Great band great venue
by The Hot Funk on 8/19/25The Chrysalis at Merriweather Park - ColumbiaRating: 5 out of 5Band was great, venue was great, but the fees added on to the price were offensive and egregious!
Concerts17 Results
- Current location
No more results on this page
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.
Setlists
Set 1:
- 1.Ramble On Rose (Grateful Dead cover)
- 2.Black-Throated Wind (Bob Weir cover)
- 3.Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo (Grateful Dead cover)
- 4.Beat It on Down the Line (Jesse Fuller cover)
- 5.Row Jimmy (Grateful Dead cover)
- 6.Jack Straw (Grateful Dead cover)
- 7.Let It Rock (Chuck Berry cover)
- 8.Cumberland Blues (Grateful Dead cover)
- 9.El Paso (Marty Robbins cover)
- 10.To Lay Me Down (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 11.Weather Report Suite (Grateful Dead cover)
- 12.China Doll (Grateful Dead cover)
Set 2:
- 13.Ship of Fools (Grateful Dead cover)
- 14.Big River (Johnny Cash cover)
- 15.Black Peter (Grateful Dead cover)
- 16.Around and Around (Chuck Berry cover)
- 17.Dark Star Jam (Grateful Dead cover)
- 18.Spanish Jam (Grateful Dead cover)
- 19.U.S. Blues (Grateful Dead cover)
- 20.Uncle John's Band (Grateful Dead cover)
- 21.One More Saturday Night (Bob Weir cover)
Encore
- 22.Casey Jones (Grateful Dead cover)
Set 1:
- 1.Sugaree (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 2.Run for the Roses (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 3.Box of Rain (Grateful Dead cover)
- 4.Next Time You See Me (Junior Parker cover)
- 5.Mission in the Rain (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 6.I'll Be With Thee ([traditional] cover)
- 7.That's What Love Will Make You Do (Little Milton cover)
- 8.From the Heart of Me (Grateful Dead cover)
- 9.Midnight Moonlight (Old & In the Way cover)
- 10.Like a Road Leading Home (Albert King cover)
- 11.Deal (Jerry Garcia cover)
Set 2:
- 12.The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff cover)
- 13.The Strange Man (Dorothy Love Coates cover)
- 14.They Love Each Other (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 15.Easy Wind (Grateful Dead cover)
- 16.Lonesome and a Long Way From Home (Delaney & Bonnie cover)
- 17.Drums > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 18.Space > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 19.The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (Traffic cover)
- 20.Love the One You're With (Stephen Stills cover)
- 21.Tangled Up in Blue (Bob Dylan cover)
Encore
- 22.Ripple (Grateful Dead cover)
Set 1:
- 1.Alabama Getaway > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 2.Promised Land (Chuck Berry cover)
- 3.They Love Each Other > (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 4.El Paso (Marty Robbins cover)
- 5.Tennessee Jed (Grateful Dead cover)
- 6.Cassidy (Bob Weir cover)
- 7.Althea > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 8.Looks Like Rain (Bob Weir cover)
- 9.Far From Me (Grateful Dead cover)
- 10.The Music Never Stopped (Grateful Dead cover)
Set 2:
- 11.China Cat Sunflower > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 12.I Know You Rider > ([traditional] cover)
- 13.C.C. Rider (Elvis Presley cover)
- 14.Peggy-O ([traditional] cover)
- 15.Lost Sailor > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 16.Saint of Circumstance > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 17.Drums > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 18.Space > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 19.Wharf Rat > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 20.I Need a Miracle > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 21.Bertha > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 22.Good Lovin' (The Olympics cover)
Encore
- 23.U.S. Blues (Grateful Dead cover)
- 24.Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Sly & the Family Stone cover)
- 1.Day Tripper (The Beatles cover)
- 2.West L.A. Fadeaway (Grateful Dead cover)
- 3.Beat It on Down the Line (Jesse Fuller cover)
- 4.Loose Lucy (Grateful Dead cover)
- 5.My Brother Esau (Grateful Dead cover)
- 6.Keep On Growing (Derek and the Dominos cover)
- 7.Candyman (Grateful Dead cover)
- 8.Passenger (Grateful Dead cover)
- 9.The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff cover)
- 10.Greatest Story Ever Told (Bob Weir cover)
Set 2:
- 11.Man Smart, Woman Smarter (King Radio cover)
- 12.Mr. Charlie (Grateful Dead cover)
- 13.He's Gone (Grateful Dead cover)
- 14.New Speedway Boogie (Grateful Dead cover)
- 15.Drums > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 16.Space > (Grateful Dead cover)
- 17.Unbroken Chain (Grateful Dead cover)
- 18.Going Down the Road Feeling Bad ([traditional] cover)
- 19.I'll Take a Melody (Frankie Miller cover)
- 20.The Golden Road (to Unlimited Devotion) (Grateful Dead cover)
Encore
- 21.Volunteers (Jefferson Airplane cover)
- 1.China Cat Sunflower (Grateful Dead cover)
- 2.I Know You Rider ([traditional] cover)
- 3.Greatest Story Ever Told (Bob Weir cover)
- 4.Piece of My Heart (Erma Franklin cover)
- 5.Box of Rain (Grateful Dead cover)
- 6.Bird Song (Jerry Garcia cover)
- 7.Feel Like a Stranger (Grateful Dead cover)
- 8.Help on the Way (Grateful Dead cover)
- 9.Slipknot! (Grateful Dead cover)
- 10.Franklin's Tower (Grateful Dead cover)
- 11.Estimated Prophet (Grateful Dead cover)
- 12.Eyes of the World (Grateful Dead cover)
- 13.Going Down the Road Feeling Bad ([traditional] cover)
Encore
- 14.Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover)
Great venue/ great show!
by E-Town on 8/19/25The Chrysalis at Merriweather Park - ColumbiaRating: 5 out of 5Haven't been to Merryweather Post since '86 seeing the Moody Blues! The small venue next to it was great! Love the fact it was in the woods! Got to enjoy it with my 3 sons, who have followed me to DSO, JRAD, Shakedown City and D&C! The show was on point, people were great!! Thanks for the memories.
Great place to see a show!
by Ramblinbarb on 8/17/25Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - BethelRating: 5 out of 5The band of course DarkStar Orchestra was awesome and the venue at Bethel Woods was amazing our 1st time there! It has to be the cleanest venue we have ever been to and we have seen 100's of shows all over the country! Highly recommended!
Awsome
by Dude on 8/17/25Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - BethelRating: 5 out of 5Totally awsome wish ir could've went on another hr or 2
Great time at Bethel for DSO
by letitgro on 8/17/25Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - BethelRating: 5 out of 5Went to Bethel Woods on 8/14/2025 to catch Dark Star Orchestra on the Horizon stage. The sound was excellent, the crowd was well behaved and the volunteers at Bethel couldn't have been any nicer. DSO played real well and there was an excellent drone show during the set break.
Dark Star Orchestra
by Lefty1921 on 8/17/25Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - BethelRating: 5 out of 5Best show since I've seen the Grateful dead in the 80's! Dark Star was amazing, vocals , sound, PERFECT!!! We were impressed, plan on seeing them again and again! First time seeing them, and at Bethal. So good I almost cried, Fans for life of Dark Star now.
DSO doesn’t disappoint
by Robbie Rocks! on 8/17/25Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - BethelRating: 5 out of 5What a great evening with an incredible finale of Volunteers, they were on there game tonight.
Couldn’t ask for a better DSO experience.
by Neal S on 8/13/25The Rose Music Center at The Heights - Huber HeightsRating: 5 out of 5The band was on fire and the venue was PERFECT! Great price and great vibe!
Great show! Great tribute to the dead!
by Ace on 8/12/25The Rose Music Center at The Heights - Huber HeightsRating: 5 out of 54 hour show of Grateful Dead music. DSO makes you feel that the guys were still playing together. Amazing show
Had a great time
by Groves on 8/12/25The Rose Music Center at The Heights - Huber HeightsRating: 5 out of 5The venue was pleasant despite the warm temperature and best of all the performance was wonderful. One of the best concerts (of 11) I've seen this year!
ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS OF THE YEAR!
by MUGSY on 8/12/25The Rose Music Center at The Heights - Huber HeightsRating: 5 out of 5We have gone to see 6 different shows this year. This just tops Brit Floyd! If you closed your eyes, you could hear Jerry and Bob on stage!
Great Show!
by Traveling Whiskey Purveyor on 8/12/25The Rose Music Center at The Heights - Huber HeightsRating: 5 out of 5Great set list, wonderful performance. Exceptionally dance worthy!
The Best!
by Tom on 8/9/25Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - Atlantic CityRating: 5 out of 5Best Grateful Dead cover band on earth. Such a great time. Can't wait to see them again @ Merriwether.
Great "Family"Show
by AJB on 8/6/25Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - Atlantic CityRating: 5 out of 5If you like The Dead and understand what I mean by "the Family", then you will love Dark Star Orchestra. This was my first live DSO Show and I absolutely loved it and sang and danced like a Hippy Freak who didn't care what anyone thought and it was awesome!
DSO - Atlantic City
by Maggiesfarmgirl on 8/5/25Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - Atlantic CityRating: 5 out of 5The show was fantastic and the venue was nice. The staff was extremely nice and helpful. Looking forward to seeing them again next year.
Wow!
by Ramble on Rose on 8/5/25Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - Atlantic CityRating: 5 out of 5What a show! The energy, the song selection etc. Dark Star did an exceptional job at capturing the authentic sound all dead heads love! Singer looks a lot like Bobby. Worth every minute and every dime. By far the best GD tribute band I’ve seen thus far.
Great show
by Rob on 8/5/25Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena - Atlantic CityRating: 5 out of 5I have seen Darkstar numerous times and have never been disappointed .The show on 8/2/2025 was very good with a variety of songs played. They are as good as any Grateful Dead Tribute bands that is out there. I have met some of the members and they are excellent people and humerous.
Always a good show
by Cosmodore Vic on 7/23/25Stone Pony Summer Stage - Asbury ParkRating: 5 out of 5As usual the group started off strong and continued into the night. They are the best at filling the void that was left when we started losing members of the original group.
Another great time with DSO!
by KL on 7/15/25Thompson's Point - PortlandRating: 5 out of 5As an old Head (saw the Dead over 60 times, back in the day) I have been a fan of DSO since I first saw them over 8 years ago. I brought my buddy, another old Head, to see DSO for the first time to the recent show at Thompsons Point here in Maine. He was blown away, both by the band and the venue! The crowd was fantastic and the music on fire. We both especially liked Black Throated Wind, Hell in a Bucket, the two Jefferson Airplane songs and the version of the Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows-incredible!
First concert at the venue and had a great experience.
by Bill on 7/14/25Thompson's Point - PortlandRating: 4 out of 5Great lawn seating area and food truck choices. Never waited in line for beer!