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Dark Star Orchestra

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About

Dark Star Orchestra on Tour

More than just a tribute band, the seven members of the Dark Star Orchestra are dedicated to the Grateful Dead live experience, best known for playing full setlists picked from their 2,000+ concerts. The Grateful Dead's live show is legendary, a catalog of improvisation traded and celebrated across decades. The Dark Star Orchestra re-creates the Dead's intra-band interplay and pastoral guitar soloing. Remarkably devoted and true to the source material, DSO tailors their arrangements, gear and tempos to the era of the evening. Some nights find the DSO creating original setlists, playing sets from the Jerry Garcia Band or even jamming with members of the Dead themselves.

Dark Star Orchestra in Concert

Formed in Chicago in 1997, Dark Star Orchestra provides generations of fans with the chance to experience entire Grateful Dead sets, song by song. Named after "Dark Star," a part of the Dead's set known for exploratory jams, DSO rose to national prominence in 1998 when Mike Gordon and John Fishman of Phish joined them for a performance of the Dead's 1983 Halloween show. DSO promptly became a touring sensation: At 2,800 shows and counting, DSO have played more shows than the Grateful Dead themselves. They ultimately enlisted keyboardist Rob Barraco of Phil Lesh and Friends, the Other Ones and the 2003 touring version of the Dead. The DSO have played Bonnaroo and Milwaukee's SummerFest, and they've been hosting their own annual fests for years - the Dark Star Jubilee in Ohio and the Jam in the Sand in Jamaica. Perhaps the most important honor for DSO, though, is enlisting actual members of the Grateful Dead, having performed on stage accompanied by Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux, Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten. A 2018 show even found guitarist Jeff Mattson playing Jerry Garcia's custom-made guitar, "Wolf," which the Dead founder used for two decades.

Reviews

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 1191 reviews
  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Fine Tuned

    by Judy on 3/19/24F.M. Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre

    The band was terrific! Great song choices and played tight! The only problem was the lighting that was on the stage, it shone straight into our eyes very brightly.

  • Rating: 2 out of 5

    Remove theatre seating

    by Clayton on 3/19/24F.M. Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre

    It wouldn't take much time or effort to remo e 5 or 6 rowd of seating to make the experi3nce whole for the target audience...people who like to dance to the Dead. Complete fail on that front. I will never return to this venue. Musoc was great and crowd was right on. Minimal to 0 effort on the venue/ticketmast front to make the experience right. Costs nothing but a few hours of labor. Such a shame.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    FUN !

    by Barb on 3/19/24F.M. Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre

    The 2 DSO shows were a lot of fun ! It was easy getting in and out of the venue. The place was beautiful and clean. All of us wish there were more bathrooms !! I'll be back again :)

  • Rating: 1 out of 5

    Terrible Experience

    by Maximus291 on 3/18/24F.M. Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre

    The Venue needs to complete the renovations of the bathrooms. Lines were horrendous. GA at this venue was also a drag. Left at intermission

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Outstanding Show

    by Jimmyc on 3/18/24The Stanley - Utica

    DSO was awesome ! Very solid and their performance was perfect.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great show in a great venue!

    by BoSoxFan on 3/17/24The Stanley - Utica

    The Stanley Theater is an incredible venue and perfect for DSO! The band was spot on from the first note to the final encore. The first set was fantastic and ended with Box of Rain, Greatest Story Ever Told and an extended Shakedown Street jam! The second set was epic! The 30 minute jam centered around Franklin’s Tower (Help / Slipknot / Franklin’s Tower / Corrina / Uncle John’s Band). After Drums and Space, they went back into Uncle John. The Honky Tonk Woman encore was great, but there could have been better choices. If that’s the biggest disappointment, then you can tell it was an incredible night!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Just like a Dead concert

    by Ed on 3/13/24

    I closed my eyes and was amazed. I thought I was at a Grateful dead concert. The music was wonderful. This tribute band is much, much, much better than Russo's Almost Dead band! They even have a singer who sounds just like Jerry Garcia. I hope they come to Atlanta again soon!!

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Great show - tough room

    by SAF on 3/11/24The Sound - Del Mar

    Dark Star totally crushed the show! They're an incredible band playing incredible tunes. However, the venue "The Sound"in Del Mar, CA didn't limit who got into the GA section causing it to be completely person to person. They need to do better limiting the GA section to those with GA tickets. It was too overcrowded to enjoy, creating a poor experience for everyone. I love DSO... but a poor venue experience leads to a bad show. Let's hope they can do better next time!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Epic Energy

    by Defro on 2/1/24The Wiltern - Los Angeles

    Another fine night at the Wiltern with the roof blown off second set !! Scarlet > Fire > Estimated > Terrapin ... enough said !!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Biblical

    by Matt on 1/30/24The Wiltern - Los Angeles

    First time seeing DSO myself. The comments and reviews online ain't lyin'. This had to be one of the better Dead tribute shows I've been too, and the friendliest. The crowd was amazing and friendly. The band themselves blew the roof off of the place. That Deal before the break was absolutely killer!

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Good priced drinks

    by wharf rat bill on 1/30/24The Sound - Del Mar

    Although I don't drink alcohol I found the drinks , soda and water, to be fairly priced compared to other concerts I've been to recently. Everyone was dancing to the psychidelic music. I joined in for a couple minutes. My buddy, because of his age was worried that he would n't be able to stand the whole concert so the ADA section usher gave us two seats in the disabled section. The music was intricate and dead, pardoned the pun, on. I can't wait to see them again.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    First time seeing a live grateful dead concert

    by Lorraine on 1/30/24The Wiltern - Los Angeles

    My girlfriend has been begging me to see DSO and listen to grateful Dead music. I finally went and I see why they have such a following. The music draws me into myself and takes me to a cool and Serene place. Mostly easy listening and a wide variety of sounds. Loved it

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Outstanding

    by Mike on 1/30/24The Wiltern - Los Angeles

    First time I've seen them and I honestly didn't know what to expect. They were terrific and the crowd was as well. Hadn't been to The Wiltern in around 20 years (and that was to take my daughter to see Kelly Clarkson !) I'm hoping to catch them again soon.

  • Rating: 1 out of 5

    Great music - venue too crowded

    by JimboSlimbo on 1/30/24The Wiltern - Los Angeles

    The music was fantastic. The Wilturn general admission was way too crowded. We left our spot at intermission and could never get back in. The security guards just kept chasing us to different locations on the side aisles until they finally realized there was nowhere else for us to go. Will pass on this band at this venue next time.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great venue! Dark Star Orchestra tore it up as usual

    by Jah Bill on 1/29/24The Sound - Del Mar

    I’ve seen DSO about 15 times over the last 20 years or so and as always I wasn’t disappointed. Every time I see them I feel that I got my “fix” of sweet live Dead played tight and loose at the same time It was especially cool when I realized I had been to that show at the Kaiser when they said which one they re-created The venue was way cool with incredible sound that I felt the band really appreciated as well Thank you DSO for your continued dedication to playing and re-creating the music that we all love Ya Mon!!

  • Rating: 3 out of 5

    Obstructed view seats

    by Hightide on 1/29/24The Sound - Del Mar

    Dark Star Orchestra rocked! first time at this venue, wish it had disclosed the obstructed view, a huge support beam blocked the entire left side of the stage.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great show Great venue

    by MK on 1/29/24The Sound - Del Mar

    Grate show I picked it off on the opener as I was at the actual 12/27/86 Grateful Dead show. DSO never disappoints.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great show!

    by Kelia on 1/29/24The Sound - Del Mar

    excellent performances by all including Liza Mackey for just the last two encore tunes. I wish they had picked a Setlist that included her throughout. She is beautiful, talented and charismatic in her lovely quiet way and always add a vibe of joy to the stage.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    An Acoustic set 2 electric sets nothing better

    by Aggie on 1/3/24The Capitol Theatre - Port Chester

    Dark Star on New Years was the best! Hearing Jeff play makes me feel young again! Not that I want a do over but love when those riffs hit my soul!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Top Notch!

    by BART S on 1/3/24The Capitol Theatre - Port Chester

    A really excellent performance to ring in the New Year!