From the band’s team
Press release
Dark Star Orchestra Play Feb 18 at The Orange Peel.
For over 17 years, Dark Star Orchestra has embodied the Grateful Dead’s live experience for fans both old and too young to have ever seen their own Grateful Dead show.
Recreating historic Grateful Dead set lists, and intermittently crafting their own, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within the Grateful Dead’s musical canon. Matching equipment, stage layout and even members (various eras could include female vocals or multiple drummers), Dark Star Orchestra’s determined commitment to ‘raising the Dead’ has earned them high praise…
“Quite possibly the most talented and accomplished tribute band out there.” – Rolling Stone
“Dark Star Orchestra often sounds more like The Dead than The Dead sometimes did.” – Chicago Tribune
Numerous guest musicians have sat in with Dark Star Orchestra, including Phish’s Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Keller Williams, Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes and every living member of the original Grateful Dead.
“Playing with Dark Star Orchestra feels just exactly like it felt when I was playing with the Grateful Dead.” – Donna Jean Godchaux, Grateful Dead vocalist, frequent DSO guest
“I can close my eyes and go back 30 years and have it be every bit as rewarding and satisfying.” – Dan Healy, Grateful Dead sound engineer 1966 -1994, toured as DSO’s sound engineer in 2008
While recreating set lists song for song, Dark Star Orchestra does not try to match Grateful Dead songs note for note. Anything so formulaic would be of a great disservice to the free spirit of The Dead’s live performances.
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