Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio is hoping to educate his fans before the upcoming Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary shows with the help of a little “bracketology.”

“To be honest, I don’t really follow basketball. But you know what? There’s been lots of talk and speculation about how I was chosen to play the final Dead shows, so I’m hoping this modified bracket will give the fans some insight into the competition I faced along the way,” Anastasio said in an interview on Wednesday.

The completed bracket features an extensive lineup of 32 notable artists from today’s jam scene, including a few unexpected wild cards. Grateful Dead Bassist Phil Lesh had words of praise for Anastasio’s creative presentation.

“We just want everyone to know that any of these artists could have been chosen to perform onstage with us at the Soldier Field shows. This is an important part of our band’s history and we feel this is the easiest way to record it,” Lesh said.

Click on the bracket below for a larger version.



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