Dark Star Orchestra Offer Live Perspective on the Grateful Dead

Upcoming Tour for Nations Top Tribute Act Counts 1000th Show Milestone in 7 Years: Three-Night Acoustic Stand, Halloween, and New Years Eve Among Highlights

Chicago, IL (PR WEB) October 7, 2004 -- The Dark Star Orchestra is set to bring its critically-acclaimed live performance of Grateful Dead show recreations to the East Coast for a Fall Tour containing numerous highlights. Giving homage in a continually evolving artistic outlet, the band recreates historic Grateful Dead set lists with compelling accuracy.

Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) will perform their 1000th show at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, NC; the bands seventh birthday occurs November 11 at the three-night, all-acoustic stand at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA; the group will ring in 2005 the three nights leading up to New Years Eve at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, CO.

DSO is drawing national attention with their true-to-life performances. Rolling Stone praises Dark Star Orchestras fanatical attention to detail." USA Today says DSO is channeling the Dead" and the Washington Post declares them the hottest Grateful Dead tribute act going." Dallas Morning News affirms DSO is the next best thing to being there" and the Associated Press featured the group in November 2003.

Each night, the Chicago-based band decides on performing one show from the 2,500 that the Grateful Dead performed during their 30 year tenure as fathers of improvisational rock. As a chamber orchestra interprets Bach or Mozart, Dark Star Orchestra presents the complete original set list, song by song, and in order, with uncanny faithful interpretation.

The group has their craft so well-refined that even members of the Grateful Dead themselves, rhythm guitarist/singer Bob Weir, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, and keyboardists Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten, have appeared on stage and performed with these live music interpreters. Donna Godchaux-Mackay and her band recently completed a ten date West Coast tour with DSO in May.

Precision is king with this group, who position the stage plot based on the year of Grateful Dead show they are performing. Dark Star Orchestra adapts their phrasing, voice arrangements, and even arranges specific musical equipment for the various eras in which they perform. At the end of every performance, the band announces the date and venue where the original show just covered took place. Dark Star Orchestra dips into every incarnation of the Dead, so most fans can see" shows that happened long before they were born.

Were given a canvas with a boundary, whatever the stage set up is the framework and all of the painting that we do within that framework is unique to us," says rhythm guitarist/vocalist Rob Eaton. So we offer the sound and the structure, but all the stroking and painting is all us. So its fresh at the same time and also very historically correct."

In addition to nationwide touring with numerous sold out shows, the Dark Star Orchestra continued their commitment to philanthropy and community service in March, when a benefit show was performed in partnership with the Rex Foundation, a non-profit, charitable organization established in 1983 by friends and members of the Grateful Dead, to celebrate the organizations 20th anniversary.

Over $45,000 was raised at the benefit concert and was contributed directly to the Rex Foundation which provided grants to four Chicago area community groups and non-profits. DSO also helped raise $5000 for Rett Syndrome research through a Benefit Song Raffle fundraiser at an Ohio festival in July.

Dark Star Orchestra will be channeling the music of the Grateful Dead during their upcoming tour leading up and down the East Coast. Tickets for all shows are available now through each venues associated website.

Dark Star Orchestra Fall Tour Dates:

Wed Oct 13 - The Funk Box - Baltimore, MD

Thu & Fri Oct 14,15- State Theatre - Falls Church, VA

Sat Oct 16 - NorVa Theater - Norfolk, VA

Mon & Tues Oct 18, 19 - Star Hill Music Hall - Charlottesville, VA (with special guest David Gans)

Thu & Fri Oct 21, 22 -Lincoln Theater - Raleigh, NC

Sat Oct 23 - Orange Peel - Asheville, NC

Mon & Tue Oct 25, 26 - Visulite Theater - Charlotte, NC

Thu Oct 28 - Legends - Boone, NC

Fri Oct 29 - Carolina Theatre - Greensboro, NC (*Dark Star Orchestras 1000th performance)

Sat Oct 30 - Music Farm - Charleston, SC

Sun Oct 31 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA

Wed Nov 03 - House of Blues - Orlando, FL

Thu Nov 04 - Freebird Live - Jacksonville, FL

Fri Nov 05 - Jannus Landing - St. Petersburg, FL

Sat Nov 06 - Pompano Beach Amphitheater - Pompano Beach, FL

Tue Nov 09 - The Handlebar - Greensville, SC

Wed Nov 10 - Marrz Theater - Wilmington, NC

Fri, Sat, Sun Nov 12, 13, 14 - The Birchmere - Alexandria, VA (* Three-nights of all-acoustic performance)

Thu Dec 02 - Pearl Street - Northampton, MA

Fri Dec 03 - Revolution Hall - Troy, NY

Sat Dec 04 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA

Sun Dec 05 - Whitaker Center - Harrisburg, PA

Thu Dec 09 - The Staircase - Pittston, PA

Fri Dec 10 - Starland Ballroom - Sayrevile, NJ

Sat Dec 11 - Worcester Palladium - Worchester, MA

Sun Dec 12 - New Higher Ground - Burlington, VT

Tue Dec 14 - Mulcahy's - Wantaugh, NY

Wed Dec 15 - Lupo's - Providence, RI

Thu Dec 16 - Toad's Place - New Haven, CT

Fri Dec 17 - Portland State Theater - Portland, ME

Wed, Thurs, Fri Dec 29, 30, 31 - Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, CO

For complete background, audio samples, photos, and more information on the Dark Star Orchestra, please visit: www.darkstarorchestra.net .

(Audio samples and high resolution publicity photo are included within this press release.)

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Dark Star Orchestra Publicity Contact:

Dave Weissman

614-487-1403