The streets of Clearwater, FL, were filled with tie-dye t-shirts and music of the Grateful Dead on Thursday, as Dark Star Orchestra made their debut at BayCare Sound, bringing in hippies and Deadheads of all ages.

With over 3,300 shows over the past 30 years, DSO is one of the most prominent tributes keeping the live Grateful Dead experience alive. DSO nails the energy and environment that Deadheads travel across the country to follow. The authenticity of the show carries from the stage to the crowd, a sea of tie-dye, flowy skirts, peace signs, dreadlocks, and sunglasses all around. Piles of shoes sat abandoned, strewn across the grass, as Deadheads spun and swayed barefoot to the music.

Onstage, Dark Star Orchestra looked a tad different than usual, as the seven-person roster (including Lisa Mackey in the role of vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux) featured Splintered Sunlight guitarist Michael Kennedy in place of Rob Eaton. The longtime stand-in for Bob Weir is sitting out the band’s Florida run as he recovers from “acute cardio peritonitis,” or an inflammation of the abdomen.

Kennedy meshed well with the rest of DSO and was a natural fit in Bobby songs “Lost Sailor” and “Saint of Circumstance”. The crowd made the new guy feel welcome, with one woman yelling from the pit, “Michael, you’re amazing, you all sound like you’ve played together for years!”

Lisa Mackey emerged throughout the show as Dark Star Orchestra’s secret weapon, adding harmonica to Ronald “Pigpen” McKernan-era Jimmy Reed cover “Big Boss Man” and helming lead vocals on Tampa Red‘s “It Hurts Me Too”. The rest of the band was a well-oiled machine, with Rob Barraco on keys, Dino English and Rob Koritz on the drums, Skip Vangelas on bass, and Jeff Mattson leading the way on guitar and vocals.

For Clearwater, DSO did not recreate a specific Dead concert. Instead, Barraco told the crowd, “This is something special we put together just for y’all.”

Early in the first set, they performed a rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” (LTP 11/30/24) under red and green overhead lights for the holiday season. As is tradition for DSO, the dynamic lighting and visuals were captivating and added to the show’s euphoric ambience.

They ended their second set with a grouping of The Crickets‘ “Not Fade Away” and the traditional “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” with the line “Going where the climate suits my clothes,” fitting for the week’s snowbird run through the Sunshine State. By the end of the four-hour show, when DSO wrapped up with “Brokedown Palace”, it still seemed that nobody was ready to leave.

Beyond the stage, the highlight of the show was the energy emitted from the crowd. The Tampa Bay Area has such a strong community of Deadheads and Dead cover bands, and they showed up for DSO. The love the audience shared for the Dead’s music was contagious. Spinners and dancers floated through the crowd, offering a show within the show that no one wanted to end.

Check out a gallery of photos from Dark Star Orchestra with Michael Kennedy in Clearwater, courtesy of photographer Kailey Aiken. The band is off until its five-show, three-state New Year’s run, culminating with three shows at Port Chester, NY’s Capitol Theatre (12/31, 1/2–1/3). Find tickets and tour dates here, and stay tuned to the band’s social media for updates on Rob Eaton’s health.

Setlist: Dark Star Orchestra | The BayCare Sound | Clearwater, FL | 12/4/25

Set One: Let the Good Times Roll (Sam Cooke), Hell in a Bucket, Althea, Beat It on Down the Line (Jesse Fuller), Dupree’s Diamond Blues (Grateful Dead), Box of Rain, Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Berry), Jack-A-Roe (Grateful Dead), Big Boss Man (Jimmy Reed) [1], On the Road Again (Memphis Jug Band), Might as Well (Jerry Garcia)
Set Two: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider (Traditional), It Hurts Me Too (Tampa Red) [2], Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > Drums > Space > I Need a Miracle > Standing on the Moon, Not Fade Away (The Crickets) > Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (Traditional) > Not Fade Away
Encore: Mr. Charlie, Werewolves of London, Brokedown Palace

Notes: Entire show with Michael Kennedy (Splintered Sunlight) on guitar in place of Rob Eaton

[1] Lisa Mackey on harmonica
[2] Lisa Mackey on vocals and harmonica