JERRY GARCIA LOOMS LARGE AT NEW CHICAGO CLUB

The Grateful Dead’s long strange trip takes another turn this month with the christening of Garcia’s Chicago, a new club/restaurant that will open its doors on 3/21.

The 350-capacity venue is a partnership between the Garcia family and Peter Shapiro of Dayglo Presents, which operates the original Garcia's, inside the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, as well as the multicity Brooklyn Bowl franchise.

Shapiro also helped organize The Dead's 2015 Fare Thee Well reunion shows at Chicago's Soldier Field and hosted the late Phil Lesh's regular residencies at the Cap.

The new West Loop club’s walls showcase original artwork, unseen family photos, vintage movie posters, records, books and even cassettes that once inspired Garcia, who died in 1995.

The room will open with a 3/21-23 stand by Lesh's son Graeme Lesh and Friends. Further shows on the packed schedule, booked by Michael Berg of Deep Cut, include The Blind Boys of Alabama on 3/30, Keller Williams 4/10-11 and Benmont Tench on 5/15.

Reports that Shapiro spent the last three hours hugging every single member of the venue's staff could not be confirmed at deadline.