If you spent even a sliver of time within a few miles of Soldier Field this past weekend, then you know that it was impossible to ignore the Grateful Dead’s three-day good-bye, “Fare Thee Well.” The unparalleled tie-dyed presence could be an annoyance for those folks who have no tolerance for jam bands—but who among us wouldn’t want to see a band we love bid adieu with the same sense of import and celebration that surrounded these “Fare The Well” shows? Almost 50 years later, the band’s Summer of Love-era lineup—Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart—performed for thousands of Deadheads with the help of Phish front man Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby, and organ and synth player Jeff Chimenti.
Tickets were in high demand in the months leading up to this momentous blowout, so I didn’t make it to any of the shows. Fortunately ace photographer Bobby Talamine was on the scene, and he captured some fantastic shots of the Dead in action. So throw on “Attics of My Life,” the final song the band played at last night’s show, and take in Talamine’s photos below.