While Neil Diamond and other big moneymakers in the concert world are taking some heat for purposefully letting prime tickets get into the hands of scalpers, The Dead (comprised of former members of the Grateful Dead) are auctioning off tickets to the first five rows of their upcoming tour to the highest bidder among their fans, and proceeds will go to their own Rex Foundation and other charities.
Percussionist Bill Kreutzmann tells Billboard:
"Charities need money. They need help, especially these days. This puts those seats into the hands of our fans, who are not only getting great seats and good music but also know the money is going to charitable organizations."
The Dead have prepared a whopping 150 songs to choose from for this tour, which kicks off April 12th. They'll play on The Late Show with David Letterman April 23rd.
