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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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Vocals on Cosmic Charlie were amazing. This group gets better and better. I was waiting for an extended jam throughout the entire first set and finally got it with Playin'. After the Wave House it'll be an agonizing six months before they come around again.
Haven't seen DSO for ~9 years and they still are rocking and bring us Deadheads back to the good ol' days when Jerry and the band were still together. Keep up the fantastic work DSO and hope to see you again soon!
Mid 70's show, what a treat. Amazing.
Not my first & hopefully not my last show with DSO. Like other like minded folks, there to enjoy the tunes, the company and to make new freinds along the way. Been on the bus since the 70's and this is a nice way to spend time.
Awesome as usual !
June 14, 1976 - Beacon Theatre, NYC. I've seen Dark Star for over a decade now. This is in my top three performances I have seen from them - the others are a rocking '77 show from Winterland and a fantastic '73 show. I'm a huge fan of 1976 Dead. Very tight performances with very little down time, and nice tight funky rock. This setlist was incredible. Lots of nuggets - like the Cosmic Charlie, Crazy Fingers, and of course, High Time. Second Set, start to finish, was by far the highlight, though there were some great set one moments. Big River and Playin' were very good. I have to admit that the supplication was particularly memorable, even though lazy lightning - supplication is not usually at the top of my list for song requests. I thought it was a '73 show until I heard Might as Well - then I knew for sure it was '76. Second Set was the best set I've ever seen from Dark Star. Very fluid in moving from slower songs into very fast funky rock. E.g., wheel - samson, high time - music, crazy fingers - dancin, cosmic charlie - Help suite. Rockin jam on the around and around closer. Second set was definitely shaking up Hollywood on a Friday night. Very glad I went. Venue was incredible - outdoor patio and lounge area was refreshing on a nice cool October evening. The only thing better would have been to see the actual Dead show in NYC in '76. But thanks for Dark Star for giving us younger folk the next best thing.
Awesome show! From the Shakedown kickoff I could not stop dancin. Help On The Way-Slipknot-Franklins Tower was amazing. They also performed They Love Each Other, one of my favs. Can't wait for their return.
This was a classic show from many years ago. Either 1981 or 1982; I think 1981. The band was as tight as I've ever seen them! 2nd date on the tour, and the first in Seattle was also amazing. We love these earlier shows. They typically rock steady with less slower songs, which is the kind of show my wife and I prefer. The more we see DSO, the more we appreciate what they are doing. We caught 8 Dead shows this spring, and they were great, but where can you get a ticket for $26, stand right in front of the stage (if you arrive early enough) and see a show by band members who have full energy and love what they are doing! As much as we love the Dead and Ratdog, we love DSO even more! We will continue to support all post Greatful Dead performers. The music is still alive, and when I go to a show all the hard work and long hours at our jobs are worth it!
The show was more than I could have wanted. Easily the best show I have seen this year by any band.
Truly a polished "tribute band". Ican only say good things about their musical prowess. Went into the show having only seen a couple of the youtube videos. Was truly amazed at the sound quality. It sounded sooo good. Really really good.I had a great nite listening, jamming, dancing. Thats what its all about. I will go again.
Truly a remarkable performance! Artfully reproduced GD peformance & set list. The band and the crowd were great! The venue (with bouncy floor) was quite a trip!
spot on, the only thing better would be if Jerry him self came down. The energy among the people there was incredibly more cohesive than your average present day shows...
Excellent show. They started at 8:30 and finished at 12:30 with a 15-20 min break. This is the seventh DSO show fo me. They just keep getting better and better. Looked to me like they had more lighting for those trippy special effects.
Really channeled the dead like I've never seen before! They were on fire! Just bought tix to night 2!
This is not about being a Deadhead, not about loving Grateful Dead music, lyrics, soul, and musicianship, because Dark Star Orchestra stands on its own as a superb group of artists, but if you ARE a deadhead, and you DO love their music, this concert was absolutely as good as it gets! It was an amazing rendition of a 1978 concert and I danced through the whole thing. Never thought I'd hear Terrapin Station played live again! I was transported to Ventura County Fairgrounds, ocean breeze, late summer evening. What's amazing is how true DSO stays to the original, yet breathes fresh new spirit into everything they play, and I feel that sense of wonder and joy all over again. Thank you DSO!!!
Great show, high energy and flawless ... fantastic 'drums' section, nice crowd, not too crowded ... loved it.
A replay of 9-6-83 Red Rocks. I was out there when it happened and I was there again for the replay...They can recreate a show like no one else can, and make it there own like it never existed before....5 stars to Dark Star Orchestra
Right on the money, as usual. Original Setlist if I'm thinking of the right night.
I have seen the Grateful Dead many times before Jerry died and these folk really capture the Dead vibe.
Great show, the band was in sync, the crowd energy was awesome and our waitress never let us have an empty beer. St. Stephen>The Eleven was the highlight!
