It's really about the sound that’s created. It's about a sense of familiarity. It's about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It's about a contagious energy: it's about the experience.

Offering a continually evolving artistic outlet within the Grateful Dead’s musical canon, members of Dark Star Orchestra seek out the unique style of each performance era and offer their own interpretations and improvisations at each show.  Using entire set lists from the Grateful Dead’s decades of touring as a launching pad, Dark Star Orchestra recreates song for song performances straight from the set list of these historic shows.  

"For us it's a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years," DSO guitarist and vocalist, Rob Eaton explains. "We offer a 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."

Since its humble beginnings 10 years and over 1500 shows ago, the band’s determined commitment to ‘raising the Dead’ has drawn DSO critical acclaim:     

“Fanatical attention to detail.” – Rolling Stone

“Dark Star Orchestra takes its act to a level of detail that befits a rock band famous for its fanatical following.” – Associated Press

 “The hottest Grateful Dead tribute act. A cover band for people who don't like cover bands.” – The Washington Post

Critics aren’t the only ones singing Dark Star Orchestra’s praises.  Five original members of the Grateful Dead have played alongside DSO and have had this to say:

“A couple of times when I had my back to John (Kadlecik) onstage and he started to sing, I had this weird sense that it was Jerry.” – Bob Weir, Grateful Dead
co-founder/vocalist/guitarist

“Playing with Dark Star Orchestra is something that feels just exactly like it felt when I was playing with the Grateful Dead.” – Donna Jean Godchaux, Grateful Dead vocalist, frequent DSO guest

Playing a full Hammond B3 and on vocals, Rob Barraco channels to the sound of three of the Grateful Dead’s keyboardists. On lead guitar and vocals, John Kadlecik sings with an uncanny resemblance to Jerry Garcia, using amp rigs and equipment to suit the near-exact, Garcia guitar tone from the show being recreated.  On rhythm guitar and vocals, Rob Eaton provides an extension of the incredible feeling, instrumentation and tone created by Dead co-founder Bob Weir. When the show is from the 70s, vocalist Lisa Mackey provides the female harmonies, performing the Donna Jean Godchaux parts in perfect key.

Dino English combines his training in percussion and jazz and his experience in Dead-oriented groups to deliver the rhythmic drumming sounds of Bill Kreutzmann. On the other drum set, Rob Koritz, a classical and jazz influenced musician gets into the soul and spirit of the music while filling the Mickey Hart role. Like Phil Lesh, Kevin Rosen provides a very distinctive and fluid style of bass playing in addition to his devotion to the music of the Dead.

In November of 1998, on the eve of their first anniversary, Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish joined Dark Star at Martyrs' after their own show. Fishman sat in for the majority of the evening, which included a rollicking drum section with four percussionists. The ensuing buzz caused national interest in the band. That winter, their Colorado tour sold out almost every stop, their MP3 web site was getting millions of hits and everyone wanted to know how they got their sound so precise. Soon after, the Washington Post declared them “the hottest Grateful Dead tribute act going”; USA Today claimed DSO was “channeling the Dead,” but what they do is not simply a tribute to the Grateful Dead rather a testament to the enormous number of unique set lists they performed in their long career.

Continuing its growth, the band performed up to 250 dates in a year. They have grown continually, playing at larger venues and theaters, collaborating with guests including Grateful Dead alumni Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, Vince Welnick, and Tom Constanten.

In 2007, Dark Star Orchestra performed over 150 shows throughout the U.S to over 130,000 Deadheads and music fans.  In addition to recreating complete historic Grateful Dead shows, DSO occasionally incorporates their original ordered set lists of GD songs, creating a unique experience for fans hearing songs that would not normally be grouped together.    

The group has begun to play two and three night stands in towns where the audiences are growing and coming out to enjoy the experience of a Dark Star Orchestra show.  The timeless music of the Grateful Dead has no age boundaries as fans at DSO shows range in age from teenager to post-baby boomer.

Dark Star Orchestra is:

Rob Barraco- keyboards, vocals
Rob Eaton - rhythm guitar, vocals
Dino English - drums, percussion
John Kadlecik - lead guitar, vocals
Rob Koritz - drums, percussion
Lisa Mackey - vocals
Kevin Rosen - bass, vocals