Dark Star Orchestra is the premiere Grateful Dead tribute band in the world. I’m not sure the description “tribute band” pays justice to how fans of the band feel about its place in the constellation of like-minded groups that sprouted from fertile ground.
The group is like a pinch hitter for the original Grateful Dead, the legendary first iteration of the San Francisco psychedelic band that continues to perform live concerts under a number of subsequent monikers after the death of its lead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia in 1995. For those who love to hear concerts from the Grateful Dead’s immense roster of live appearances in the past, or special set lists the Dark Star Orchestra designs for whatever reason, coming to the show Saturday night at the Golden State Theatre is the ticket.
Dark Star has been performing to critical acclaim for over 25 years and over 3,100 shows, bringing the sound, spirit and experience of the early Grateful Dead concerts to music fans young and old. Members of the actual Grateful Dead family have joined in the production of the shows, as well as members of the band being guest artists with band, including Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux, Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten. Bob Matthews, Dan Healy and Betty Cantor, members of the Grateful Dead sound production team, often were at the controls of the soundboard as consultants for the band, or recording the live shows for production of some of the Dark Star discography. The original lead guitarist for Dark Star, John Kadlecik, went on to be a member of the band Furthur, featuring Dead originals Weir and Lesh, because he is that good of a Garcia channeler.
Current members are Jeff Mattson, lead guitar/vocals; Skip Vangelas, bass/vocals; Rob Barraco, keyboards/vocals; Rob Eaton, rhythm guitar/vocals; Dino English, drums/percussion; Rob Koritz, drums/percussion; and Lisa Mackey, vocals.
The concept that took hold from the band’s inception in 1997 was to choose a particular concert from the Dead vault, replicate not only the setlist verbatim but also to utilize the same equipment the original band used for that show. Which show they chose was kept a secret and the audience was challenged to determine which show they were listening to. Dyed-in-the-wool Deadheads can figure that out and that added to the excitement at the show.
I’m not so sure that’s a thing anymore, as the band has evolved. And could it be possible they’ve actually performed all the shows at least once? I don’t know the answer to that question, but I remember back in the early 2000s seeing the band in Santa Cruz at The Catalyst or Palookaville and witnessing this magic at work. I also was at a show in San Francisco at the Fillmore Auditorium where Donna Jean Godchaux sat in for a set and that was a blast. You just never know what guest might pop up, or what set the band will choose to play any given night. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.
“For us it’s a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years,” Barraco explained. “We offer sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the ’90s, we offer something they never got to see live.”
Dark Star also commands large enough audiences to present annual full-on festival experiences with supporting acts. Dark Star Jubilee presents three nights of music, this year May 24-26 at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio. And there’s the recently wrapped Dark Star’s Jam in the Sand. The 11th annual event ran for four days in January at the Jewel Paradise Cove Resort in Jamaica. I haven’t gotten out to hear any Grateful Dead music for awhile, so I’m looking forward to this Saturday night. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. The seating arrangement is for the downstairs area to have general admission open seating with the section up front by the stage open for dancing and standing. Tickets are still available for $47.50.
The upstairs balcony is reserved seating, some still available, and those range in price from $42.50-$62.50. Advance sales are at www.goldenstatetheatre.com or at the door. For more information you can call (831) 649-1070.
The Golden State Theatre continues to add new shows almost weekly, providing a varied and interesting slate of concerts and comedians. I’ve previously mentioned those that are taking place in February and early March, and a couple going forward from there are return visits by bands you may or may not have had the chance to see first time around. I’ll leave those to you to check out online at www.goldenstatetheatre.com. Recent additions include Killer Queen, Tribute to Queen, March 20; a blues artist who used to regularly perform in our area Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, March 21; An Evening with Dawes & Lucius, March 22 (love Dawes, great songwriting and the band is excellent); blues guitarist/singer Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-A-Whirl Band, with Mathias Lattin, April 4; reggae legends Steel Pulse, April 23; Adam Ant -Antmusic 2024 with special guest The English Beat, April 30; Jakob Dylan’s The Wallflowers, May 24; Todd Rundgren Me/We Tour, June 26; and a resurrection of the retired Beatles tribute band from Santa Cruz The White Album Ensemble, Aug. 17. These shows are ones that I haven’t yet mentioned here, but there are others interspersed throughout that are also interesting to check out.
In particular, I want all you veteran folkies out there to be aware that two-thirds of the legendary Peter, Paul & Mary are appearing at the Golden State March 23. Peter Yarrow & Noel Paul Stookey are still performing the trio’s socially conscious folk hits that earned them five Grammy Awards and numerous gold and platinum albums. In 2006, Peter, Paul & Mary received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s “Lifetime Achievement” Award. Some of the hits they’ll be performing are “If I Had a Hammer,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Puff (The Magic Dragon),” “I Dig Rock & Roll Music,” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets range from $39.50 – $99.50.
Hey all you early Rolling Stones fans, remember the original vinyl album cover for the 1971 release “Sticky Fingers?” Thursday night at Carmel’s Sunset Cultural Center you can hear the entire album, “note for note, cut for cut” accurate by the band Classic Albums Live. Forgoing costumes and impersonations, Classic Albums Live has found success in concentrating solely on the music. We’ve had a version of this for the Beatles with the White Album Ensemble but this group with a rotating roster of musicians, has taken it to another level with shows across North America.
“Think of it as a recital,” says founder Craig Martin. “These albums are historic and stand the test of time.”
Show time is at 7:30 p.m. presented by Sunset Presents. Tickets are $40, $50 & $65, available in advance online at www.sunsetcenter.org or at the box office, (831) 620-2048.
Heads up all you Fooseheads. Local large ensemble Wrockinfoose appears Saturday at Carmel’s American Legion Hall, 7-10 p.m., $15 cover. I’m a big fan of this group, for its high quality musicianship and its jazzy, funk/R&B, New Orleans vibe. Get out and support if you can.
And speaking of support, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker/real estate agent Lawrence Roeck, who with business partner and fellow film industry member Annette Andersen Caton is spearheading the ongoing development of The Crowd, a grassroots organization to uplift and assist in the growing of our local artists, whether they are in film, photography, art or music. While not a brand new presence in town, for three years The Crowd has been growing its presence and is recently beginning to present in person gatherings in addition to its sizable social media membership. The Crowd online has over 3,000 people in the mix, while there is a group of about 30 folks who have subscribed to the group ($25 per month).
In an upcoming column I’ll be better able to present the whole story, but for now, check out this weekend’s gathering at Francis Whitaker’s Historic Forge in the Forest restaurant at Junipero and 5th in Carmel (Grotto Room). To the end of “re-building the Carmel Art Colony through a monthly celebration of excellence in the arts” this Saturday from 3-5:30 p.m. an exhibition of the narrative paintings of Warren Chang and the figurative metal sculptures by Ashley Bennet-Stoddard takes place and you’re invited. Attendance is by joining The Crowd and its paid subscription at www.TheCrowdArtsFestival.com or by a $40 single entrance fee at the door. Also, if you’re on Facebook search for The Crowd and join to get more details and to follow what’s going on.
Roeck is a Carmel native and like many of us here on the Peninsula, he’s witnessed the changes in Carmel, from a small, locally-focused town with a history as an artist colony to a merchant-driven economy that depends more and more on tourism rather than providing a downtown area where people who live here will frequent. As a filmmaker, he was saddened to see the demise of the Carmel Film Festival and would like to be able to rebuild that event with the help and support of a dedicated group of arts lovers. Stay tuned for more, but come out Saturday to get involved.
