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Vic Theater – Chicago, IL
2.26.2009
Set 1: Promised Land, Candy Man, Mama Tried, Mexicali Blues, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider, Minglewood Blues, Stagger Lee, From the Heart of Me, The Music Never Stopped
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain, Estimated Prophet -> Eyes of the World -> Drums ->
The Other One -> Wharf Rat -> I Need A Miracle -> Casey Jones
E: One More Saturday Night
Originally performed by the Grateful Dead - 2.3.1979
Market Square Arena – Indianapolis, IN
A recurring theme was present during conversations as I mingled with fans before, during and after the Dark Star Orchestra show on Feb 26th at the Vic Theater in Chicago. I received an eerily frequent response when I asked fans their thoughts on the Grateful Dead tribute band. “They’re my second favorite band,” many fans replied.
Being considered a second favorite band is a title that would put smiles on the faces of any aspiring or even acclaimed bands. Doing it with their own musical talents over another bands songs or, more precisely, entire concerts, is unperceivable. The unimaginable becomes raucous reality after spending an evening with Dark Star Orchestra. YES, they are a tribute band that replays a piece of Grateful Dead history in its entirety, as close to note-for-note as is humanly possible. NO, they are not a novelty act like some cover bands. You will not see a set played in costumes reminiscent of the Grateful Deads members. Dark Star Orchestra is a band loaded with musical talent that does not go without recognition in the music industry. All of the members have played in other bands (keyboardist, Rob Barraco, splits time by also playing with Grateful Dead Bassist Phil Lesh in Phil and Friends) and have proven themselves as accomplished, creative musicians with a sweet love for the magic surrounding the Grateful Dead’s music and their constantly growing legion of fans.
A cool aspect of DSO is that they play all of the same venues as your other favorite jam bands. As I entered the intimate Vic Theater through a freezing February rain, I was caught off guard by the abundance of fans in attendance. Fans were colorful, often times hairy, and there to get there groove on.’/ There were more people at the Vic for this show than there was for Chicago locals, Umphrey’s McGee, when they played there January 19 to celebrate the release of their new album Mantis.
I warned my Grateful Dead virgin compadre for the evening, Jef, that, due to the lengthy history of the Grateful Dead, the crowd would be a bit older. I was partially correct, but was surprised at the number of late teens and early 20’s in attendance. It is quite obvious that DSO is feeding the hunger of new age Dead Heads. When they hit the stage just before 9:00 pm, the crowd’s uncontrollable roar confirmed that we had a house full of serious spectators. The welcome was so warm that it sent chills up and down my spine.
A serious buzz about the date of the show hovered above the crowd when they hit the beginning notes of “Promised Land.” After getting a “Candy Man,” “Mama Tried,” “Mexicali” and a mid set “China -> Rider,” to begin the show, everyone could sense a mid-to-late seventies spectacle. The largest crowd eruption of the first set came when guitarist “John Kadleuik” sang “I wish I was a headlight on a Northbound Train…” during “I Know You Rider.” The music momentarily hid behind the cheers.
The appearance of female vocalist and on-stage hippy shaker, Lisa Mackey, during the first set confirmed the crowd’s assumptions. It had to be an era when Donna Jean Godchaux was present. The highlight of the first set followed stellar versions of “Minglewood Blues” and “Stagger Lee,” respectively, with a Grateful Dead rarity, “From the Heart of Me.” Lisa Mackey laid it all on the line and made her warm presence be felt when she hit the soulful high notes of this masterpiece. It gave fans a glimpse into a moment that matched the true essence of exactly what a Dead show was about. There is no word to describe it. It is the feeling that people have gotten for decades that has kept them coming back for more. They closed out the set with a late seventies funk jam, “The Music Never Stopped.”
Jaws hit the floor and the crowd continued to show excitement throughout set break. The venue was so packed both on the main floor and in the balcony during set break that it was difficult to navigate the crowd (I certainly wasn’t patient enough to wait in one of the long lines for a $6 can of Heineken). The first set was overflowing with those lost-in-the-moment Grateful Dead experiences. Faces in the crowd were those of happiness, adulation and for the newcomers, disbelief. After a smoking first set, we were ready for more.
The crowd, once again, erupted after a short set break to re-welcome DSO to the stage for the second set. They got back to it with “Scarlet Begonias ->Fire on the Mountain.” I was excited to hear the transition during this legendary jam. Bassist, Kevin Rosen, was right on-time making the transition as seamless as it originally was. I never thought that I would say that another band could give me the feeling that the Grateful Dead did. But, I am going to say it. DSO works so well together that they were hitting notes so similar to the Grateful Dead that I thought they would come out after the show and tell us that they played the show over a Grateful Dead tape (If you are in doubt of this rather bold statement you have never seen DSO. Go see them live, then send me an email). You could tell by the level of enjoyment expressed by the crowd that I was not alone in this thought.
The light show became more intense during the second set as smoke filled the non-smoking venue. The intense lights matched an intense mostly non-stop remainder of the set. They answered every Dead Head’s dream when they continued without a break through favorites “Estimated Prophet -> Eyes of the World -> Drums -> The Other One -> Wharf Rat -> I Need A Miracle.”
Although, in typical Grateful Dead fashion, the crowd’s vocals were noticeably present during every song throughout the night, they were heightened during the crowd closer “Casey Jones.”
Once again, the crowd shook the rafters with their bellows as DSO left the stage. Quickly returning they closed out their version of the Grateful Dead’s Market Square Arena performance of Feb. 3, 1979 in Indianapolis, IN with “One More Saturday Night.” I had an intuition that this song would be played at some point of the night. The fact that it was a Thursday made me shake it though. This was normally a Saturday only song for the Dead. It was surprising to see DSO vary from the norm after playing the entire show in such close unison to the Dead. They did, and it gave the crowd one more chance to shake their bones to this Grateful Dead staple.
DSO brings the legendary experience of a Grateful Dead show back to those who experienced the real deal and introduces it to those who never got to. My first 2 concerts were Dead shows and I remember clearly what it felt like. It felt damn close to what the packed crowd at the Vic experienced. I think it is amazing that such talented, creative musicians would dedicate a large part of their lives to doing something that is simply there to help other people experience what they hold so dear. It is a very unselfish approach to creating music. Doing it to perfection and for all of the right reasons is why DSO is a tribute band that is worthy of being called a “second favorite band” by tens of thousands of live music lovers.
Click links below for DSO Downloads:
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