Dark Star Orchestra set to light up the ‘Burgh

It turns out that The Grateful Dead, not only paved the way for jam bands, but also built a… It turns out that The Grateful Dead, not only paved the way for jam bands, but also built a solid foundation of songs that would be covered time and time again. There are oodles of Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia cover bands out there. Dark Star Orchestra sets themselves apart from your average – if you can call a band covering The Grateful Dead average – cover band.

Rather than merely re-doing Garcia and crew’s grand celebrations of funk rock, DSO reproduces Grateful Dead shows in their entirety. It only makes sense, because the real magnetism to The Grateful Dead wasn’t their albums, it was their live shows.

DSO is composed of guitarists John Kadlecik and Rob Eaton, who assume the roles of Garcia and Bob Weir, respectively; drummers Rob Koritz and Dino English who battle it out on separate sets on stage, Grateful Dead style; bassist Kevin Rosen; and Scott Larned on the melodic keyboards. When shows from the ’70s are played, Lisa Mackey steps in to play the part of The Grateful Dead’s Donna Godchaux.

Many hours of dedicated research have gone into the project, as the band performs entire sets identical to ones that The Grateful Dead played. Concert-goers and avid Grateful Dead fans can do their best to try to figure out when and where the show took place, but they won’t be let in on it until after the performance. DSO plays the exact encore that The Grateful Dead played at that show before they clue in the fans and play their own encore for the night.

No one can perfectly emulate the legendary Jerry Garcia or his band mates; it just isn’t possible. But DSO does a damn good job trying. For some Grateful Dead fans, their eyes mist over as they realize that the show they are witnessing today was the exact one that they saw some 25 or so years ago.

Deadheads and fans who never got to see the band play when Garcia was around will unite as they hear music from a band whose songs keep on truckin’, no matter who performs them.

Dark Star Orchestra will perform an all-age show at Metropol on Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18, call (412) 323-1919.