Another phase of the big American adventure that is the Grateful Dead came to a close in Chicago over the weekend.

"Fare Thee Well" was billed as the final bunch of shows featuring the four remaining core members of the band, at least as a whole group. Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir were joined for the big sendoff by Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and Bruce Hornsby on piano.

A couple of warm-up shows in Santa Clara last weekend had expectations of long-time fans somewhat tempered, as the current lineup of the band seemed at times to be feeling out what their roles would be. Anastasio especially seemed reticent to step on the toes of the longstanding members when taking on the role that Jerry Garcia used to occupy in the jams, despite constant encouragement from the fans.

Any worries about the quality of the last three gigs were largely unfounded, though, as the band seemed renewed and ready to roll from the first notes on Friday. The band opened the Chicago run with "Box of Rain," not coincidentally the last song that the Dead played with Garcia at the same venue almost 20 years before. The rest of Friday's first set featured almost wall-to-wall fan favorites from the band's extensive catalog, including "Jack Straw," "Bertha," "The Wheel" and "The Music Never Stopped."

The band really hit their stride early in the second set Friday, though, when they dropped a couple of classic song combinations. A perfectly blended "Scarlet Begonias" and "Fire on the Mountain" really got the set cooking, with the former featuring some outstanding lead work from Anastasio. After taking the customary trips through drums and space and a positively melting "Playing in the Band" it seemed as though they might be content to end with "Let it Grow." Instead, they finished with another classic sequence, this time the three-part run of "Help on the Way," "Slipknot" and "Franklin's Tower." Capping off an amazing night was "Ripple," seldom played with Garcia.

After Friday night's all-killer, no-filler run through all time classics, Saturday's show represented a bit of a change of pace. Though the band still mixed in a number of classics, like "Shakedown Street" and the first repeat of the entire five-night event (including Santa Clara) "Cumberland Blues," much of the show focused on material from the last couple albums of the band's storied career. Anastasio was given the imposing task of filling in for Garcia's lead vocals on "Standing on the Moon" and "Foolish Heart" while Hornsby added a funky vocal flourish to the underrated "West LA Fadeaway."

Also of note night two were a number of songs that referenced the day. Lesh gave life to a late-era Garcia gem "Liberty" early on in the proceedings. The band closed out the second set with "One More Saturday Night," a Chuck Berry influenced Weir original before ending the night with the Uncle Sam rave-up "US Blues."

In typical Dead fashion, the shows were only part of the overall experience. Anyone in Chicago over the weekend was bound to run into a wide variety of tie dyes and dreadlocks, some showing more than a touch or two of grey. The smell of veggie burritos and heady grilled cheese filled the parking lot scene affectionately known as "Shakedown Street." Police presence was for the most part unobtrusive and helpful in helping guide the teeming throngs of fans into and out of the venue each night.

The world of the Grateful Dead – and the bands they've spawned over the years (like Anastasio's Phish) – is full of a myriad of cliches, but one of the most time tested is "never miss a Sunday show." It definitely held true this weekend. From the opening notes of "China Cat Sunflower," it was apparent that the band was committed to giving the grateful legions a proper sendoff. The first set had its share of Weir rockers, like "Samson and Delilah" and the closing beautifully dated '80s throwback "Throwing Stones." It also contained several more introspective pieces, like the apropos "Built to Last" and the haunting oldie "Mountains of the Moon."

The second set opened with the classic rock radio staple "Truckin," which was only the second (and final) repeat of the entire run. The band then took the Weir favorite "Cassidy" out for a long spin around the venerable old (and also disturbingly new) venue, stretching out the jam in the song longer than most versions played by the original lineup. After a well played version of "Althea," the band set out for the kinds of heights that few groups ever reach in their music, taking a shot at the Garcia epic "Terrapin Station" and finding their way along the path like the old prospectors they are.

There are two types of Dead fans: those for whom the standard second set drum solos are an excuse to use the restroom and those that wait all night just to get to that moment. On Sunday, though, Kreutzman and Hart dug into their considerable bag of tricks (and drum stand full of toys) to give everyone in attendance a taste of the strange.

That accomplished, the rest of the band rejoined the drummers, and the mood returned to the introspective. First, Lesh led the band through "Unbroken Chain," a tune he wrote in the early 1970s but that the band refrained from playing live until the final year of their run in 1995. Following that was the fitting Garcia meditation on mortality "Days Between," which featured some fine ensemble playing. To end the set, the band played only its second cover of the weekend, the Buddy Holly tune "Not Fade Away" which became one of the most beloved anthems in the band's entire repertoire. 

Clapping and chanting could be heard throughout the encore break, until the band came back on stage and played their biggest chart topper: the surprise hit of 1987 "Touch of Grey." It was a fitting choice for a group of men whose youngest member is the 46-year-old Chimenti. After another short break, the band came out and ended their run with a tasteful version of the legendarily difficult to sing "Attics of My Life" while each member of the group got their moment on the Soldier Field Jumbotron. As if to prove it wasn't all going to be sappy retrospection and tearful goodbyes, Weir wore a shirt containing the phrase "Let Trey Sing," which had become something of a battle cry on the Internet for fans over the last eight days. As if anyone there needed proof that the Prankster spirit wasn't dead yet.

These aren't likely the final public performances for anyone in the group, and the music itself will live on in many forms, including being played by some of the best and most dedicated cover bands working today. The finality of the group's last on-stage huddle and bounce was quickly set aside on the walk out of the venue as fans could be heard chanting through the tunnels surrounding the stadium to the tune of "Shave and a Haircut":

"You know our love will not fade away ... "