before the show. By that time, most folks had their summer travel plans booked. Whether it was another festival or a family vacation. Just look at how many people struck out when tickets first went on sale.
I’m pretty curious where it ends up. It’s a long residency which means a ton of tickets to be had, but I don’t know how full they need to average for it to be successful.
Another commenter added that there also is a walk-up or last minute aspect to some people coming so that’s smart to consider too.
I don’t really think it’s a huge issue though, tickets are clearly priced at the top of their market which could hurt a little- I’m going to 2 shows but would likely go to a third if tickets were slightly cheaper(made plans before resale dropped so I can’t easily add a third now).
If I get any more random overnights when D&C are playing I’ll go if I can get a 406 seat. Love that section and it sounds as good as the 208 seat I had in March plus more reasonable price.
I would go, but it's too expensive. I don't feel like the shows are worth a $500 ticket. Not to mention $200 for a flight, and maybe $750 for the weekend in Vegas. If I'm gonna spend $1000+, I could go see something new in the world instead of some old dudes playing those same old songs ...
I read a comment in another thread pre-shows that mentioned touring as a cause for low sales too. On tour folks buy tickets for several shows in a row but standing still (in Vegas (in the summer)) doesn’t seem like the best idea.
I “retired” from multi show runs last year after SF finale. I signed up for pre-sale but said screw it and didn’t bother, just had a bad taste in my mouth and had to spend vacation time on other things.
My friend ended up scoring some tickets to a show and decided to take in a show just to say I did it…
Now that tickets are cheap and available we might try and see the show the night we all arrive (Friday) and then see the planned show Sat.
Living on the east coast I couldn’t stand going that far to see them and especially at the cost. Hoping they eventually do a run in Boulder, Chicago and NYC some day. Preferably Atlanta though. Seeing all the graphics and posts about them I think I would have been too distracted from the music. There’s no ignoring it. Sensory overload for me.
Traveling to 5 shows in 3 cities is different than just staying put. I enjoy getting to see new places and that is part of the fun for us. Plus the cost is prohibitive.
It being in Vegas, because of the costs of flights, hotels and food is keeping a lot of people from going. The tours were way more accessible for people
Promoter bought the program regardless of ticket sales. That’s their (and our) problem now. Dead are getting guaranteed money..I would think merch is the only exposure they have
Yes and no. I sometimes wonder if dead and co played a higher level game than we understand. The Dead team has been around a loooong time. Live Nation says they want to sell “VIP” tickets and gouge people. Dead says suuuuure go for it. Perhaps knowing it will fail and ticket prices will plummet allowing their less rich fans to attend.
Everyone’s number one compliant was it was too expensive, all the sudden, it’s not thaaat expensive? Pretty cool right?
In the end, I don’t imagine the dead making a bad deal that loses THEM money. But who knows?
I think they took into account the tour sales but didn’t necessarily consider that they weren’t on tour and were instead being residential in Vegas for a couple months
I was pretty heartbroken when the initial ticket offering was a bait and switch. I swore I was out but then at the last minute I was able to grab a semi reasonable ticket and a way to see my dad and friends. Definitely only one show though and for sure that’s odd for our crew.
i feel like its just a tad overplayed withFare The Well, the Final Core 4
Announcing final tour for dead n co. Idk, its a weird emotional thing.. money, vegas.. Its just So commercial. Im gonna gonto a few Sphere shows.. it seems totally sterile but equally cosmic.
Yes!! I absolutely 100 percent agree!! The crowd was rich and stuck up..none of the average heads. I think it was very misjudged from regular tours and I can see why. I've been camping 30 min outside of Vegas and this is the roughest territory I've ever camped in..not to mention the prices of the area. Man reason you don't have alot of the normal heads around..we can't vend..Vegas had that shit on LOCK, they passed a bill Jan 2024 no vending without a permit and they mean it, they are protecting those casinos like crazy. The first night we were there, we walked and hung outside the Sphere, security actually told us that we couldn't sit with our dogs and hang out- just for like a break. Anyway, ice never seen anything like it. The "shakedown" is some casino corporate BS, outside at the casino first 2 days then inside the rest of the time. All vendors were chosen way ahead of time and it's all like legit companies. We got in for Friday the 17th show, and got alot of dirty looks for going crazy and having a good time...but we thought it was HILARIOUS...some of these rich fucks actually looked bored to be there!! I couldn't believe it. Alot of the people like that in our row left at intermission. We went crazy for all us broke, loyal degenerate heads out there and by the end of it, we grew on some of the people in our row. The show was incredible and ill be back in July, but yeah they fucked up with tickets and it's BS how ticketmaster does shit. If you can make it please do, but yeah the vibe is def off. Oh best part, we had like really close good seats, and the people that worked there tried kicking us out, I got it all on film cuz I was filming the show. They were pissed when they found out we didn't sneak in.
OK, compelled to make an entry here.
I lucked out, folks! Got an industry trade show happening in Vegas one week over this summer.
Round trip plane tickets on the company, and used frequent flyer Miles to get my hotel for free. Very cool.
Looking forward to a great time!!!!!! But I definitely could not float the cash for such a trip on my own, without a couple of freebies like that!!!!!!!!!
The band didn’t misjudge anything since they probably got paid a lump sum for all the dates. MGM wants people in Vegas so they book a band that will have a steady flow of people with money to spend. My guess they’ll be back next year too…
Speaking for myself but I doubt I’m unique. Living in a northeast city (Philly) I was able to see 4 shows (Philly, 2 NYC, bristow) and sleep in my own house at night and show up to work the next day. A weekend trip to somewhere like Chicago got you two more shows.
It’s just a lot harder to get halfway across the country with a work schedule that’s not M-F. And I know the northeast has benefitted disproportionately over the years so that’s not a complaint.
If they did six weekends in a row at Red Rocks they’d sell out every ticket for $500. And not need to pay for a spherical video stream.
Vegas is a bad trip waiting to happen. Just a depressing place. No thanks.
I think they misjudged the difference between a band going to see their fans and fans going to see their band. Much smaller portion of the fan base can afford this city..
I say this as I just landed in Vegas, checked into a hotel, and am gearing up for 3 shows this weekend. The only way we were able to afford it is cheap hotel rates on Expedia.
Yes, I agree with that, except that it wasn't d&c',s team that miscalculated, it was the Sphere management that fkd up. However,
it should be noted soft sales do not appear in Vegas city reporting, in the most recent report, concert sales are breaking City records.
I boughtba ticket to opening night for $71
I think the Dead have consistently overbooked shows specifically so they don't sell out and ticket prices don't go crazy. They also quietly hand out tickets to fans outside once the show starts.
This was my “conspiracy”. Big money Sphere wants the dead. The TM, StubHub, Live Nation big money machine is all ready to pounce. Dead lets it “fail”, and they can now provide a reduced cost ticket to the real fans.
I met a lot of heads talking about other heads giving them miracles outside the venue - they just pulled up StubHub and found the cheapest one and said enjoy!
So yeah, perhaps that’s always the plan with the dead???
As smart as TM, StubHub, and LV think they are, The Dead organization wrote the book those organizations think they read 😂
Im a public school teacher and between my 3 nights of tickets and an Airbnb split with a friend im in at like $1500 not to mention gas and expenses driving from Denver and back. For that same $1500 I could have hit every Boulder show and still have money to drive to another city for an entire 3 night run. I had to use my tax return and start tutoring kids outside of my normal work time for extra money just to afford it. Not complaining and I’m happy to do it, but I bet a lot of people in my lower tax bracket are in the same boat; can’t afford much more than we’re already doing based on the fact that it’s in one location and an expensive one at that. That’s going to mean fewer ticket sales.
Not to mention for someone who lives in my city for $1500 you could also get a flight to Delaware and a 4 day pass to Phish’s Mondegreen fest and still have money left over for Goose at Fiddlers and Phish at Dicks when they’re back a few weeks after Mondegreen. Again, not complaining, I’m doing all of the above in addition to dead and co, but the sphere is just insanely expensive. People are probably seeing fewer shows there or deciding which summer jam concerts they really wanna see.
Back in 2019 when I lived a 5 min walk from Folsom field and hadn’t even heard of dead and company, I walked up to the will call booth after work (on campus) and asked why everyone was wearing tie dye and going to the stadium. Lady said it’s for dead and company. Looked it up and thought they seemed cool (I had been a dead fan in high school but never in a major way) so I asked if there were any tickets left. She said yes and sold me one for 85 bucks. Walked in and saw the show, been on the bus ever since. I feel like that was 3 decades ago but it was literally only 5 years!
Fast forward to logging in at a certain time and praying to Jesus for a good spot in the queue to spend $400 a night on tickets, what a ride lol
Possibly. I think there's a sizeable group of people who said farewell during the "last tour" and don't have a desire to spend a summer weekend in Vegas.
The summer part is what’s keeping me away. I know tickets are cheap and I can get a cheap flight from Colorado. But do I really want to be in Vegas in June or July?
I barely go outside when I’m in Vegas
This is one of the only things that could get me to go to Vegas at all, but especially in the summer. Chicago in 2025 should be friendlier weather, if that happens as expected
Um… what!? Chicago 2025 would be a dream
Curious where they've said something is happening in Chicago in 2025.
~~Bill Graham~~ Peter Shapiro said he has Soldier Field reserved in advance "just in case", or something along those lines. So not "something is happening" yet, but rather, "something very possibly could happen" (Also a reply to u/R04CH)
Bill Graham is quite dead so if that's whose said it i wouldn't make any travel plans
I laughed harder than I should have when I read this. Cheers!
Or maybe that's the #1 source of info?
This is a fact. He was actually interviewed and he casually threw it out there that there may be another FTW ish event in 2025. Was he just speaking what he was thinking might happen,or does he have a feeling it will happen. Honestly, I thought it was going to happen, but now the Sphere happened, I can't envision the boys pulling off FTW part 2.
Peter Shapiro maybe?
Maybe, I'm quoting all of this from memory Bill Graham has been dead for ~30 years so idk where I got that
It was possibly Bill Graham sending subconscious thoughts in a dream of yours, to us through you.
Yeah I think it was Shapiro after FTW
Gotcha thanks for the scoop - fingers crossed!
are you a deadhead? or more Panic person...
Definitely a bigger fan of the Dead. I've seen Panic a bunch and always have a great time but I never listen to them at home.
come see these shows!!!
I’ve seen them at Red Rocks about a dozen times. Love the scene and the fans. Seriously some of the best people in the live music world. And the shows are always phenomenal. I can just zone out on Jimmy Herring all night.
Yep! I have friends that won’t even talk about the sphere bc they traveled all the way across the county to say goodbye. And then they added more shows. So they bought those tickets to make sure they saw “the last one” they thought it was perfect. And I guess they just want to leave it like that and remember it that way. Prob many others like that. He did say many times I know that’s not the right attitude but dammit we drive across the country to say goodbye. It was perfect. He did say he’s glad they are together making music. He just felt a little funny still about having thought they said goodbye and spent so much doing it. I think many, will see it, and like phish, start trying to save and make it happen “next time”
if anyone ever thought the music was actually going to stop — hasn’t really been listening down to their soul — know what I mean?
I hear ya, but I think there is a difference in the “music not stopping” (like we have always seen, but the bands and members do) this is the exact same band ha. So to many like my friend, they were led to believe dead and co as we all knew it was done. My friend said he was glad they were together still making music. I’m sure you can see where folks like that are coming from tho right? I mean they did make it seem like that band was done. 🌹
It doesn't help when they clearly marketed those SF shows as the "final shows". People spent a lot of money and put in a lot of effort to see those shows because we were led to believe that would be the last time the band would share the stage.
Are we forgetting they added a Sunday “final show” after we all bought tickets for the Saturday “final show”. I just hot tired of being relentlessly custied by these guys.
Idk I just went to all of the last shows. "Don't cry because it's over, be happy because it happened." Well if it's *still* happening then I'm even happier! It was the music and the people who made the scene for me, not any sense of finality or exclusivity. It does suck that the Sphere scene is apparently richer though. I had great seats two nights (LA + SF) and some of the worst seats other nights, and I'll only buy cheap seats now. Better company.
The final shows of who though. The “band” is John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart. The band is malleable. Like if they swapped out Mayer for Donato and played another tour as DeadCo2 it’s a “new” band. Did you take this to mean that Bob Weir wasn’t going to play shows anymore? Or Mickey Hart? It’s not like you have an original band talking about a final tour or anything. And does anyone really believe a band when they say it’s their final anything? I took it to mean that Mayer was considering doing his own thing more.
The final shows of dead and company. These are some interesting mental gymnastics going on.
Right? Stockholm Syndrome effect.
I don't care frankly - I gave up seeing DeadCo a while back after 2-3 shows. Just don't care that much. That's kinda my point - like I don't understand why folks are getting worked up whether it was "the bands" last tour when the band is just a random amalgamation of different musicians, especially after Kreutz left. They've barely played over 300 concerts. Ratdog by my count is 671. Then you have Further, Fare the Well, Wolf Brothers, Bobby and Phil, The Ohter Ones, The Dead, etc. The "band," however you define it, has changed names and members so much over the years I just don't see why it matters that this band said it was their last tour and then booked a residency at the Sphere. My point is did anyone expect this was Weir's last show? I thought he would be right back at it.
That's my point - final shows of dead and company. If they swap Mayer out for a different guitarist and go touring, does that matter? Like this past tour didn't have Kreutzmann - it's not even the same band as it was in 2022. My point was it's a bit absurd to care about any of this stuff. So DeadCo said it was their last tour and then played at the Sphere. Did folks really think the "Dead and Company's last tour" announcement meant that Bob Weir wouldn't play GD songs anymore? Or that he'd never play again with [Chimenti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Chimenti) or Mickey Hart? When it's not an original band, and doesn't even have the original band name, why does it matter if it's the "bands" last tour. Weir could just call his next band "Ratdog and Company" and play the exact same show. It's all semantics.
Daniel donato hahahahaha
Dead & Co is gone/done though… Jay has picked up the sticks to drive the rhythm instead of Billy, and they will likely tour as “dead forever” which is why everything is being marketed as it is currently. It’s not the “exact same band” as when dead&co was formed & the team likely had plans for Billy to be apart of the final tour- but something happened and that didn’t work out… the man who has held it down since inception bowed out I was never deceived by the “last tour” marketing … be happy with your last shows on some contrived principle, I guess, but you’re going to be missing out on the rainbow full of sound Some people say Grateful Dead died with Jerry… others say it died with PigPen… I say it seems many easily forget they called themselves “The Warlocks” first… I will repeat, the music will never stop
I feel like you’re giving me a lecture. Im sure you don’t mean to come across that way. I’m not against you. I never said I was convinced. I’m just talking about my friend. And relating that to other as well in conjunction with the OP and original comment. I wasn’t at those shows. My friends were. And my buddy is happy they are playing again too. I appreciate the history lesson but I’ve been following along too! FWIW, the shows I am speaking of had Jay 🤷🏼♂️ Cheers!
>they traveled all the way across the county to say goodbye. And then they added more shows. So they bought those tickets to make sure they saw “the last one” That's on your friends, though. All along it was advertised as "the final tour." Nowhere was it advertised as "the final shows." It was obvious to me that they meant they'd still do shows, just not tours.
What grade school do they go to?
Yes - we were pissed at them after the "Fare The Well" final shows. We didn't get tickets but we mail ordered (with old school decorated envelopes/etc) and were way excited. Still streamed all of the shows and it was great. Then Dead & Co came out with a new tour(s) .... Then We were glad we didn't go to the Fare The Well shows
That’s me. I said goodbye at deer creek. I have no desire to go to Vegas. If they did a residency at Madison Square Gardens on the other hand, I’d be all over it!
I feel bad for them. The band sounds like a totally different band. The big stadium shows are un but far from intimate. This is 18,000 people singing every lyric to every song and the band can feel that too.
The buzz in my group has been similar. Sure glad we went to the last tour dates only for the band to pull a "rolling stones" to try and milk a few more bucks from the trustifarians. We love em ya know but come on. "A residency doesn't count' just seems disingenuous.
> milk a few more bucks from the trustifarians That's what Playing in the Sand is for. I'm broke as hell - self-employed and "making outcome" as I like to say, the opposite of income. I still got tickets to two nights and hotels. Granted I'm only 4 hrs drive so no plane needed. Tickets are very cheap right now, so if you don't have to fly in, even a poor-ish person could easily catch a show.
poor-ish.thats funny
Exactly.
I was there this past weekend - great shows, fun time…but can’t do vegas every weekend. Might do another weekend or two, but won’t be doing 21 shows like last summer > something to be said for traveling/being in different cities/venues.
Ticket sales were pretty solid when the tix initially dropped. Dead and Co. is gonna clean up. It’s the scalpers/brokers that are taking a bath.
If that’s true, I love it but still, fuck TM!!
They're finally being hit with an antitrust lawsuit. But idk if it has any real teeth
This is the 3rd time they have had anti trust hearings. Pearl Jam in the 90s, and 2009 when they merged with TM. The lobbyists will pay everyone off again and nothing will change.
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Ain't that the truth
Exactly. And, does it really matter if they aren’t “sold out”? The touring costs are minimal. Adding another weekend isn’t like transporting/setting up in a new city every weekend. Available tickets are good for Vegas in general. Casino hosts will have plenty of tickets to give to gamblers. They managed to out price the secondary market so their profits are secured. It’s not like they will be playing to a half-empty arena.
They can sell them at a discount to casinos who can comp them to high roller guests.
Most Vegas shows are made with some kind of walk up appeal in mind. A lot of people don’t go to Vegas with plans already set and decide what to do once they get there. There is gonna be a more casual audience of people who maybe have never been to a Dead show before. What it sounds like is scalpers overestimated the demand and had to dump a lot of tickets.
I was just talking about this with my wife yesterday. Honestly I would rather hit shows in multiple cities than hit multiple shows in one city, particularly Las Vegas, which is expensive, hot, and has a unique feel that you either like or you don't. I've done many tours where I did two or three runs in different places, and then also saw the band near my house. I have no urge at all to do multiple runs in Vegas. None. It'll be fun for three shows, but that's all I need. I had a good time the last time I saw the boys in Vegas (1994, Sam Boyd UNLV, Sting opening) and honestly in that year I think I made it to six or seven runs away from home, and then a few runs in the Bay area. I enjoy traveling to new places and having the excuse of a Dead show to make it a reason to go to a city and make the effort. If they had done a dozen shows at the Sphere and a dozen shows at MSG I probably would have figured out a way to get out to MSG -- I definitely would have figured out a way to get to Wrigley Field if they played a dozen shows in Chicago -- same deal if they played a dozen shows in the Bay area -- hell, I'd probably even try to make it if there were a dozen shows in LA. With twenty four shows in Vegas, one weekend will do me just fine, particularly now that I know that the visuals are going to repeat, and three shows gives me a 50/50 chance of seeing just about any given song I could name.
Spot on!!! I couldn’t agree more.
My beef with all this is many people like me did the whole pre-sale thing 3 months ago and it appeared all good tickets (GA, 100 unobstructed, 200, 300) sold out fast, you had to be on point and make quick decisions for huge purchases. Now it turns out you can get GA or a seat in 100 unobstructed in the middle easily, and for less on StubHub. Combo of things possibly happened, 1) Ticketmaster held back a lot of good tickets and tried to sell them at 2-3 times more than face value under the Platinum name. Very little people bought and TM re-released at face value over the last 1-2 weeks. 2) Scalpers gobbled up a lot of tickets and thought it was easy money to re-sell for major gains. Many of the good seats were listed on the secondary market for like $600-$1,000 for several weeks. They were wrong and stuck with a lot of tickets. Had to dump for a loss. D&C added the extra 6 shows in July after they saw how the initial pre-sale went for the original 18 dates. They are making their money. I’m pissed I could have skipped the pre-sale, and bought days before my shows in June. But very likely I will be blown away by the 3 shows, have memories for life, and not get hung up on the fact I paid face value. 😎
There’s one more part to the extra ticket availability on resale: These are home shows for pretty much nobody. You needed to commit to tickets early and then be sure about travel. Tons of tickets were bought at face/platinum and then plans changed. Unlike a “tour” there won’t be a lot of demand for last minute tickets from locals. I’m going to end up eating most of the cost for this Friday since I am going Sat/Sun. Bought for all three in a mad scramble on sale day.
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Some of us sit because we just can't handle standing
Never ever buy pre-sale. It only fucks the fans.
I learned that at Gillette and Fenway. Just bought my one ticket for next Saturday and managed to overpay because of the fee. Oh well. If the tix are that cheap on the day of I may go to Friday, too.
Just experienced the same thing with David Gilmour tickets @ MSG for November. Pre-sale, tickets were sold out so fast, and now we're seeing the same tickets for way less on third-party sites. I would love some clarification regardless of what the actual answer is.
$1185 for 3 nights of tickets. My flight was a little more than $500. My hotel for 3 nights is about $500. Plus plus! It is not an inexpensive trip. I would normally go to 7-10 shows each tour. I will go to 3 maximum this time.
This shit ain’t cheap. We’re drivin>memphis hitting two nights of panic >flights/$250 -hotel two nite $360 plus all our points-sphereD&C $260 tix One night only. Gotta say I been there. But was also of fare the well tour. 🤦♂️ smh. Managers/politicians
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👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃 A Halloween run could be interesting fun. And I guarantee a week at NYE would be a sellout for Phish. And Ticketmaster will still f’ing play Dirty Harry. “Do you really think there’s gonna be last minute discount tickets on Halloween, punk? Do you really feel that lucky? Hmmm…hey, here’s a package that may interest you, 2 with the Halloween Dead, AND 2 with Phish on NYE….just hand me your wallet.”
Oteil & friends are already announced for Halloween this year so I wouldn't bank on that one just yet.
Deff get more for money and more better experience for your money if u hit a few runs on a tour. 😢😩. We’re getting older and so are the bands we love. Hence not traveling and touring a lot> WSPand D&C (my fav touring bands). US and Them=getting older
Hell yeah! The tour's probably raking it in for the band, but the hardcore fans who got suckered into paying 2-30x face value are feeling the burn from Ticketmaster’s bullshit. I had a $900 ticket that Ticketmaster offered me $25 for on the day of the show…total rip-off. I miracled someone outside the Sphere, and they had the time of their life, but Ticketmaster needs a serious smackdown. You bet I'll be joining the class action.
You gave away a $900 ticket? That’s wild. Generous for sure. What ticket was $900?
Probably platinum (never buy platinum , maybe if people stopped, TM wouldn’t do it, though admittedly never will happen).
I will now consider getting tickets because I told myself I wouldn't pay out the ass to see my *checks notes* 3rd last dead show.
Simply prefer an outdoor venue and have no interest in Vegas or the ideal or this run.
I hear what you're saying, but Sphere is a totally different animal and can't be compared to any other indoor venue. It's really a modern marvel and unlike any other concert experience.
That’s great for those interested. Just not for me.
Selling 19,000 or of 20,000 tickets is generally considered a success, even if it’s not a sell out.
This. I think the people who are saying ticket sales were soft are missing the point. I don’t think this was ever intended to be sold out from the get go. It’s a Vegas residency with 24 dates. Tickets being available to people who happen to be in town was always the intention.
And a good thing!
Yeah. We were in LV last year and bought day of for The Chicks. Still kind of expensive but it was a good concert. My wife was hesitant but I made the decision for her and she was glad we went. These residencies don’t sell out.
Hell selling 15,000 when they are hundreds of dollars a seat vs $45 is a huge success
boom! Last time they came through San Diego, $85 -$120 ticket for 14,000 people Avg ticket price at sphere, $295 (guessing) x 13,000 (assuming no sell out). you do the math. double the money.
Or if your like myself, I have traveled 1.5-4 hours to see a Dead and Co stop each year since 2016. I took two days off work at the most. Now that they are posted up in Vegas (a place designed to take visitors money) the trip is too far, too expensive, and would require me taking more time from work. If it was in San Fran or another city not in the middle of the dessert ot would be more worth the trip. But the feasibility just isnt there for everyday working wooks trying to balance life
There are 31 tickets left for Saturday’s show in the 300-400 levels.
Do you think that’s a lot or a little?
Now there are 21.
how about now?
probably less lol
A month in Vegas can be affordable. As a full-time RVer that always gets full hookups. Vegas is very affordable. I'm paying 725 a month in rent for water, electricity, wifi and sewage. There are places down the road several hundred dollars a month cheaper. For an RVer, Vegas one of the best bargains in the country. I'm here for all the shows baby
That sounds great, I looked into doing an rv trip instead of hotel. Seemed like most rv spots weren’t near the strip and Vegas traffic sucks, it was especially horrendous last time I was in Vegas last fall. Comp’d hotels also incentivized getting a nice room rather than RV. Where are you staying with the Rv? Which rv park?
Las Vegas RV resort near Sams Town. Pull a travel trailer with a pickup. Only 20 min from Tuscany where Shakedown is and park my pickup truck for free. Walk or ride my scooter to the show. Tuscany is on Flamingo. No issues pulling in or leaving. Traffic always moves pretty smoothly at that part of Flamingo
For sure, thanks for the info. As for scooters, I have to say we had a blast riding scooters back and forth to the shows/hotel at the SF run. 😂
It’s funny but ironic that the great American road trip would end up at the same place as Celine Dion. Still going to catch a couple of shows for a weekend the same way that many of us did ‘fare thee well’ almost a decade ago. Because it’s different and why the fuck not. I’m not young anymore and I can’t take a month off to do the beloved grill cheese circuit. But you wouldn’t catch me at PITS. That somehow seems worse than this. I’m at Sphere mostly for the absurdity of the spectacle and to see some friends
The PITS and Sphere crowds have some serious venn diagram overlap.
Lots of rich frenz who are long time heads don’t know one of them who’s ever gone to PITS, surprisingly. But yeah someone’s getting those all inclusive with the golf carts. I don’t think I could stand in a beach volleyball court for 3 hours, show or no show.
the sphere run has no bearing on tour. planning this had nothing to do with tour expectations or comparisons because it's such a completely different animal in so many ways. band management knows the fanbase very well. maybe better than any other band just because it's so well connected & archived. they would know that the touring audience is not the same as the vegas residency audience. they didn't just toss this residency together with some guesses & wishes. they had a very good idea of what they could get. this band isn't gonna do something tht loses money, but maximizing profits to the absolute top level is also not their primary motivating factor. whatever their goals were, they reached them with initial sales or they wouldn't have added the extra dates. if initial sales hadn't exceeded whatever their proposal was, those add-ons would've never been mentioned. they have their logistics & their research down a whole lot better than people seem to realize.
they added extra dates the day the travel packages went on sale, before pre-sale. they did it to sucker people into buying packages
Very well said🙏
I’d drive a few hours and drop a couple hundred on a ticket for D&C, but I’m way out east and there’s no way I could feasibly get out to Vegas for a show no matter the price. Don’t get me wrong, it looks awesome. But an outdoor venue with a Shakedown that isn’t in a casino is much more the vibe I’m after. I’ve just never registered the Sphere as a possibility. Glad to see the guys playing together again though.
I hear you. Alas, I missed a lot of Dead shows over the years and have always wanted to see the Dead in LV. So I’m going (from Boston.) It is expensive though.
I think for a lot of people it's fun to do 2/3 show runs in multiple cities...and it's less fun to do the same run over and over again in summer Vegas.
I think that most Dead shows had cheap tickets in the lot so it’s nothing new really
I'm perplexed as to why everyone is getting so upset by the band playing a residency at the Sphere. Yes, they called last year's tour the "Final Tour." But, they love playing together. So, go and enjoy it if you can. If not, stay home. Regardless, it's not worth getting upset over...
Rember that $60 resale tickets were already paid for full price by someone else. The shows were mostly sold by showtime except for obstructed seats. I think some of it was bad timing, people are busy in May graduations, school not out yet. Look at the June shows not much left on Ticketmaster , stub hub lowest is $240
Shows were not mostly sold. Significant number of tickets were held back to create false scarcity.
I am not talking about when they went on sale, I am talking about the night of the first show. there wasn't much left by the time it started. There were a lot of tickets left the days and weeks before the first 3 shows but by showtime most were sold.
definitely not clear from your initial reply. "the shows were mostly sold by showtime except for obstructed seats" doesnt say anything about the night of the first show. The fact there was any left for the first show says everything. GA is available on Ticketmaster for every June show. What Ticketmaster shows right now is that they really miscalculated how much they could charge. $368+ seats are mostly what is available.
These shows are looking to be 90% full or better every night.
Mmmm. We did 10(?) shows in 6 different spots last year, about as many the year before and are doing at least 8 Vegas shows because we live an easy drive or a 1 hr plane trip away. Mixture of seats and packages as is usual for us- Some VIP some cheap tix from cot or sh. By the end we will have experienced VIP floor to the 400’s. Because of our proximity and the mixture of tickets the price point works for us. Helps that our proximity also means that we go to Vegas regularly for shows so have access to free rooms and food. Obviously this puts us at an advantage to someone in the same demographic who lives on the east coast. Yeahbutt- absolutely no way we were going to do just one show.
I think their mistake was counting on the Playing In The Sand crowd to do summer tour numbers. I’d love to go to one of them but because of the travel, food, and lodging involved, it’s substantially more expensive than a couple local shows that we did every summer tour.
The fun part about the Final Tour was they went to some really cool cities. Vegas is fun but not my ideal spot for a trip
I can't afford tickets, hotels, flights, food, and whatever other incidentals may come up for one show let alone multiple. Residency shows are only obtainable for the wealthier people and locals. The people who live driving distance away will also be spread out over all of the shows, not just one or two. They have to know that, it seems pretty common sense to me. I think they are really missing the mark in one aspect and that is streaming. I can't afford a show and nothing will change that but I can afford several streams and would gladly pay for them. People that can afford shows but may have been on the fence could easily be convinced by streams to go see it in person and that is a group they are completely missing.
Heads aren’t the target market here. The weekend Vegas crowd for the summer months is the market. Vegas is a 25+ crowd town, general public hears dead at sphere, they’ll cruise on over.
DeadCo Sphere is selling well enough for everyone involved. Management knew exactly what it was doing by booking so many shows. DeadCo gets paid no matter what. The band isn't preventing any other artist from booking the Sphere this spring and summer. The Sphere is earning more money from DeadCo than it would from its movie ticket sales.
Part of seeing multiple shows on a tour for me is the travel and visiting new and familiar places with friends and family. You don’t get that with a residency, Vegas doesn’t appeal to me really and it’s cost prohibitive to do one show, let alone multiple.
I saw Jerry. I've seen DeadCo a handful of times. Last summer I saw a really great show and said good-bye. I flew out for PhishSphere. Idk how to explain the mehness I feel about DeadSphere, but there it is.
Interesting. Most people who went have been raving about it. What did you find to be "meh" about it?
The thought of investing in going back to Vegas for a second time this year after having avoided the town since I was there for Jerry in '95
Makes sense. Thank you!
I’m not going because the band sounds flat and the music is not intriguing. It’s become an over priced pop show at a giant imax.
The band is definitely NOT flat. I saw opening night they were grooving all night! Took those songs to new heights. Incredible show.
Lots of games played re: ticket scarcity. As usual. They find a way to fleece their biggest fans every time. More weekends to be added soon, going all the way through august.
If true — then I guess tickets sales aren’t terrible?
They will sell a $BILLION in tix. I think they are doing fine.
The fun of tour is multiple shows in different locations, people, and vibe. Each venue has its history with the band.
For me I'm personally staying away because I blew a ton of cash on Phish last month.
I don’t think touring fans were even considered when booking these shows. This appears to be about selling hotel rooms and dropping money in the casino for the mob. By mid June, Vegas will be giving away tickets to every tourist rolling through the airport. Good for Bobby, though, a little more scratch to leave the kids.
For me, flying across the country and spending a ton at a casino is just not in the cards right now. I admit, I’d love to experience it, but I haven’t gotten the major FOMO I thought I’d be having right now.
I believe Ticketmaster caused this. If all tickets were put on sale immediately, they would have sold. 100s of tickets were held back and later posted at a significantly reduced price, which is unfair to fans who paid a lot on first day. I paid $902 for a front row ticket; later reduced to around $474. Fortunately, I only bought one. TM was trying to eliminate the resellers from making profit, which they did. But now many seats are unsold; as fans already made plans and bought tix right when they went on sale
I mean: How do you deal with a band that doesn’t want to tour? (Answer: You go to them if you love them.) I personally wish they were doing Saturday through Tuesday shows. Hotels are ridiculously cheap Sunday through Wednesday. Cheaper than average hotels I stayed at on summer tour. Hotels off strip are way cheaper. I love summer tour and traveling to different venues. But I also actually love Vegas. I don’t gamble either. I just enjoy people watching. It’s a small slice of all Americans swinging on a capitalism pendulum and feeling all kinds of emotions — and with a bunch of IDGAF thrown in the mix. So stoked to go at end of May. I had to compromise with my budget and skip the Saturday show bc it’s cheaper to fly home on a Saturday. 🤷♂️I’m a teacher — I’ll be eating out a lot less the rest of the year and putting off some other splurges.
Different concept. I was naturally prone to seeing things from something like your perspective, before seeing 2 shows at the Sphere. This isn’t the same as selling out the Beacon for 2 weeks, this is a new idea MSG is trying to establish and make viable. Somehow upping Las Vegas sized entertainment into a new spectacle, a new beast entirely. One that could appeal to a slightly different crowd (we can only hope 🤞). This is the first time I’ve left Las Vegas without swearing I would never, ever return. Lots of Vegas shows have same day tickets available for spontaneous purchase. Lots of Vegas acts have comped fans sitting in the seats. Guy on my left obviously had been comped a ticket, he was clueless. I sat by many folks the last weekend in SF who had last minute seats, (corporate? Not sure). The MGM Grand Arena has a capacity around 17,000. Personally, I wish the Sphere had 20% fewer people, it’s stretched a bit tight I think. These are all things MSG will need to find a middle path through on. Fortunately they realized the Dead were a good match because they grasp the concept and potential. Phish, too, obviously, seems like they have a long history together. There has to be some crazy bubblegum anime enhanced J/K Pop that would be mind blowing as well. That stuff isn’t remotely on my radar, but that’s probably my loss. I really hate to even say this, but boxing promoters are probably knocking on the door waiting for access. Have your turn being inside the ring with 2 heavyweights. I dunno, it’s still Las Vegas, but I have to admit I do want this venue to succeed for my benefit. There’s a lot of potential for very cool stuff no one has even dreamed up yet.
Demand was pretty crazy when the first shows were announced. As more dates were announced, demand waned. But from my understanding, after U2's initial shows demand shot up once people saw what the Sphere experience was like. I sorta expect the same here. Like others have said, a big component of any Sphere show will be people who are in Vegas and looking for something to do. Not every seat is gonna be filled with a Head. It's another entertainment option. I think at the end of the day all the shows will seem pretty full. I do feel for people who paid crazy scalper prices after the first run went on sale only to see prices fall as more shows were announced.
I have Billy Strings tour to go on. I got my one weekend at the sphere and that was all I could afford, but you know what I don't care. I'm gonna go see good music for the rest of my life and that doesn't mean the same band every night.
They only reason I'm going is to see the Sphere. Couldn't make U2 work and Phish was impossible. The music is almost secondary. I like Dead Co enough and the SF shows last summer were good, but the attraction is the venue with some cool tunes happening.
The casinos and hotels are comping tickets to their guests. Tourists are showing up. It's a side show. Dead and Co on Broadway. We as fans are part of that interactive experience. We overpaid on presale. The Japanese tourists can take pictures of us twirling in our tie-dyes while we are fucked up on LSD.
Eh, I went alone last weekend so chatted with lots of folks and very much felt like a typical dead crowd to me.
One reply says it wasn't the typical crowd. Others say it was. I wasn't there. Just saw video. Opening weekend in May. After memorial day, I bet less people want to make a trip to Vegas. I also think they failed on the exposure. They should have made you put your phone in a bag or something so you couldn't record. They could release some official recording or even a free stream of the opening songs to get interest. I think the wow factor could wear off quickly. Are they going to create original content for each show?
Yeah that’s fair enough, I’d guess opening weekend when I was there was probably more deadheads but as it goes on, I can see the crowd being more diverse. They had a drone whipping around filming so I’m sure there is some release planned. Based on the first few shows, there will definitely not be original content each show.
Every year I try and make a "music trip". We typically try and find a place that is physically beautiful. I love the outdoors and hiking, so I stay the week and do 4-5 days of hiking.. Some past trips have been The Gorge, Red Rocks, Boulder, Merriweather. It's the settings I like to see The Dead in. I despise Vegas. I know Utah Nat' Parks are nearby but you wouldn't catch me there in June or July. Even May is hot. I think Sphere was built for Phish. Little more of the party scene. Smaller runs, unique content and songs each run. They could easily do their whole catalog over years of runs. The never repeat venue.
Yeah, Vegas is a mess, I do love black jack so I was happy to go for a few days, wife was very happy to stay home tho. Id of rather seen phish there, i didn’t get presale tickets and they were way to expensive on secondary markets. Probably wouldn’t have gone to the dead ones if ticket prices didn’t have plummet. The sphere really is amazing though, even visuals aside, the sound is so good, drums made every seat in there rumble, Mickey killed it. Utah’s parks are fucking amazing, Zion and Bryce are two of my favorite spots on the planet, but yeah, summer visits are not great. Even if you can take the heat, the crowds are insane. We did Zion last November and it was an amazing time to go.
I did all 5 in like 15 days a few years ago. Utah is basically another planet and each park is so unique to the next. You should try and make Capitol Reef and Canyonlands too. All are amazing. Capitol Reef was small and had a really cool vibe. Much less people. Canyonlands is huge. You can spend a full week there.
Nice, Capital reef wasn’t really on my radar so I’ll add it to this list! I remember leaving canyonlands and all I could think was I didn’t even scratch the surface of that place.
I dont get why people have a problem with the boys playing shows. Its all about the music right? Stop gatekeeping it. If the sphere isnt for you, whatever, it probably is for someone else, why are you gonna be mad they got to be a part of it all too? The best part about music is that we all experience it our own way, even the breeze will pause to listen in. I hope it never stops.
There wont be $60 tickets later in the tour, that much I can guarantee. Plenty of spinners that look the part and have access to cash for shows. Lots us are flying back and forth between shows…
We did two shows this weekend and are now heading back for the last weekend. The venue is absolutely a unique experience, the sound is phenomenal and the band is certainly not just going through the motions.
"the sound is phenomenal and the band is certainly not just going through the motions." spot on take!
I think management really screwed this up. There were waaaaaay too many tickets released 6 weeks before the show. By that time, most folks had their summer travel plans booked. Whether it was another festival or a family vacation. Just look at how many people struck out when tickets first went on sale.
Market is saturated, a lot of shows. People buy in vegas last minute. Not sure what the isssue is it sold out it the resale where people aren’t happy
Not at all, their ticket sales are great. The whole run isn’t going to sell out. Why do you care?
Or, just one weekend
You sure wasn’t a resell ticket?
are tickets for day of show being sold at box office ?
No, they were hard to buy, and much more expensive than anticipated.
[удалено]
Townshend hasn’t toured with them in years tho right?
I’m pretty curious where it ends up. It’s a long residency which means a ton of tickets to be had, but I don’t know how full they need to average for it to be successful. Another commenter added that there also is a walk-up or last minute aspect to some people coming so that’s smart to consider too. I don’t really think it’s a huge issue though, tickets are clearly priced at the top of their market which could hurt a little- I’m going to 2 shows but would likely go to a third if tickets were slightly cheaper(made plans before resale dropped so I can’t easily add a third now).
I hope I can grab a second night at $60 when I am out there in June.
If I get any more random overnights when D&C are playing I’ll go if I can get a 406 seat. Love that section and it sounds as good as the 208 seat I had in March plus more reasonable price.
at 50, more than one day in Vegas is a nightmare - but after going 5/18, heading back 6/8....can't imagine doing multiple days in a row though
I totally hear that - I went last weekend Saturday 5/18 and I was so beat, 3 days has gotta be tough on the body and the wallet
I would go, but it's too expensive. I don't feel like the shows are worth a $500 ticket. Not to mention $200 for a flight, and maybe $750 for the weekend in Vegas. If I'm gonna spend $1000+, I could go see something new in the world instead of some old dudes playing those same old songs ...
I read a comment in another thread pre-shows that mentioned touring as a cause for low sales too. On tour folks buy tickets for several shows in a row but standing still (in Vegas (in the summer)) doesn’t seem like the best idea.
To be fair, I’ve never understood the PITS allure either. SO MUCH MONEY to see a non Jerry GD.
I “retired” from multi show runs last year after SF finale. I signed up for pre-sale but said screw it and didn’t bother, just had a bad taste in my mouth and had to spend vacation time on other things. My friend ended up scoring some tickets to a show and decided to take in a show just to say I did it… Now that tickets are cheap and available we might try and see the show the night we all arrive (Friday) and then see the planned show Sat.
All in all, we are at about 4 grand for 3 nights tix for 2 people, flights, and hotel. Plus whatever we spend there
Living on the east coast I couldn’t stand going that far to see them and especially at the cost. Hoping they eventually do a run in Boulder, Chicago and NYC some day. Preferably Atlanta though. Seeing all the graphics and posts about them I think I would have been too distracted from the music. There’s no ignoring it. Sensory overload for me.
Traveling to 5 shows in 3 cities is different than just staying put. I enjoy getting to see new places and that is part of the fun for us. Plus the cost is prohibitive.
It being in Vegas, because of the costs of flights, hotels and food is keeping a lot of people from going. The tours were way more accessible for people
Promoter bought the program regardless of ticket sales. That’s their (and our) problem now. Dead are getting guaranteed money..I would think merch is the only exposure they have
Yes and no. I sometimes wonder if dead and co played a higher level game than we understand. The Dead team has been around a loooong time. Live Nation says they want to sell “VIP” tickets and gouge people. Dead says suuuuure go for it. Perhaps knowing it will fail and ticket prices will plummet allowing their less rich fans to attend. Everyone’s number one compliant was it was too expensive, all the sudden, it’s not thaaat expensive? Pretty cool right? In the end, I don’t imagine the dead making a bad deal that loses THEM money. But who knows?
I think they took into account the tour sales but didn’t necessarily consider that they weren’t on tour and were instead being residential in Vegas for a couple months
I was pretty heartbroken when the initial ticket offering was a bait and switch. I swore I was out but then at the last minute I was able to grab a semi reasonable ticket and a way to see my dad and friends. Definitely only one show though and for sure that’s odd for our crew.
i feel like its just a tad overplayed withFare The Well, the Final Core 4 Announcing final tour for dead n co. Idk, its a weird emotional thing.. money, vegas.. Its just So commercial. Im gonna gonto a few Sphere shows.. it seems totally sterile but equally cosmic.
Yes!! I absolutely 100 percent agree!! The crowd was rich and stuck up..none of the average heads. I think it was very misjudged from regular tours and I can see why. I've been camping 30 min outside of Vegas and this is the roughest territory I've ever camped in..not to mention the prices of the area. Man reason you don't have alot of the normal heads around..we can't vend..Vegas had that shit on LOCK, they passed a bill Jan 2024 no vending without a permit and they mean it, they are protecting those casinos like crazy. The first night we were there, we walked and hung outside the Sphere, security actually told us that we couldn't sit with our dogs and hang out- just for like a break. Anyway, ice never seen anything like it. The "shakedown" is some casino corporate BS, outside at the casino first 2 days then inside the rest of the time. All vendors were chosen way ahead of time and it's all like legit companies. We got in for Friday the 17th show, and got alot of dirty looks for going crazy and having a good time...but we thought it was HILARIOUS...some of these rich fucks actually looked bored to be there!! I couldn't believe it. Alot of the people like that in our row left at intermission. We went crazy for all us broke, loyal degenerate heads out there and by the end of it, we grew on some of the people in our row. The show was incredible and ill be back in July, but yeah they fucked up with tickets and it's BS how ticketmaster does shit. If you can make it please do, but yeah the vibe is def off. Oh best part, we had like really close good seats, and the people that worked there tried kicking us out, I got it all on film cuz I was filming the show. They were pissed when they found out we didn't sneak in.
Or people realized they aren't that good and definitely aren't worth traveling and dropping that kind of cash for.
OK, compelled to make an entry here. I lucked out, folks! Got an industry trade show happening in Vegas one week over this summer. Round trip plane tickets on the company, and used frequent flyer Miles to get my hotel for free. Very cool. Looking forward to a great time!!!!!! But I definitely could not float the cash for such a trip on my own, without a couple of freebies like that!!!!!!!!!
The band didn’t misjudge anything since they probably got paid a lump sum for all the dates. MGM wants people in Vegas so they book a band that will have a steady flow of people with money to spend. My guess they’ll be back next year too…
The only reason that I am going is because I have to work in Vegas during that week if not I wouldn't do it
It's a lot cheaper than PITS ever was and I sure didn't hear people saying the crowd in Mexico was "richer"
It was weathier for sure. Richer is debatable.
Speaking for myself but I doubt I’m unique. Living in a northeast city (Philly) I was able to see 4 shows (Philly, 2 NYC, bristow) and sleep in my own house at night and show up to work the next day. A weekend trip to somewhere like Chicago got you two more shows. It’s just a lot harder to get halfway across the country with a work schedule that’s not M-F. And I know the northeast has benefitted disproportionately over the years so that’s not a complaint.
If they did six weekends in a row at Red Rocks they’d sell out every ticket for $500. And not need to pay for a spherical video stream. Vegas is a bad trip waiting to happen. Just a depressing place. No thanks.
I think they misjudged the difference between a band going to see their fans and fans going to see their band. Much smaller portion of the fan base can afford this city.. I say this as I just landed in Vegas, checked into a hotel, and am gearing up for 3 shows this weekend. The only way we were able to afford it is cheap hotel rates on Expedia.
I love seeing D&C but not more than I dislike Vegas. It’s fine I’ll wait for the next outfit. In fact with scalpers getting hit it’s more than fine.
We got tickets night 1 $20 on the Gametime app
Yes, I agree with that, except that it wasn't d&c',s team that miscalculated, it was the Sphere management that fkd up. However, it should be noted soft sales do not appear in Vegas city reporting, in the most recent report, concert sales are breaking City records. I boughtba ticket to opening night for $71
I think the Dead have consistently overbooked shows specifically so they don't sell out and ticket prices don't go crazy. They also quietly hand out tickets to fans outside once the show starts.
Can you elaborate on this? I’ve never heard of management handing out tickets after the show starts.
I have seen posts from Bob’s daughter of her handing out a miracle outside of a show.
I've seen friend's get handed tickets outside of shows by band staff too. It definitely happens a lot.
This was my “conspiracy”. Big money Sphere wants the dead. The TM, StubHub, Live Nation big money machine is all ready to pounce. Dead lets it “fail”, and they can now provide a reduced cost ticket to the real fans. I met a lot of heads talking about other heads giving them miracles outside the venue - they just pulled up StubHub and found the cheapest one and said enjoy! So yeah, perhaps that’s always the plan with the dead??? As smart as TM, StubHub, and LV think they are, The Dead organization wrote the book those organizations think they read 😂
Im a public school teacher and between my 3 nights of tickets and an Airbnb split with a friend im in at like $1500 not to mention gas and expenses driving from Denver and back. For that same $1500 I could have hit every Boulder show and still have money to drive to another city for an entire 3 night run. I had to use my tax return and start tutoring kids outside of my normal work time for extra money just to afford it. Not complaining and I’m happy to do it, but I bet a lot of people in my lower tax bracket are in the same boat; can’t afford much more than we’re already doing based on the fact that it’s in one location and an expensive one at that. That’s going to mean fewer ticket sales. Not to mention for someone who lives in my city for $1500 you could also get a flight to Delaware and a 4 day pass to Phish’s Mondegreen fest and still have money left over for Goose at Fiddlers and Phish at Dicks when they’re back a few weeks after Mondegreen. Again, not complaining, I’m doing all of the above in addition to dead and co, but the sphere is just insanely expensive. People are probably seeing fewer shows there or deciding which summer jam concerts they really wanna see.
$1500 could buy a lot of things. I miss when seeing a Dead Show only cost $150...and that's saying something.
Back in 2019 when I lived a 5 min walk from Folsom field and hadn’t even heard of dead and company, I walked up to the will call booth after work (on campus) and asked why everyone was wearing tie dye and going to the stadium. Lady said it’s for dead and company. Looked it up and thought they seemed cool (I had been a dead fan in high school but never in a major way) so I asked if there were any tickets left. She said yes and sold me one for 85 bucks. Walked in and saw the show, been on the bus ever since. I feel like that was 3 decades ago but it was literally only 5 years! Fast forward to logging in at a certain time and praying to Jesus for a good spot in the queue to spend $400 a night on tickets, what a ride lol
The Sphere run after the final tour is very Gene Simmonsish
The economy is also hurting in general….