A week from tonight the Dark Star Orchestra will roll into Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA as a part of the second leg of their Summer Tour, and with it the long and rich legacy of the band they channel every night, The Grateful Dead.
For those who are not familiar with DSO’s work, the band is comprised of long-time Deadheads Rob Eaton (rhythm guitar, vocals), Rob Barraco (keyboards, vocals), Dino English (drums, percussion), Rob Koritz (drums, percussion), Lisa Mackey (vocals), Jeff Mattson (lead guitar, vocals) and Skip Vangelas (bass, vocals). Their mission: to recreate a different Grateful Dead show every night, song for song. A difficult task no doubt, but DSO is more than up to the task. One could see a set list out of the late 60s one night and wind up seeing something out of the early 80s the next. DSO’s appitude and execution of the material is superb.
Nonetheless, DSO is no one-trick pony. They delve into the annals of the Jerry Garcia Band as well as create their own unique set lists with combinations of songs the Dead may have never tackled before. It is truly a celebration of the music, past and present.
Just this year DSO passed the Dead in shows played, having amassed more than 2,318 performances together in their 17 year span as a cover band, but this band has pivoted off of that label and become something unto itself. Yes, they have a blueprint of what they’re going to play every night, but it is totally up to the musicians to where those songs go. It is as organic of a live performance as one can find.
As a preview, check out Dark Star’s performance of “Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain” from the Gathering of the Vibes 2011: