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Grateful Dead To Broadcast 'Fare Thee Well' Concerts Live On Pay-Per-View

By Lisa White in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 22, 2015 8:45PM

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Regardless if you like their music or not, you've got to give the Grateful Dead a hand for knowing how to truly capitalize off their business endeavors. Besides the sold out "Fare Thee Well" shows they'll perform at Soldier Field in Chicago this summer, the two additional stadium sets at Levi's Stadium and a live broadcast in movie theaters nationwide, the Dead are now offering the ultimate lazy fan package: Pay-Per-View.

In what will possibly be one of the largest syndications of a live music event in history, Live Alliance will air the July 3, 4 and 5 concerts at Soldier Field in high-def available on a live Pay-Per-View broadcast both in North America and worldwide. The Santa Clara shows on June 27 and 28 will also be broadcasted live through an online webcast.

Starting May 1, fans will be able to purchase the package of all fives nights in a special pre-sale for $79.95. That's a pretty penny that could buy a lot of dancing bear bumper stickers. But since tickets for all the live shows swiftly sold out, it's still way cheaper than anything you'll find on the resale market. The pre-sale price will be available through May 15.

Pay-Per-View customers will get some special footage and guest hosts for the big event as well. Pulitzer-Prize and Emmy-award winning CNBC reporter Steve Liesman and two-time NBA MVP, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, sportscaster and "legendary Deadhead" Bill Walton will be your MC for the evenings. And during intermission the feed will feature interviews with special guests, live fan interviews and aerial views from Soldier Field as well as a short documentary on the Dead directed by Justin Kreutzmann.

For fans who miss the live broadcast, perhaps after "pre-gaming" a little too heavy and spending five hours staring at a a Grateful Dead tapestry instead, the full special will be available through Video-on-Demand platforms for 45 days. Whatever level of fan you are, the Dead have offered up plenty of options that will guarantee no one's mellow is harshed.