Presenting their critically acclaimed live show to Deadheads both young and old, Dark Star Orchestra has announced a four-night Florida run from April 2nd–5th. The fan-favorite Grateful Dead tribute band will start off at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live on April 2nd, head to St. Augustine’s St. Augustine Amphitheatre on April 3rd, and truck to Pompano’s Pompano Beach Amphitheatre on April 4th, before wrapping up at Orlando’s The Plaza Live on April 5th.
The Florida run comes as part of a longer, 13-date spring tour for Dark Star Orchestra, comprised of Jeff Mattson (Jerry Garcia), Lisa Mackey (Donna Jean Godchaux), Dino English (Bill Kreutzmann), Rob Koritz (Mickey Hart), Skip Vangelas (Phil Lesh), Rob Eaton (Bob Weir) and Rob Barraco (multiple keyboardists).
Offering a continually evolving artistic outlet within the Grateful Dead’s musical canon, members of Dark Star Orchestra seek out the unique style of each performance era and offer their own interpretations and improvisations at each show. Using the Grateful Dead’s decades of touring as a launching pad, Dark Star Orchestra recreates song-for-song performances straight from the setlists of these historic shows.
While faithful improvisation is essential, precision is fundamental for DSO, from adapting specific eras’ phrasings and vocal arrangements to changing their gear and stage plots each night to mirror the Grateful Dead’s setup for the show they’re recreating. At the end of each performance, the band announces the date and venue where the original show took place. Dark Star Orchestra dips into every incarnation of the Dead, so most fans can “see” shows that happened long before they were born.
The band has a lot to be thankful for as they celebrate the ending of 2019. They will celebrate two successful decades together as a band with a two-night run at Albany, NY’s Palace Theatre on December 28th and 29th before finishing off the decade with a two-night NYE run at Montclair, NJ’s The Wellmont Theater on December 30th and 31st. Dark Star Orchestra will then start 2020 off with a slew of tour dates starting in March, and head to four of Florida’s top cities before kicking off May with their annual Dark Star Jubilee at Thornville, Ohio with Oteil & Friends, Galactic (featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph), Zero (a supergroup featuring Steve Kimock, Greg Anton, Pete Sears, and Melvin Seals), The Infamous Stringdusters, and more.
For tickets to Dark Star Orchestra at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live on April 2nd, head here. For tickets to St. Augustine’s St. Augustine Amphitheatre on April 3rd click here. For tickets to Pompano’s Pompano Beach Amphitheatre on April 4th click here. For tickets to Orlando’s The Plaza Live on April 5th, click here. For a full list of upcoming tour dates, head to the band’s website.
