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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.
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What a venue to see a show. Not a bad seat with only 1,500 capacity. DSO was amazing. Lots of extended jam throughout the show. Played 3 extra tunes even after 2 encores
Great shows in Albany! Friday night was amazing - replay of Atlanta 3/27/89 second set unbelievably hot. Great vibe and awesome experience
We saw the March 9th show at the Count Basie theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. The band played the show from 10 15 77. It was an awesome selection of songs that brought back fond memories of those days. If you've lived in this time, you owe it to yourself to take a trip back like no one else can take you. After the encore, Jeff said that there was more time, so they played 3 more songs, beginning with a Jerry Garcia Band tune , I'll take a melody, that took me straight back to 1989. Go see these guys while you can. You memories will come alive.
This was my favorite show of the year so far. I almost never get lost in the notes of an entire show, but this one swooped me up and whisked me away on so many different levels and then gently put me down when it was done with me. I came to this show after a couple of pretty rough weeks. I was hoping for just a few songs to get lost in to give me a short escape from reality. This show was everything I needed and more. Thank you, DSO.
From the first note we knew it was going to be a great show. They rocked the house. Even after they played the whole show they said We still have more time so let’s play a couple more like 3 more songs. When it was over we were so happy we went and got to dance and sing with DSO. Whoever didn’t see the show the6 missed a really good one. Go and get tickets for a show near you. You will not be disappointed.
The sound was minimal to bad quality, with very little room for movement. Shafted on drink prices, the set list was terrible as well.
The music was great. We were luck to get some seats (we’re old) and the venue let us in a few minutes early. They only had one type of canned (?) wine and it was awful and awfully expensive. Other than that, all good.
This show had great music, but it was really hard to enjoy because we were packed in like sardines. Leaving to get a drink was hard, finding your friends was hard, and having no room to dance sucked. I love live music, but had I known just how oversold the tickets would be, I probably would’ve just stayed home and watched a dead set. If you want to sell a good show, know when to sell out of tickets instead of ruining the experience.
Watching at the Depot in Salt Lake City, they show/setlist they played couldn't have been more appropriate! The Grateful Dead Setlist of the concert at the Student Union Ballroom of the University of Utah on April 12, 1969 with all of the quirks and oopses and everything couldn't have been better! They started at around 8:10pm and to top it all off, when they finished with "Feedback" and came back out, they pretty much said "Well, we don't have anywhere we need to be - how about you guys?" The crowd went nuts and the went on to play a bunch of other Grateful Dead songs not stopping until almost midnight! I'm sixty this year and it was awesome to see other vintage Dead Heads 15-20 years my senior dye tied and dancing and putting me to shame! A couple of them actually WERE at the original UofU show in '69 and you could see the memories on their faces, in their smiles and the 21 year old kid that ended up sneaking up into the VIP section next to me simply drank it all in as well. Love hearing a bunch of Pig Pen. But none of it is ever bad. It was another family reunion with a bunch of us who followed the original Grateful Dead in the early days and now catch the Dark Star Orchestra every chance we get.
Slow dark mostly undancealbe bad sound mix seen better from a bar band
Always good and easy to get Tixs Thanks !!!!!!!!!!!
Darkstar Orchestra is always amazing, but this show was one for the record books. Absolutely incredible performance. Everyone was transported… One of those shows I will never forget.
So I have seen the Dead multiple times in my life and this band is amazing at what they do. The music is exact to what the original accomplished.
Loved the show; fast tempo; two and at one point three percussionists; great vocals and a fine thing.
Always a great time ringing in the New Year with DSO! Thanks for a great show!
It's a great time seeing this band no matter the day, but New Year's was extra amazing!!! Such a fun crowd and DSO are great musicians!
Show was smoking and the capitol is awesome now all we need is better ticket purchasing process
The venue was absolutely amazing. The staff genuinely all seemed like they enjoyed their job and helping people have a great time. The layout of the venue and amount of tickets they sold was perfect- nothing was too overcrowded. The acoustics and lights were top notch. And of course, dark star was truly incredibly. I can’t wait to go back!!! 10/10!!
One of the best shows I have have been at Wow ! Thanks
First time seeing a dead band of any kind. Much more enjoyable than I expected. Will definitely go again.
