Maine State Pier, PORTLAND, ME - - AUGUST 14, 2016
Article and Photographic images created by Conall O'Brien.
Click photos for large view.
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| Rob Eaton - rhythm guitar, vocals |
Back when the
Grateful Dead were still kicking and touring, one popular book among the
faithful "Dead Heads" was Deadbase - The Complete Guide to Grateful
Dead Setlists.
During the time Jerry Garcia was still alive, and starting sometime
around ’87 when the first edition of DeadBase was published, fans could refer
back to Deadbase to reminisce about songs performed, hardcore fans into trivia
could use the dbase function to learn how often or not a song had been
performed, tapers could better identify and label tapes by cross-referencing Deadbase,
and you could settle debates as to who remembered what really happened that
night you made a illegible setlist found crumpled up in the bottom of your
rucksack..
More after the jump...
Around the same time Deadbase was hugely popular among my
circle of friends and roughly 3 years after Jerry passed away there was a group that
started up from Chicago, IL – who recreated entire Grateful Dead concerts ,
that band was Dark Star Orchestra(DSO). Since 1998, yep for 18 years and counting,
over 2500 concerts performed, Dark Star Orchestra has embodied the Grateful Dead’s live experience
for fans both old and too young to have ever seen their own Grateful Dead show.
From DSO’s website… “Recreating historic Grateful Dead set lists, and intermittently
crafting their own, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic
outlet within the Grateful Dead's musical canon. Matching equipment, stage
layout and even members (various eras could include female vocals or multiple
drummers), Dark Star Orchestra's determined commitment to 'raising the Dead'
has earned them high praise…”
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| Sam Cutler introduces Dark Star Orchestra in Portland, ME |
DSO did not disappoint any of the faithful this warm summer night. Walk up ticket sales were very strong and soon the entire pier was mostly packed with generations of Dead Heads spanning ages from 16-17 up to folks in their 70's and 80s. This was an exceptional show to hear, as it turned out DSO recreated the famous "Day on The Green" put on by the late rock promoter Bill Graham in October 1976 that featured both the GD and The Who at The Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA.
Highlights were lots of Jerry songs including a Half-Step Mississippi Uptown Toodeloo, Scarlet Begonias in the middle of the first set followed by a Lazy Lightnin' ; Supplication ; and Sugaree to close the first set. I was not sure of what show I was hearing but when DSO opened up the second set with St. Stephen into Not Fade Away back into St. Stephen we soon realized we must have been inside a time warp going back to 1976. How nice was that second set with a very unique Help-->Slip with a bunch of stuff in between then segueing back into Samson & Delilah back into Slipknot and THEN Franklin's Tower. Greek to anyone not knowing the Dead, but for the DeadHeads at the close to sold out show down on the waterfront that night - we have gone to heaven.
Oakland Stadium, Oakland, CA
10/9/76
Set 1
Promised Land
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
Cassidy
Tennessee Jed
Looks Like Rain
They Love Each Other
New Minglewood Blues
Scarlet Begonias
Lazy Lightnin'>
Supplication
Sugaree
Set 2
St. Stephen>
Not Fade Away>
St. Stephen>
Help On The Way>
Slipknot!>
Drums>
Samson and Delilah>
Slipknot!>
Franklin's Tower>
One More Saturday Night
U.S. Blues
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| Jeff Mattson - lead guitar, vocals |
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| Rob Eaton - rhythm guitar, vocals |
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| Rob Barraco - keyboards, vocals |
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| Dark Star Orchestra's Bass player, Skip Vangelas |
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| Lisa Mackey - vocals |
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| Rob Eaton - rhythm guitar, vocals |
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| Fans too young to have seen the Grateful Dead carrying on the tradition |
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| Fans old enough to have seen GD shows back in '76. |
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| Dark Star Orchestra Skull logo and Stars and Dust logo T shirts. |
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| Sam Cutler - Manager to The Rolling Stones and later on The Grateful Dead. |
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| Sam Cutler on the road promoting his excellent new book "Penography". |
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| Skip Vangelas |
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| Rob Eaton - rhythm guitar, vocals |
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| Rob Eaton - rhythm guitar, vocals |
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| Jeff Mattson - lead guitar, vocals |
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| Jeff Mattson - lead guitar, vocals |
For more info Up to date - Dark Star Orchestra tour dates
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Photographic images Registered © 2016 Conall O'Brien All Rights Reserved - obiephotography_at_hotmail.com
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