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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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dso at el rey was inspiring. not the usual show with mix of their favorite dead music. highlights include alabama getaway to start show, great blues base c.c. rider, best "deal go down" for your dancing feet, and for me after a bit to long of a space was awesome covers of "all along the watchtower into dear mr. fantasy to a little hey jude. fun, fun, fun and now i'm exhausted. also, some great people too.
Ask anyone at the show and they will say one of the best shows of our lives. We were all high-fiving each other during songs. The band was perfection and we are so grateful.
If you are lucky enough to get to see Stu and DSO, you will float clear off of the planet. Jerry is plotzing up in heaven! UNBELIEVABLE!
don't miss this if you like "the dead" - the show was awesome - better than could have been expected - like the real thing - one great song after another
this was my first DSO show. my first Dead show was Ventura 1984, and this show re-creation was from march 1987 and it was PERFECT. the energy and flawless re-creation was inspiring. Estimated Prophet sounded EXACTLY as it did at Laguna Seca that following summer of 1988. all my L.A. friends have been raving about DSO for the last 10 years, but i've always preferred to catch the Dead, Bobby, Phil, Further, etc. Now, however, i will never miss another DSO show when they're in S.F. or the North Bay. I'm bummed i missed the Petaluma shows, and am considering L.A. on weds at the El Ray. This is exactly what the Dead sounded like at another point in history. close your eyes and you are taken back in time.
Awesome Dark Star Orchestra show, especially 2nd set, Estimated-Eyes, Morning Dew, Johnnie B. Good, Loose Lucy. Stu Allen rocked!
This was such a great show! Loved hearing Stu with DSO. Venue was really great too.
My 1st Dark Star Orchestra show and it was AMAZING!
Stunning ballroom, great facilities, amazing show.
1.parking sucked. the parking lot was closing at 10:30 that nite and there was no street parking. 2. No mention of line up change. New lead singer and no girl back up. Band sound was totally different. I appreciate SOME warning.
If you are an 80's fan of Dead Tunes this was THE show. The show started with a ripping rendition of Touch of Gray and the energy didn't let up until the end. Fast paced high energy jams. The drum solo was an added attraction. Definitely added to the mood. Not the best show if you believe everything great about the dead was in the 70's.
They ROCKED. We love Dark star and hope they come back soon.
This is a truly unforgettable experience! I have seen the Gratetful Dead many times, and in my opinion DSO is a better band. I am also able to experience this with my sons, who are too young to have ever seen Garcia alive. They were raised on The Dead, so the music is in their souls.
I'm a huge Deadhead, but I avoided seeing Dark Star Orchestra for a long time. Why would I want to go see a Dead cover band? Well, these guys are simply amazing, and the bottom line is that's it's a lot of fun! It's simply a blast get down to all of these great songs in a room full of fellow heads who love each song as much as I do. We all miss Jerry, but why not celebrate his legacy by throwing a big party and dancing to his wonderful songs.
This show was hot! A blast from the past remembering shows I went to with friends in the 80's. From the opener 'Jack Straw' through killer versions of 'Iko-Iko' & "Black Peter' and the closing of 'Throwing Stones>Not Fade Away', this was what a Dead Head remembers all their life!!
Said to be Chicago 1988, the concert by DarkStar Orchestra was revived with a truely superb, seemingly flawless, attention to perfect detail! Recreating a GD show is likely akin to the performance of classical Beethoven, replete with all the adjectives for mood! Only, Rock and Roll played and smooth and clear as last nite is like a Lucid Dream remembered.
Show from 4-18-88, Damn these guys are good, the singing, the jams, the sound!!!! The new guitar players singing was dead on Jerry as well as the guitar playing. I was watching the other guitar player and his playing was amazing!! Chord inversions, embellishments this guy is a joy to watch and hear. Loved that Modulus guitar, I want one!! The Drumz the Space Wow!! The band as a whole is a Dead machine!! If you like the grateful dead or just seeing a excellent tight band, Get your tickets as soon as possible!!!
Crystal Ballroom is a perfect venue. The acoustics are good everywhere an there are enough bars that the lines are short.
Great night! DSO never disappoints. Stellar performances from the entire band.
If you want a peaceful friendly vibe, with an equally friendly crowd and a chill evening you should see Dark Star. I didn't know many songs......okay I knew three, but the happiness around me made that a non factor. I suggest being in the crowd. That is where the vibe is and you will miss out on that if you aren't a part of it.
