Gallery & Review – Dark Star Orchestra at Riveredge Park – 6.24.17 Aurora, IL.

Dark Star Orchestra

6/24/17 – Riveredge Park – Aurora, IL.

By Bradley Todd

            Dark Star Orchestra, the well known Grateful Dead cover band, is celebrating their 20^th anniversary of “continuing the Grateful Dead concert experience” with a summer tour that recently made an early tour stop at the lovely Riveredge Park in Aurora, Illinois (greater Chicagoland market) on June 24, 2017.

True to their motto, the band kept the GD concert spirit alive by performing the Grateful Dead’s concert from 8/13/87 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado (in case you aren’t familiar with DSO, they frequently re-create past GD shows in their entirety, including extended jams).

The setlist, as well as the performance, was long and tasty…about 3 hours of music… and had a bit of something for fans of all eras of the Grateful Dead, making this a great show to bring back to life. Personal favorites were It’s All Over Now, Far From Me, Estimated Prophet, and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door… I love Brent Mydland tunes from the Go To Heaven album, and this cover of Far From Me was spot on and much appreciated. But really, the band played all of these songs and jams with such style, passion and love that’s it’s no wonder that 20 years later they have a following that allows for lengthy summer tours.

In fact, the band just announced Fall dates as well, which are listed at the band’s website: www.darkstarorchestra.net

SETLIST  ** FULL GALLERY BELOW** 

1. Big Boss Man
2. Jack Straw
3. Row Jimmy
4. It’s All Over Now
5. Loser
6. Cassidy
7. Far From Me
8. Box of Rain
9. Uncle John’s Band
10. Estimated Prophet
11. He’s Gone
12. Drums
13. The Wheel
14. Gimme Some Lovin’
15. Stella Blue
16. Throwin’ Stones
17. Not Fade Away

Encore

18. Not Fade Away (reprise)
19. Touch of Grey
20. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door