Gothic Theatre
Dark Star Orchestra
There are a lot of cover bands around and a lot of those are Grateful Dead cover bands. You’ve seen them, they’re good. Most include the music of Jerry Garcia, Bobby Weir et al with other cover songs and some originals mixed in. DSO is a different breed of ‘Dead’ band. What Dark Star Orchestra does is recreate the Grateful Dead. Not with hippie wigs and fake beards but through the live music. They play the setlist song for song in the same arrangements used by the Dead members of that period. When you’re at a DSO show you may really be in the Providence Civic Center back in May of ‘81. Or you could even be at the 1973 Denver Coliseum show listening to Weather Report Suite. Who knows?
Actually no one does and that’s part of the trip. The date of the show to be recreated is kept secret right up till the performance. Oh, there are clues (the number and placement of microphones, the keyboard setup, a midi guitar) and the secret becomes part of a game. Usually the audience in front starts throwing out guesses toward the end of the first set. The wiser observer waits for the start of the second set to venture a showdate. Sometimes a curious look comes over the faces of the audience as they realize, ‘Hey! I was at this show!’ followed by a smile as they realize…they’re at the show again! Remember: This is an exhibition, not a competition. So please….no wagering! The original showdate, for those who are DEADBASE-impaired, is announced at the end of the night usually followed by an extended encore of the band’s choosing.
