Show Review

Synchronicity is something that, as I have found, follows the Grateful Dead's music around pretty closely. There is something just plain magical about their songs. This was exemplified to me, yet again, when I was initiated into the world of the Dark Star Orchestra at Higher Ground.

The most synchronistic piece of the night, for me, was the show selection. They played a fairly famous show from the Capitol Canter in Landover, Maryland from 1990. That is the same venue that I saw my first Dead show in almost 3 years to the date after this one. Oh the days of old... Another synchronistic occurrence was the Cold Rain opener on a fairly cold and snowy December night (maybe that was the inspiration for them choosing this show).

I had heard about the Dark Star Orchestra for a while now and how they put on a great show. In my mind though, I just wanted to leave the past alone. I enjoyed the Grateful Dead when they were a band, seeing many wonderful shows and having lots of great times. I thought that I should leave that behind because no other band could recreate what was so special about the Dead and their music. Well the DSO proved that, for one, the Grateful Dead’s music holds its own and secondly that the DSO are really great musicians in their own right.

Seeing these guys made me shake my head quite a few times and rub my eyes to be sure that I really wasn’t seeing the Dead back in the day. I was immediately pulled in from the first notes and really enjoyed the night thoroughly always feeling at home with what they were playing. To call these guys a cover band would be just plain wrong, they are more like mystical channelers plugged into the source and not letting go!

Some serious highlights from the show included a very high energy "Loose Lucy" and "Let It Grow" in the first set and, really, the entire second set sandwich of "Crazy Fingers-> Playin-> Uncle Johns-> Playin-> Drums-> Space-> Mr. Fantasy-> Miracle-> Black Peter-> Lovelight." These guys know how to pick ‘em and pick ‘em well. The entire sold out house was grooving along the whole night and it was nice to see all the folks who were probably too young to have had the privilege of seeing the Grateful Dead. That in itself defines the importance of the Dark Star Orchestra and their mission. That and the fact that they bring the old schoolers back to those days when we would sing a song of our own...

Filler: Masterpiece