Terrapin "Reunion" Cancelled

June 11, 2002 Posted: 3:11 PM EDT (1911 GMT)

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) --A county highway committee denied a permit to the promoters of a Grateful Dead reunion concert, saying the area could not handle the enormous crowd expected.

The Walworth County Highway Committee on Tuesday turned down the request by Clear Channel Entertainment to stage "Terrapin Station -- A Grateful Dead Family Reunion" August 3-4 in East Troy.

"You can imagine the amount of humanity that's going to converge on little old East Troy in Walworth County," said committee chairman Odell R. Gigante. "We only have 80 some sheriff deputies. Short of bringing in the National Guard we just couldn't handle it."

The two-day concert would have been the first time Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir staged a concert together since the death of Jerry Garcia, the Dead's leader and founder. Garcia died in 1995 of a heart attack.

Gigante said 200,000 were expected at event, but only 35,000 were allowed in the Alpine Valley Music Theatre.