Chicago is going to be one bustling metropolis during the weekend of July 4th this year. The surviving members of The Grateful Dead accompanied by a handful of talented musicians will take the stage at Soldier Field for Fare Thee Well on July 3th-5th; the last officially scheduled shows the band will ever play. Sure, one of the biggest, most important concerts of the year are taking place in Chicago this Independence Day weekend, but that hasn’t stopped loads of other bands from hopping on the bus and joining in the celebration of The Dead’s music and culture.
Joining the incredibly diverse range of events is an event built on extravagance, decadence and exclusivity, Dead On The Water. Dead On The Water was curated by none other than Otter Presents, a premier party-planning production company that has been known to put on a uniquely different type of event, the Spirit of Chicago Yacht parties. Usually made up of a super group of musicians, the artists booked for Otter’s yacht parties are contagiously talented and often from wildly different walks of the music industry.
This incarnation of the yacht party is proving to follow the same path. Featuring an incredibly funky duo including Bernie Worrell of Parliament Funkadelic and Leo Nocentelli of The Meters along with legendary bassist Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brother’s Band and beat machine Allen Aucoin of The Disco Biscuits, this yacht party is going to be rhythm heavy and incredibly funky, surely bursting with improvisational heights unseen before.
Tickets for this rare and illustrious event are going for around $100 and come with entry to the yacht and a free buffet. The voyage begins when the yacht boards at 12:45 a.m. July 5th and ends with the yachts docking at 3:30 a.m. Patrons are required to be 21 and up, as there will be many a refreshment to be had.
If you find yourself wandering the streets of Chicago the night of July 4 after witnessing a massive Grateful Dead show or any other number of concerts and events taking place that night, make your way to the Spirit of Chicago Yacht and catch a truly one of a kind show and experience, encompassing the vibes that will be flowing through Chicago the whole weekend.