Grateful Dead Meet-Up At The Movies

A year after Brent Mydland’s passing, the Grateful Dead returned to the summer stadium circuit, playing Chicago’s Soldier Field for the first time, with two keyboard players filling the seat Brent left vacant.

Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick’s presence and musical contributions reinvigorated and revitalized the Grateful Dead, and the inspiration of the Dead’s playing was palpable. On a Saturday night in front of 60,000 fans, the Dead played what is often considered one of the greatest shows of the Bruce-Vince era, up there with the second Giants Stadium show from a few days earlier. The Soldier field show was filled with favorites, including “Shakedown Street,”“Brown-Eyed Women,” “Playing In The Band,” “Terrapin Station,” and “Dark Star.” From the original six-camera video feed that appeared on the stadium’s big screens and the pristine soundboard audio, Chicago 6/22/91 is an incredible performance start-to-finish.