John Kadlecik Joins Dark Star Orchestra For "Lazy River Road" In Jamaica [Video]

Dark Star Orchestra closed out its Jam In The Sand Jamaican destination event on Friday with a guest sit-in from John Kadlecik. The former DSO member, who performed with Melvin Seals & JGB at Jewel Paradise Cove, sat in on “Lazy River Road”.

After recreating a pair of May 1978 Grateful Dead performances on the first two nights of Jam In The Sand IX, DSO closed out the festival with a pair of elective shows on the last two nights. For the finale, the Grateful Dead tribute act constructed its own setlist that began with the eternal pairing of “China Cat Sunflower” into “I Know You Rider.”

The show continued on with Bob Weir‘s “Black Throated Wind”, followed by “Bird Song”. A trip down the mine for “Cumberland Blues” came next before the Ron “Pigpen” McKernan-sung “Easy Wind” ahead of the latter era cover of Willie Dixon‘s “Little Red Rooster”. A rarity followed with Loretta Lynn‘s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”, a cover the Dead only played in 1973. Set one then closed out with “Loose Lucy” and the sprawling “Let It Grow”.

Returning for the second set, DSO serenaded the beach with “Here Comes Sunshine” before the brooding darkness of “Feel Like A Stranger”. John K then made his appearance to lend a hand on “Lazy River Road”, joining guitarist Rob Eaton as Jeff Matson waited in the wings. Kadlecik co-founded DSO in 1997 and left the group in 2009 to tour with Weir and Phil Lesh in Furthur. He recently reunited with his former bandmates at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 5th, 2021. Before departing the stage, John K remarked “These guys sound great.”

Dark Star Orchestra, John Kadlecik – “Lazy River Road” – 1/14/22

[Video: nognuisagoodgnu]

The show continued on with a Pigpen-style take on “Good Lovin'” before an expansive “Dark Star” opened up into “Drums” and “Space”. Drummers Dino English and Rob Kortiz were rejoined by the full ensemble to reignite the “Dark Star” jam before a primal train of “St. Stephen” into “Not Fade Away” and finally a set-closing “Morning Dew”.

Taking the Jewel Paradise Cove stage one last time, Dark Star Orchestra offered the triumphant singalong of Bob Dylan‘s “Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)” to close out another Jam In The Sand. Dark Star Orchestra returns to the road on January 28th in Stateline, NV. For tickets and a full list of tour dates click here.

Setlist: Dark Star Orchestra | Jewel Paradise Cove | Runaway Bay, Jamaica | 1/14/22

Set One: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Black Throated Wind, Bird Song, Cumberland Blues, Easy Wind, Little Red Rooster, You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man), Loose Lucy, Let It Grow

Set Two: Here Comes Sunshine, Feel Like A Stranger, Lazy River Road [1], Good Lovin’ [2], Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > St. Stephen > Not Fade Away > Morning Dew

Encore: Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)

[1] John Kadlecik on lead guitar and vocals

[2] Pigpen style