Chicago

When The Official Home of Unofficial Grateful Dead and Music News was born in January, it was really just a place for me to tell jokes and entertain myself while everyone else argued on message boards. My first couple of satirical articles were copied and pasted on a couple of Grateful Dead Facebook Pages. Someone suggested I start a blog and I had no idea how to go about doing that. One thing lead to another and here we are. I never really had any hopes or expectations for any of it, I just figured I could have some fun and help the time go by while waiting for the shows. In the process I gained quite a few friends and a handful of haters. Neither mattered much really as neither had much of an impact on my daily life.

Fast forward to yesterday when my phone rings and Peter Shapiro is on the other end. When I got the call, I couldn’t help but laugh as I realized the impact of what started as just another avenue to express some creative energy, most of which was comedy, all of it initially a joke… The joke has taken on a life of its own and that’s just as hilarious. Through our brief conversation it became obvious to me that Pete Shapiro cares about all of this more than he’s really required to. I’m not going to divulge any information that was exchanged at the moment but I will say that there’s more to come. The problems that have occurred can and will be settled within our family. It was obvious to me that Shapiro gives a shit about the community and he’s interested in putting on THE BEST show possible as well as doing what he can to satisfy a fan base that has really never been very easily satisfied. I respect him for it. I’d encourage people to give it some time before talking to media outlets outside of our community. I assure you that Peter cares more about what’s going on within our community than some reporter from the Chicago Tribune.

I looked at my phone tonight and there’s a text from Peter asking me if I had a few minutes to chat. Peter’s humility and honesty was incredible. I’m a nobody with a blog and the promoter of the biggest shows in 20 years is on the phone again. I’d like to publicly apologize to Peter for the absence of respect I may have displayed over the past few days, weeks or months. I don’t apologize for bringing up the issue because the issue is absolutely being resolved. It’s being resolved in as Bold and Unprecedented a fashion as I’ve ever seen with all parties involved in complete agreement. It applies to those who purchased their tickets through GDTSTOO only. I’m gonna let Peter’s upcoming letter give you the details but it’s a solution that is much bigger than I expected. If you’re not satisfied once the resolution is offered, or if you have anything shitty to say about the band, the money or Peter Shapiro, you might be an asshole too. Naturally there will be those that find fault in damn near anything, you’ll recognize them when they post…

For now, I hope you can sit tight. A solution is coming…

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

122 thoughts on “Genius To Jackass To Giant Among Men!!!

  1. Cash Ramone

    dran, you’ve been nothing but honest, and for whatever reason, you got your mojo working, and at least I’m enjoying the ride, much in enhanced by your whimsical dancing on the edge of Magic. Thanks for the seat on the bus .

  2. cat

    i couldn’t be more thrilled. i believed in pete and now he has heroically proven me right! he is a genuine human being with a good heart and a beast of a mission. he is manifesting our loftiest dream. he is an artist and concerts are his medium. thank you, pete, for keeping a loving heart when bad vibes were hitting you from all sides. we love you, cool cat! peace, cat2

  3. templetonrules

    Man, I’ve enjoyed all of your articles for their comedic value. I’ve laughed out loud many times, and for that i thank you. It’s so great to hear that Shapiro cares enough to reach out to you. I can’t wait to hear what is coming up next! In your defense, most of your entries have defended him and the band (until the last one) so I’m sure that’s why he chose to hit you up. You’ve been a voice of reason amidst much turmoil and it has been recognized. Keep on writin’.

    1. Jeff

      I am writing this with the hope that Peter reads it. You obviously read Dean’s blog, so hopefully you are reading this. Know that I am happy that I was selected in the mail order and thankful to be going!! I have no problem with you making tons of money on the show. Grateful Dead or not, business is business. Thanks for putting the shows together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With all this said……

      My big issue with your letter is the comment about being 20 years older and wanting a seat. Ask 100 heads if they prefer GA Floor or Reserved 200/300’s. 95 out of 100 will say GA Floor. We will all be dancing! You chose to sell more tickets and this is the choice you made to do it. A simple, “I am sorry, I handled this the wrong way” would go a lot further.

      This move enabled you to sell more tickets. I am OK with that. More brothers and sisters get in the show and yes, everyone has the right to make money. My issue is that it is disingenuous to say those that spent extra money would prefer a seat over the floor. The issue is we did not get what we were told.

      Also, we paid extra for decorated tickets. We should not have to return them in order to get a refund. I hope you revise your statement and say, “You did not get what you paid for and I am sending all of you (those affected) a discount accordingly. We have your addresses and emails and all you need to do is go to the show and know we will be sending you a partial refund”. I tried to do what I thought was right and I simply messed up. We all mess up sometimes. I am sorry.”

      That Peter is simply the right thing to do. The Deadhead community (or most of us) would take your apology and the discount and move on. Everybody makes mistakes.

      …..and yes, I would have paid $215 for section 200 or 300 if that is what I needed to do to get in the show. That is not the point as that is not the deal I made as I stuffed $1,200 into an envelope and sent it to people I trust (yes I still trust GDTS TOO).

      Peace!

        1. Jeff

          Dean – Thanks for taking a leadership role in this. I understand ticket stubs will be returned. They shouldn’t need to be sent is my point. My post mostly was intended to tell Shapiro if he is listening that an apology goes further than bad excuses. Enough said…..I am psyched for Chicago and regardless of where I sit, I am thankful he put the shows together.

        2. Kelly

          Then why go through the charade of making folks send them back at all? As pointed out before gdts has all of the info on who paid what etc. this is just a ploy to ensure most folks don’t get a refund. I love you man…love your blog, your insight, and your writing….but please stop being used by Shapiro as an apologist…your too good for that Dean. Doing the right thing means ponying up and refunding the folks that were overcharged. Enough with the games….he made millions off these shows. He knows he was wrong and admitted it, so why not do the right thing already?

  4. Pat

    Thank you for brining our concerns to the forefront. Your voice has been heard … Seems that you believe that Pete is going to resolve the problems. All good news …. Thank you …. I am looking forward to the solution and more so looking forward to the shows ….. Being with family again ….

  5. Mitch

    Buy one season pass to the Capitol Theater, get a coupon for half off an entree at Phil’s Crabshack!

    Woohoo!

    No doubt that Shapiro is a nice guy, a bona fide true fan. Probably tells you what you want to hear. But maybe he’s not quite ready for prime time, spending a bit too much time cleaning up messes he should’ve had the foresight to avoid. He’s never pulled off an event near this magnitude in the past, what made anyone think he’d do so now? Haven’t even made it to Chicago yet.

    1. B

      “He’s never pulled off an event of this magnitude”? False- Lock’n festival is much much much larger and a far greater logistical nightmare. He’s as big as they get and the right man for the job. You obviously don’t know the players or the game.

      1. Mitch

        Lockn has half the daily attendance and occurs on a private rural plot of land. Doesn’t come anywhere near the size, logistics, or dollars involved in this. And there are several promoters and production companies that put on the larger music fests and events around the world. Even a smaller company like Jam On in Chicago would’ve had better resources to handle this thing. But please, tell me more about the “players” and the “game.”

      2. Eric

        Lock’n had about 20k attendees (give or take a few k) over a 4 day weekend in the middle of beautiful Nelson County, VA. Fare Thee Well is 5 shows covering 2 cities and 2 weekend and over a million people logged on to TM for the initial offering of Chicago Tickets. There’s PPV, movie theater showings, etc..etc…etc.. I think you need to redo your math B on which event is Bigger. No disrespect to Lock’n, I’m just down the road from Nelson and have been to both and going again, but come on dude.. you got blinders on.

      3. FaceOnMars

        Yes, we all know about “Interlocken” … I believe said name was the first thing which was walked back re: festival.

    2. jen garcia

      Thank you Dean for bringing this to light! I am one of the GDTS section 438 and I anxiously await the resolution.
      Thank you for keeping the faith alive!!!!
      Jennifer

      1. Andy

        Jen, did you request better tix and get 438 + money orders returned? I’m was approved but have not gotten anything back yet and trying to piece together what GDTS are actually doing with fulfillment. thanks! Andy

  6. greg cavallo

    Im a huge fan and yes this is exciying news for sure. But many of us i know me really thought chicago would be it and spent alot of time, money, and recieved huge stress about making it to these shows. I just wish they had the forsight to see they are still the best draw out there, they still love playing together again and didnt bullshit about these are the last 3 shows ever which is great they arent but would have saved alot of hassle. Never the less see you in chicago

  7. Andino

    Once again Shapiro answers the call (see Stewart Salvo’s articles)… Time will tell with what lies in store.. I am ever so curious to see what will be done.

    Good job on the blog, So Tilly!!!!! And kudos for the apology. Your honesty comes through in the words…

  8. MTG

    I am fast coming to the realization that None Of This Matters, the economy still sucks, I’m still broke and unemployed, and although I was on those normal-price hotel reservations like greased lightning, if I want to go to any of these shown I’ll have to hitchhike, sleep on a Mexican serape (I did make a backup reservation at the youth hostel but even that’s looking sketchy), and gruel for a miracle ticket and some brown rice. I’m waay waay too old for this shit. Plan C, get Cox Cable to front the PPV until the bill comes next month and then dust off the rabbit ears antenna.

    Thanks for hooking up with Shapiro, I figured anybody associated with Wetlands Preserve is Probably All Right.

  9. Richard Beck

    I loved your fist article (that I read) about the ‘Genius’ part, I hated the second after that about the ..well you know.. All the time I am putting this together in my head from all the things that I read long before like that Shapiro was a Head in the first place himself seeing many shows in the 90’s as a late teen and early 20 something that he says inspired him to get in the music business at all. Secondly he became very, vey close to the band over many years, there are whole stories and articles and interviews from way back when and before this all started, the details of which I don’t want to paraphrase because I’ll get some point wrong and someone will call me on but they’re out there for anyone to see. Anyway one thing is a fact the band members trust him have been working with him for years – this could not have been done without him and they would not have done it for or with anyone else. If his own and his company’s profits were his only concern then why did he do so much cut down on overheated demand by putting on first two more shows, then streaming all shows individually or as a discount package, make the show available to every movie theater that would take it around the country for a $14 ticket, broadcast it in clubs, bars and venues all over the country and send the sound feed out free to anyone with access to Sirius XM?

    He in fact took allot of the air out of the balloon and he did that intentionally – he referred to his intention back in early March of doing a reverse jujitsu on the scalpers. some have said what is the difference between Shapiro raising prices on the second release and paying a scalper? Accusing him of scalping his own tickets? The difference is the money goes to the band for whatever percentage that they have in this which I am sure is significant part of every single face ticket sale and not going to someone otherwise just speculating the same as pork belly futures. I don’t have all those answers but everyone else seems to think they do.

    So I was wondering when was Peter going to respond to this, how he would ,if he would and when he would – or was he just going to let these rumors fly, fester and grow. I wondered what his answer or response would be – polished PR denials and lies or truth and straight from the heart with new compromises and solutions and most importantly explanations to just how it works. I was myself growing a little tired of pitching possible alternative explanations gleaned from common sense and some research to counter the haters and victims broad and worse assumptions.

    For instance I believe that the last Friday re-release involve mostly the club section tickets after the Permanent Season License holders Right of First Refusal ran out, meaning they probably weren’t available earlier to GDSTOO or for the fits public sale but really what do I know? – I give the man the band chose not blindly but carefully to handle this for them – the benefit of the doubt but really he should speak for himself. So I am really, really refreshed by Dean’s latest article and yea you got the call man and you stirred the pot so who was he going to call, right? It takes a man to admit that he may have been wrong and to apologize .I look forward to the letter form Mr Shapiro and stand amazed as you are at what one focused person can do. Your articles were being taken as Gospel is some circles so yea it makes sense that he would call you respectively – glad you helped this along the way.

    I wasn’t going – 45 years of seeing the Dead and all the after Dead Bands since I was 15 in 1970 and it is in my hometown where I live – got shut out of Mail order, got shut out of the public release with four computers trying any day any ticket. So I managed to get two 300s for the 4th on the second release for the $220 apiece – twice what I thought they were going for but I am glad to be coming back to see the boys one more time with my wife for her first and last show, I hope the vibes get better form this point out but like you said some will never let go of it. thanks though for pushing it along.

  10. Jeremy Poynton

    Dean – great site, however, for those of us with old and not very good eyes, pale grey on white is REALLY hard to read; any chance of more contrast!

    Thanks

    Jeremy

  11. Billay

    Dean,

    Not sure if I followed you because your good…..or because you’re the only one consistently putting out information on the scene (both actually). The call from Shapiro puts you now beyond good.

    Having gone through the 7 stages of grief, I will warily hope for an equitable solution. Looks like the book is going to have an interesting chapter!

  12. Denny Horn

    Great follow up Dean. You might want to forward to the wash post reporter. And encourage peter to send his letter to him or the editor as well so he gets his day in court.

  13. Joel S

    I’m not sure what could be more ridiculous – the issue or its forthcoming resolution!

  14. Htetz

    Wow…that had to be a shock to get that call! I have really enjoyed your blogs – both for honest straight forward info and the humor and fun in which they were written! I hope what you say is true…I have always had faith that it would some how work out. Looking forward to seeing what comes next! ✌️❤️

    As for ‘Mitch’…”you can’t have a positive life with a negative mind!”

  15. NicoBlue74

    I appreciate that Shapiro is doing something for the mail order fans and I am extremely grateful for them. But I must admit that it hurts a bit to have done everything right on mail order only to be one of the last money orders returned just before on sale date, then to have driven 20 minutes away from home to sit in a restaurant for 2 hours (after buying food) to try again and lose out, then to try a bigger city 45 minutes away and pay $220 for 2 tickets on the floor behind folks who paid less than half. Just because I was not lucky enough to be picked first round I still get duped? I worked harder for my tickets when it comes down to it. I am grateful and will take my lumps, but unless I am reading this wrong there will still be a lot of hurt people. This teacher doesn’t have the kind of money corporate execs and business folks do. Still happy to be going, but have grown discouraged with the whining and frustrated with the amount I paid when others are getting lucky.

  16. SpreadHead

    Next time Peter calls ask him to send a sherpa with beers up to my 400 level seats in row 35. I didn’t mail order for anything in the nose bleeds, yet that is what I was bait and switched into. All three nights, all 400 level, all row 20 or higher, and that level wasn’t even an option when I spent hours decorating my envelope, buying my money orders, and making sure I followed the directions to a tee. Even the people looking for a miracle just to get in the show don’t want my tickets. I feel cheated and lied to, and the only thing at this point that would make it better is a seating upgrade. Peter, if you are out there, and you truly do care, get me out of the nosebleeds and upgrade my tickets so I can actually see the boys. Call me, text me, email me, just get me some seats in one of the sections I actually mail ordered for. 8583360881, [email protected]. Thanks in advance,
    -Sean

    1. joel

      SpreadHead grate come back and good for you to speak you mind .. all correct what your saying
      dean ?? this is true .. unless peter puts on a free show in central park in aug for jerrys bday then he will not be forgiven.. # he is not up to the task for these type of shows .. maybe his small venues which are great and hold under 2k peeps but this is way above him .. and all the suden he wakes up to make a statement >> f him

    2. kidfrogger

      Same here my friend. 400 level all 3 nights. Those tix were supposed to be 59 and not available through mail order.

    3. DCRHEAD

      Same here brother , you would think that after all that effort the least they could do was to give one or two shows in the price range we were charged but all 3 shows in section 430 – 435 and all rows above 30 . Are you kidding me ? Who in gods name made that call ?
      Completely ridiculous, insulting and unacceptable . We were supposedly the lucky 10 % getting tickets through our beloved band and now we have the worst seats in the whole damn stadium .
      Something needs to be done and in my opinion Shapiro’s letter is not nearly enough!!! the bottom line is I and many others did exactly what we were supposed to do and In good faith and trust sent our money long in advance and this is how we are treated!!! I am beyond pissed especially since I didn’t even try to buy tickets with the general on sale assuming I am getting tickets from the band itself so they must be decent seats Wow section 435 for all 3 shows I still cant believe it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not sure what options I have but rest assured I will be exploring all of them . I will still go and I will still have a great time and enjoy the scene with a band I have spent 40 years worshiping ……but justice will have to be done “one way or another” you just cant screw around with people like that not matter what

    4. crashwrite

      Thanks for sharing this. I’m curious about which money orders you sent in and how much you were charged.

      – Is it the case that you sent in the 3-money orders (totaling about $200 per night) and you received 400-level seats and they cost the $200?

      – Or were you charged less for those seats and you received some money orders returned to you with your 400-level tickets?

      – Or, did you send in less than the maximum and they charged you some amount under $200 for the tickets but did not return any of your money orders?

      – Or, something else :>) I’m mostly curious about whether money orders were returned to you or if they kept all the money you sent in.

      Thanks!

  17. Eric

    That’s great he is fixing things for the folks who got tix through GDTSTOO but what about the folks who got tix through TM last week in the re release who paid double the original on sale price? I am grateful to have gotten tickets last week, would just like answers on why the price jump?

    1. Steve-O

      You knew what the price was and where your seats would be before you hit that purchase button. There was no bait and switch here. If they were too much, or you were unhappy with the location, why did you buy them? That’s just your own fault dude.

  18. Howard

    All i want is my santa clara tix so i can relax.
    i did manage however to get my parking tickets ay 73 per show.
    AS for Chicago i want to know i am getting the tix promised by Gdtsoo.
    The longer the tix are held up the longer the scalpers win.What Chicago needs is for tix to be sent so a lively secondary market pricing is out .

  19. Don

    What they said ^ I too, was one of the mail orders waiting in limbo with no word before the TM on-sale date… I was lucky enough to score tickets on TM… but they’re behind the stage… I would have rather gotten mail order, I’d take 400 level and those pretty tickets… I can’t help but complain a little bit, my shitty seats have no view!

    1. Emily

      Funny, I feel the opposite. We also did not get our mail orders tickets but scored behind stage 3 day passes through TM. Now that I hear all the 400 section tickets people are receiving I am VERY happy with my 200 section behind the stage.

  20. Michael Murphy

    I just paid $200+ for single seat on the 4th in section 310 via TM. This event is a surely a cashbash and it appears Pete the Prick wants some positive PR to cover up the disappointment to many. So, I am an asshole for complaining, however, I am not a fool for feeling cheated by a predatory promoter. Don’t know how Pete can magically resolve such frustration to deadheads everywhere.

  21. Maria

    Thanks for sticking to your guns!
    The world is a better place because people like you dare to say
    out loud that there has been an injustice and “I don’t think it is fair!”
    Whatever happens here, please remember, that you are special.

  22. carrie

    Thanks for all of it Dean. 🙂 Now I just need my tickets, to know if I should be on this rollercoaster, or stay put on the Ferris Wheel.
    Love you long time.

  23. Barbara Kielbania

    I wish i could go. What bummed me out was i was rejected with Mail order first time ever. My envelope was a portrait. It is my 40 th birthday that weekend. I am just wishing everyone a safe time. I have no plans. I hope this gets resolved soon. Peter has bought some ornaments off me. He is a Big Hearted Man. To many hands in a pot bound to get mixed wrong. Be kind. . Peace.

  24. Eric

    Not to come off as being selfish, I am truly Grateful for the tickets I have. But what about all of us that got shut out of mail order or didn’t have the cash on hand at the time. So we had to resort to Ticketbastard and pay high prices and service fees. I don’t understand why it applies to those who just did tickets through GDTSTOO. Are we not prt of the family community as well. Hope to see you all at the show. Love and peace!!! Froggy

  25. Tim

    I’m glad you’re satisfied with what is to come. I am not at this point satisfied in any way. Since the 70’s I have been a faithful follower and even a legitimate authorized seller of GDM merchandise.But, for all the hoops Shapiro has had me jump through, money put out only to receive long after Ticketbastard put their inventory on sale was a real slap in the face. This is the first time I consider myself as ONE unhappy Deadhead…..

  26. Joel

    In my opinion, those who received tickets through GDTSTOO were only a handful of the “victims” in this debacle, and to make amends, however it is being done, only with them, is alienating everyone else who got screwed. I do not yet know what Peter Shapiro has in mind, although I’m certain it will make many people feel better, I can’t help but think about the legions of heads who got shut out of mail order, only to find out after the Ticketmaster on sale date. Additionally, what of the brutalization of Ticketmaster? I’m all for the second release, and possibility even a third if I heard correctly, after all, it does help keep the secondary market lower, but for Ticketmaster to over-inflate their prices due to simple supply and demand is just wrong. I have never met or spoke to Mr. Shapiro, but have heard many different reports about the kind of person he is, most of which have been favorable. I know he is a deadhead, and thinks of the fan in addition to his own pockets. I applaud him for that. Whether I and others can manage a smile when we all hear what his plans are to rectify the poor ticket distribution problems that occurred through the Grateful Dead mail order process, I can’t help but think how that is the one aspect that was not his concern or responsibility. That, as it has always been, is an in-house business. Ticketmaster is how he chose to distribute tickets on a mass market level, and those people got hurt by the process, what about them?

  27. JS

    So, what about us people who put in for the highest price range for Santa Clara and then I find out my seats are in that thin strip of 400 level seats…which didn’t exist when I submitted my order? It’s not just the mail order people who got screwed. He can’t blame GDTSTOO for that. Don’t get me wrong, I will have a blast and I’m happy that I’m going, but some acknowledgment of this would be nice..it’s not just Chicago.

      1. JS

        Well your post states: ‘ It applies to those who purchased their tickets through GDTSTOO only.’ Didn’t think the Santa Clara lotto was considered getting tickets through them…thought that was only the mail order…

        1. Tennessee Jed

          I am with JS. A number of us were screwed by the Santa Clara bait-and-switch, where the seating chart was changed after our orders were placed. We absolutely deserve a partial refund. Maybe you should make sure your new buddy Peter is aware of this!

          1. Milty

            I Agree TJed! I think they should at least honor the initial GRATEFUL DEAD PRICING CHART for Santa Clara!!!!!! Total disrespect that they chose to “REVISE” the chart after tickets were sold. Lieing, theiving, scammers!!!!

          2. Tennessee Jed

            Ok Dean, now that we have seen the response, and there was no remedy mentioned for Santa Clara, please use your personal connection w Shapiro to bring his attention to this. Everyone in sections 247, 248, and 249, as well as people in the front sections of 401 through 410 had a switcheroo pulled on them.

  28. Scott

    Dean,
    Did the Wash Post writer contact you originally or did he just write his article based on your blog?
    I will reserve judgement until something else happens. But just wondering how you and your satirical blog became taken so seriously? Please fill us all in.
    Congrats by the way as this has elevated your status!

  29. joseph

    I’m curious what exactly they are going to do? Offer to buy my tickets in the 400 section when all I requested was pit tickets. I have had multiple opportunities to purchase better tickets when they went on sale but didn’t because I thought I had mine in hand. Not to mention all my money being tied up for months now for some 60 dollar tickets. I don’t want my money back so you can scalp my tickets yet again? I want my tickets on the floor as promised!

    1. Heather

      You ordered Pit Only and got 400s? Wow. I thought since I ordered Pit Only I was safe from the switcheroo 🙁 (My tix haven’t arrived yet.)
      I’m happy to have gotten tix at all, but since I have been expecting Pits ever since my money orders were cashed in February that would be a bummer to get 400s.

  30. Jeremy Poynton

    Dean – thanks for that; for some weird reason, pale grey on white seems to be the default for blogs these days, which is hopeless for the likes of me. I mean, who would buy a book printed that way?!!!

    Love the blog – was put on to it by somebody from the Grateful Dead Society on FB

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/125770724157836/

    All the best

    Jeremy

  31. venus rising

    Perhaps the announcement will come out after Thursday? Right after mercury moves forward….very interesting. It’s written in the stars.

  32. Virgil

    Great article. As you say, NOTHING Sharpiro will ever do will satisfy everyone. Nothing is ever good enough. Kinda sad. On a blog technical note, on my screen (Chrome on Windows), randon lines throughout are missing from the article and comments. Keep writing, Dean.

  33. LDK

    I am an attorney. I’ve already been in touch with another attorney who handles class actions. I am willing to sit tight to see what Shapiro comes up with, but not for very long.

    I appreciate him trying to reach out to the community through Dean, but it is still clear to me, as it has been since the beginning, that Shapiro is in way over his head. it’s also pretty clear to me that whatever is coming is to avoid a lawsuit he knows he’d lose.

    Again, he gets points for caring and he gets points for trying to make this right. But he doesn’t have a lot of good will right now and something needs to happen soon.

      1. LDK

        Dude, if I had to file a lawsuit doesn’t mean I was looking to make money on it. I want what is right for me, my friends, and the rest of the Heads who got screwed.

        But Shapiro seems to be trying to do the right thing.

        1. Gary LEINWAND

          A class action law suit? This is my first time jumping into any of this. Multiple tours 89 to 95. Haven’t been to a show since selling our Chicago tickets and heading home after deer creek 95. Had our mail order tickets in hand for fall 95 Boston NYC and Toronto when Jerry died. I couldn’t imagine a Days Between or SOTM without Jerry (though admittedly didn’t dislike Bobbys version at the end of his movie). Anyways I’m rambling. I think a class action lawsuit is totally classless and wrong. Have fun enjoy the weekend shows and relax. If ou think you could do a better job get to work and try to put together something positive instead of a negative baseless what’s wrong with the world today lawsuit over this. put the energy and expense towards helping others and promoting positive energy.

  34. TDub

    Thanks so much Dean fir spearheading this issue.
    I was one of the early commenters to your blog and the list grew.
    I also commented on ths Washington post pierce under “keeping it straight”.
    You gave us a voice and a forum to be heard, I will await the announcement.
    All the love to GDTSTOO, The Boys in the Band and Pete, however let this be a civics lesson to, make yourself heard in a rational, public manner. Without this blog we would not be waiting for an announcement.
    I tip my cap to Grateful Dean, you took some heat for us.

  35. ruggerid

    I am stuck in the middle here…I will only relate with my personal experience.

    I was one of the limboheads for about two weeks…totally shut out of TM and CID too. I was really down. I couldn’t believe what was happening at the time – no word from GDTSTOO, all but 2 of my MO’s cashed (supposedly via a 800 USPS number) , no rejection letter, had tix in my shopping cart on TM only to see them disappear mysteriously, and no communication whatsoever from anyone involved.

    Because of this, the speculation was rampant and rumors began to swirl about this and that. I became engulfed in the hoopla. I tried to remain true but to no avail…my frustrations came out on reddit and other social medium.

    Then one night sitting in my chair watching a hockey game I got an email from Elvis that I was in fact a lucky ‘winner’. Batch 113. I was in shock, elated, but in disbelief. Was this a joke? Or was it real? I wrote back, Elvis confirmed a few days later, it was in fact a true miracle.

    A roller coaster of emotion to say the least.

    Fast forward to two days ago when the envelope arrived with my tickets inside…and $40 in money orders as well! (In addition to the Fri/Sat tix, I ordered pit for Sunday only to get sec 436 for Sun…a $20 difference for each ticket) A double score in my book…although no Pit.

    So yes I am happy with my outcome. But the wild ride it took to get there was less than desired. It came down to communication and the lack thereof.

  36. Billy Just

    I mailed (before I had the internet!) a scathing two-page letter to Dennis McNally (their then-publicist) immediately after I returned from the Deer Creek debacle in ’95. Not only did our car get broken into and my video camera stolen, but I slammed the Dead for everything from policing the increasingly chaotic scene of non-heads, traffic control, too many people without tickets, etc. and he actually called me and spent a good 20 minutes on the phone. Talk about a shock. He then sent back a signed letter afterward, thanking me for the input. Who’d have known Jerry would be dead just a couple weeks later. He took a good punch and was really apologetic. So it won’t surprise me if some good comes of this, but evil forces outside the Dead’s ken are at work here. We shall see…

  37. Heather

    I wish there was some way that those of us who got denied via mail order would be given another chance. As in: “Send us your mail order rejection letter and you can order tix that way” type of thing … We only asked for 2 tix to each night, not 8, asked for ANY seats, give us the nosebleeds and we’ll be GRATEFUL to dance in them …. Got denied via mail order and didn’t get lucky on either of the on-line releases …. Yet massive amounts of tix are still ending up in the hands of scalpers who could care less about the music, the scene or honoring Jerry … its all very frustrating and sad …. so here we are, making plans for Chicago, with our fingers in the air, a prayer on our lips and faith that somehow the Universe and our kind fellow heads will somehow help us see the show ….

  38. sam3b

    My guess is that there are still tix not released in the 100 and 200 sections (mostly middle 200) and he’ll offer those to the people who got nosebleeds.

    1. SpreadHead

      Samb, if Peter Shapiro offered me any upgrade from the seats I received from GDTSToo mail order, I would take them in a heartbeat! I’m not bitching about my crummy seats cause I got crummy seats, I’m bitching that I got put in a section that WASN’T available through GDTSToo. I would love pit, GA floor, 100, 200, or 300 level seats, that is what I send my hard earned money in for when I filled out my money orders and envelopes. What I expected to get was seats in one of the sections that were available to purchase through mail order.

      Here’s an analogy for ya:
      You go to a restaurant and have a choice between a filet, a NY Strip, and a Sirloin. You tell the waiter to give you the best steak he’s got, surprise me, but I’ll be happy with any of the three. They bring you out a Chicken Fried Steak! You’d probably tell the waiter to send back the Chicken Fried Steak they delivered to you plate, and bring me an actual steak. Unfortunately, I can’t send back my Chicken Fried Steak and ask for a do over, the restaurant that Peter Shapiro is running will only refund my money and leave me hungry out on the street!

      Make is right Peter, upgrades are in order for the mail order folks that got bait and switched into the 400 level Chicken Fried Steak seats!

      -Sean
      [email protected]
      858-336-0881

  39. scott

    Dean,

    We know you cannot divulge anything that was mentioned. But can you offer your opinion on how this happened? What I don’t understand is who got the 100 level seats that $215.50 MO’s were suppose to get? We had the info that our orders were filled prior to the TM first round. So what do you think actually happened?

  40. Kent in KY

    I knew that this would be a clusterfuck of unimaginable magnitude, so I stayed away from it. I’m going to stay at home and listen on SiriusXM. I hope everyone has a good time in SC and Chicago. Thank you and be safe.

  41. Max Bacall

    Thanks Dean for all of your hard work and supporting all of us and letting our voices be heard!

    It looks like your hard work and your voice might have been heard loud and clear and for all of your efforts I thank you profusely.

    I never ever had a problem with you speaking for all of us as I always agreed with your thoughts and processes.

    I can’t wait to hear the news and the ultimate resolution to make all of us “best fans in the world” happy.

    Max Bacall
    786-312-9131
    [email protected]

  42. The Wolf

    “god among men” is quite the claim to make before any details are even revealed… and why does such a glowing description make me feel as though something was personally offered to the author of this blog from the promoter in question?

  43. Blake

    My apologies if I missed this throughout the posts, but is there any kind of timeline we can expect to see this letter?

  44. The Wolf

    huge and unprecedented? hardly

    a truly fair retribution should be shapiro has to work at gdts alone and take care of all the refunds/logistics and answer personally to all the angry emails from here on out by himself… and miss the shows while he is there.

  45. Chad

    Peter is a deadhead. I saw him at Lockn before he was such a familiar face. I called him the modern day Bill Graham and I’ll bet he wants to roam the scene at both locations and even more he’d probably want to announce the dead before they come on stage.

  46. LDK

    Just saw the letter on Dead50.net.

    He’s fucked this up every step of the way, but Shapiro still appears to be trying to get it right.

  47. RK

    Next time peter calls ask him why he is only addressing GDTS i got shut out there and shut out on TM the 1st and 2nd time…i have been seeing the dead since 1973 and really wanted a 3 day pass for my wife and i ..the only option i have which is not an option is the secondary market. i would pay fair secondary market prices for Chicago but that doesnt exist. i have been buying tickets for a longtime i have never been shut out ever. now for the final fare well i have to watch online and pay!. If ticket sales were handled fairly and transparent i would be able to attend…so while your so excited about peter i am not! …hey now! ya got 2 extra 3 day passes for a fair price? I have a hard time believing peter is not about the money. if you attended Lockn you could see year to year how he changes everything for more money…example is VIP viewing area was moved further back for the 2nd year..if you wanted the same view in Vip from year one to year two it would cost $900 more…so keep telling me he isnt about the money…Santa Clara was handled a little better although ya still ended up with inferior seats than you wanted . While you could by from CID entertainment and know the seats you are getting but at a 5 x regular price. Ask peter what % he gets from that…when they could have been available to regular folk. Anyway i willl always be a fan of the music he cant charge me for that!

  48. onthebus

    so if you make enough noise about this, shapiro will give you good seats and maybe backstage passed to say nice things? that works for a couple bloggers and journalists, but what about the rest of us?

    this is false advertising plain and simple. I sent in money for a tesla, and I got an electric golf cart instead and was told it will get me there just the same. I bought those tickets at that time and at that price with full expectations that I would receive what I paid for. I passed up other opportunities to buy tickets because there was no information that I would not be receiving what I had paid for. the promoter made many comments and statements in that time period and could have easily informed people of the situation.

    this is going to look really bad when a news outlet like 60 minutes runs a headline story “GREEDFUL DEAD”.

    the only solution that will avoid a lawsuit is to give people the tickets that they ordered. otherwise, some people will buy tickets for the area they ordered, and sue everyone involved (shapiro, gdtstoo, individual band members, etc.) for the difference. then, in the lawsuit, we might get to see behind the curtain on how the tickets actually got sold.

    does anyone have a phone number for shapiro so I can call him and discuss how to make me whole?

  49. onthebus

    well you could have at least gotten something out of him for sucking up so much. giant among men is a pretty big statement. and I don’t see anything that backs that up.

    a giant among men would have expanded the mail order seating in the areas we paid for instead of selling those seats to someone else.
    a giant among men would tell us what he was up to rather than waiting for us to find out on our own.

    this is a mortal man who is trying to save face and minimize his legal exposure. I hope it costs him a lot more than the extra profit he made off of these shenanigans.

  50. Tom Thorn

    Thank you for so eloquently exposing the issue at hand here. As another victim of the mail order ticket switcharoo, I am just seeking a FAIR deal.
    Imagine this…. You went into a jeweler, chose a nice 1K diamond for your wife’s wedding ring, paid a lot of money for it (well in advance), and right before the wedding you go to pick up the ring and it’s 1/4 K diamond ring for the same price. Well… don’t let Dupree pick up the ring! I don’t think there is a single person on this planet who would think this is FAIR. Sound familiar?
    Let’s analyze this for a moment. What could the jeweler do now? Yeah, he could refund the difference…but that would certainly leave an unhappy bride, and a moment that only comes around once in a lifetime would be quite anti-climatic. In other words refunding $20 – $40 per 400 level nosebleed ticket doesn’t solve the problem.
    Without going off on a tangent that others have already covered I’ll just say that there is a good reason I went to my favorite jewelry store (gdtstoo) …. the had the best merchandise, or… the good seats. I reviewed the original seating chart and agreed that “any” of the seats that were available through mail order were acceptable to me before I paid. The cheap seats were from TM.
    Does the jeweler have time to make the right ring? ….The shows are just three weeks away.
    I hope Pete can make the bride happy on her wedding day….1/4 carat rings were not on the gdtstoo mail order menu. I am hopeful that seats can be re-assigned.
    I’ve mail ordered for several years with gdts and gdtstoo and have never had a problem like this. You either got your tickets or you didn’t. I don’t believe that gdtstoo or the band had much if anything to do with this. However I am not writing to complain or blame, I am simply trying to shed “just a little light” on what can only be perceived as some shady dealings at the moment and let my voice be heard. One thing we do know is that there is only one guy that can fix this and hopefully he will. The issue is about what’s right and FAIRNESS, not where we all get to sit at a concert.

    FAIR Us Well !

  51. K

    Anyone else notice their nosebleed seats are listed on the ticket at 79.50 and I paid 95.50? What happened to the rest of my money? Not to mention these tickets were not available when I mail ordered?

  52. Mitch

    I don’t see what’s bold and unprecented about giving people the money that’s owed them. I demand a doubles bowling match with Peter. Guess that makes me an asshole.

      1. Mitch

        Thanks, can’t wait to read your book. Hope it’s as coherent and insightful as this blog.

        Chapter 7: The Day Peter Shapiro Called Me and We Became Best Friends

  53. RI Tom

    I got my hopes up when I saw your post this morning! We received mail order tickets for Chicago, so we’re lucky (and trying to always keep that in mind), but finding out that are seats are in the 400s stings a little! We were speculating all day about what cool resolution Shapiro was going to offer. The opportunity for a refund isn’t quite as magnificent a gesture as I had in mind. Oh well, just another weird bump in the road on the way to Chicago. Thanks for your blog efforts – it’s a cool site!

  54. The Wolf

    apologies for the misquote dean, re: “god/giant among men” although the title is still a bit over the top given what was actually offered. it’s fairly easy to see this is all PR damage control in light of what could have been legal troubles for shapiro & company. either way there is plenty of egg to be cleaned off the face of this organization… letter of apology and refunds offered or not.

    so much of this could have all been avoided with a simpler pricing system in the beginning to treat fans fairly and also at a more affordable cost while still making $ for all involved. so, for shapiro to basically say offering tickets through the old school mail order system as the main reason we are where we are now is a scapegoat imo. haven’t those poor gdts employees dealt with enough grief??? imo, this was a clear case of mismanagement. it did not need to be this complicated.

    lastly, speaking to the core 4: they are not absolved and independent of this in my eyes. yes, these are matters they wish to not involve themselves in and i respect that… but when problems grow into proportions of this size for their fans that paid up to $225 a ticket i think something of a statement should come from them as well. after all these are their shows, i didn’t buy tickets to the peter shapiro show at soldier field. i’ve had plenty of that for the past 4 months, thank you very little.

  55. chip

    First of thank for bringing all this to light but this is still shady as shit. They should not have filled orders if they did not have the seats. If he is offering a refund then send it out now. Also most folks want to hold on to their ticket stubs. Shapiro should apply for the new opening at FIFA.

    1. Kelly

      Totally agree. If you did wrong and want to give a refund than give one. The letter smacks of a Netflix free trial that just sounds cheesy….send in your stubs if your not satisfied dude…..I think it is a good gesture but just give the refunds and stop playing games…also smacks of lawsuit protection…but what do I know. I too got fourhundreded in SC without resolution.

  56. Buffy

    I speculate that the way Mr. Shapiro intents to make it right is:

    1) a free download of the show
    2) a commemorative poster of the show
    3) a mailing or handout of coupons good for a beer or a hot dog at the show
    4) any or all of the above.

    If there is any rectification beyond that, I will consider it to be grateful gravy.

  57. Spike

    Since ’85’ Never shut out. Maybe just lucky?
    Bailed after Deer Creek in ’95’. It was well over by then. The scene was ugly and sad and If you were around…you could feel it. It was eerie.
    Love the boys for better or worse. We went for them. We could “party” anytime.

    So excited when the dates/details were officially released. I just knew we would get tiks through MO. Then we had to try TM, just because we hadn’t heard anything from MO yet. We already had close to 2k tied up in just MO. (3 tix for 3 shows) I guess I’m kind of Grateful that the TM Wheel just kept turning.
    I bet we had about the first hotel reservations in CHI though. 🙂

    I hope it all works out for everyone. I really do. I’m no more disillusioned now than I was before the beginning of the end.
    We decided to view the shows on a giant screen with a projector through PPV in our country back yard with friends.
    The biggest shows in the last twenty years with the best travelling fans EVER on July 4th weekend in CHI??? Oh boy.

    In the end all you’ll have is memories. Make em’ good ones.

    Peace freakies.

    Michael (~);-}

  58. john

    FYI all Sc tix are not part of the refund policy. only Chicago. i asked GDTS. i am only upset at SC because i did not put in for 400 level seats. i would rather have had nothing and dealt with after market than 4 in the nosebleeds that i cannot even get rid of for face value. i would have expected to receive nothing.

    Peter- hook us SC peeps up with the give back the tix deal please…if i wanted crappy seats i could have bought obstructed view right next to the stage for 80 bucks. at least it would have been loud.

    i go my chicago tix today, and am thrilled to heave seats each night( does that mean i’m old?) straight back at the end of the field all three nights- 100+200 level. yay.

    see you all there.

  59. Jeff

    I think what is being offered is fair, but I think it is a way to stop the lawsuits that were likely coming.

    The only thing that would be the last slap would be having to turn in the ticket stubs for a partial refund. That would be wrong. I am not saying that is the case and I hope I am wrong. A photocopy should suffice for a used ticket.

    Peter – I hope you read this and let those who attended and want a partial refund to keep their stubs.

  60. Billay

    Love you, big time!

    But why didn’t the big S send the notice there was a problem with MO tickets 2 months ago….a month ago? If he had sent this before MO hit the streets would there have been any uproar?

    I think what he has done is more than fair. Just wish someone in his entourage had clued him in earlier.

  61. Thorn

    Hey Dean,

    Will they also return me to Soldier Field to experience these shows from a seat I put in for if I send back my stub after the shows…. How do you replace that? Will they refund my air fare and hotel too if I send in the tickets by June 20th? Do you believe this is a fair resolution? Are you happy with this? It sure seems like most people are not. Your personal situation aside, Do you think everyone who got shystered should stop here or do you believe it is necessary, in the name of fairness and justice, to pursue this further and stop or even make an example out of people who commit crimes be them legal or moral.

    Again as I said in an earlier post, it’s not about where we all sit for a few concerts, it’s the fact that Shapiro did something that was wrong, on purpose, for his personal benefit, at the expense of thousands of people… you can’t possibly believe that his primary motivation was to get more folks into the show. If that was true he would have repriced the $200 reserved floor seats that got pulled and made them cheaper. I don’t know exactly how many more tickets were sold because of this but simple math would tell you that if there were say, three times a many tickets in that section now than they should be about $70 each. This is the proof in the pudding that shows Shapiro and his cohorts are greedy bastards. More people Pete, or more money?….tell the truth, your not fooling us.

    Deadheads – don’t buy into this refund scam. Stand united, don’t send back your tickets, or stubs for any menial refund. This is much larger than your seat at a concert and maybe a few bucks. Let’s stop getting pushed around by big wig rich guys. What do we really have to to lose? Believe me, If we are united we are any army of many strong. What ever happened to the old deadhead/hippy spirit, If we don’t like it we can change it….That’s how the laws are made in this country. If not for us now, than maybe for someone else sometime down the road.

    Come on Dean… don’t give up now, everyone needs you too.

    Don’t you let that deal go down!

  62. jen garcia

    well said jeff
    agreed
    shapiro you blew it
    say so
    say sorry
    give us back the money you owe us
    all of us
    gdts and sc sects 247,8,9 and lower 400s ($50 over charge)
    and yeah thanks for putting this together
    thank you dean again
    garcia out

  63. Noodles

    I appreciate that he acknowledged the bait-and-switch. However, the resolution, summarized, is that if you are willing to spend the money to return your souvenir ticket, they will give you the money they owe you. Forgive me for not doing cartwheels.

  64. kayo2225

    If you could,and you can,contact your new best friend and find out EXACTLY how many of the original $199.50 (yellow on orig chart) went to gdtstoo and how many went to Dan Berkowitz(Pete’s friend?)Then tell Shapiro that the proper thing to do is -ALL mail order lottery winners who were overcharged will be receiving full refunds for price difference from original seating charts.The refunds don’t need to processed today,but I think but the end of July is reasonable.No ticket stub crap etc.This can be done easily.He made MILLIONS on this.Hire a small crew for a week,go through the info and send checks.After all how many people are we talking about?According to what I remember less then 5,000 won the lottery.Oh and by the way-THIS IS MAIL FRAUD.gotta settle one old score one small point of pride.And don’t tell me I’m ungrateful.i’m not the thief.and pointed out earlier-He’s known for a while,but kept it under his hat until it’s too close to the show dates and everybody is scrambling.A great man indeed

  65. Chip

    Totally agree with the above post. Shapiro had enough mail orders to fill the 400 seats but chose to fill the orders he did fill with the $215 mail orders instead. This whole thing reaks of shadiness.

  66. kayo2225

    Didn’t john scher think he was a head and was always looking out for us too?timeline of events#1 cash all mail orders immediately#2um um um um um #3 get caught with hand in money jar#4tell everyone they misunderstood#5consult with lawyers and offer to give people almost what they should have gotten anyway and claim were even.lots of people are sorry for things they have done most of them will tell you that after they got caught. I am anointing myself the promoter of the next FARE THE WELL.it will take place in acouple of years and will consist of distribution of tickets to witness Petey going to prison for mail fraud and ironically in dean’s book,this was chapter 11

  67. grtfl62

    Gratefuldean, I enjoy your blog very much. Keep on Truckin’! I think though that PS falls considerably short of “giant” status, and as much as I don’t want to be writing this, yesterday’s “solution” just added more insult to injury as far as I’m concerned.

    First off, this notice should have been sent out months ago – before the 1st TM date even. Secondly, for Mr. Shapiro to state that partial refunds weren’t a “practical option” as a justification for charging folks (in our case 66%) more than the advertised price for tickets is mentally lazy at best and unconscionable and perhaps even illegal at worst. Many people (myself included) sent in “any” ticket requests with multiple money orders in various denominations – making “partial refunds” for these folks a no brainer. Also, since 10’s of thousands of Dead heads drained their bank accounts and trooped on down to their local post office to purchase money orders, its rather insulting to suggest that he couldn’t have done the same (in bulk generic denominations) to provide refunds for the remaining orders that were to be filled at advertised prices – since he’ll now be doing a lot of this in the near future.

    The final insult though is to make people have to ask for a refund only “if you’re not satisfied that you got your money’s worth”? Really? Your solution is to guilt people to not ask for a refund that they shouldn’t have to ask for in the first place based on how well they think the band played after the fact? And how many people does he really think are going to forego what they consider to be the show of a lifetime and return their tickets for a full refund? Talk about a hollow offer.

    So while I applaud and appreciate the effort to include more fans in this show of a lifetime, a little more forethought, effort, and honesty on the front side would have saved everyone a lot of angst, anger, and frustration on the backside.

    In closing, the only honest solution left is to suck it up, apologize to the band (since this is their legacy that is now forever besmirched) and the fans, and send unsolicited refunds to everyone who was charged more than their advertised ticket price. (I agree with the mail fraud angle and think that PS should consider himself lucky to avoid prosecution.)

    The Dead community (band included) deserves better for a farewell concert.

  68. Billy Just

    I’ve been reading the most recent back and forth between all the power brokers, and this “we’ll make it right” screed is getting more and more disingenuous every day. That’s being VERY polite. The latest round of glad-handing from Shapiro, et al stinks worse than patchouli oil. That Washington Post picture of Shapiro in his blue plastic windbreaker, literally wringing his hands, says it all. He reminds me so much of Rod Blagojevich I want to puke.

    Please don’t dominate the rap, Jack, if you got nothin’ new to say.

    I feel genuinely sorry for all those eager Heads who thought there was still some kind of magic firewall between this band and the evil machinery of the industry. Mickey’s own father is widely reputed to have seriously ripped the band off in their early days, so why would any of these guys be any different? Like Altamont in ’69, this is just a sad, inevitable, and pathetic death-rattle of a once-great scene that was already caving in under its own weight a good 2-3 years before Jerry even died.

    I remember the penguins at catholic school saying that “The Lord often punishes us by giving us what we ask for.” Amen to that, sister. Having seen 70+ shows from the early 80’s to early 90’s was by far the most cherished and influential period of my life, but I’m glad I trusted my gut and didn’t follow the lemmings over the cliff with this fiasco. F*ck the greedheads, and frankly it’s difficult not to think that (some or all of) the band members were aware of, if not downright complicit in, the most recent bait and switch tactics that Ticketbastard is famous for. Operator says that’s privileged information and it ain’t no bidness of mine.

    Recent word is that there will indeed be a PPV on conventional cable rather than (or in addition to) a net-based live feed, which definitely piques my interest if the prices are sane and if a party can be built around it, but if they ask some outrageous price like $500 for the three days (which I fear is likely to be a LOW estimate) they can all just hug my nuts. I’m waiting for Don King to come from behind the curtain. smoking his big cigar, saying “it’s stupendous, it’s spectacular, it’s colossal !”

    If you plant ice, you’re gonna harvest wind

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