Dark Star Orchestra Opens May Tour By Re-Creating Show From Same Date In 1977

Grateful Dead tribute act Dark Star Orchestra kicked off May Tour on Thursday night at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. Last week the group had announced plans to re-create Dead shows from the same day played in 1977 during the May ’17 run and fans didn’t have to wait long for the first of this month’s five ’77 Dead re-creations.

Dark Star Orchestra used the same setlist on Thursday night as the Grateful Dead did on the same date in 1977. The Grateful Dead’s May 11, 1977 show took place at St. Paul Civic Center. Both performances opened with a Chuck Berry Cover (“The Promised Land”) and featured a second set that ended with a Chuck Berry cover (“Around And Around”). Along the way DSO ran through a pair of beloved song suites in the form of “Lazy Lightning” > “Supplication” within the first set and “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire On The Mountain” in the second set.

Dark Star also tipped their hat to the original performance by dissolving “Uncle John’s Band” into “Space” before launching into “Wharf Rat.” The evening concluded with a beautiful “Brokedown Palace” encore. DSO will utilize four more May 1977 setlists this month but will not announce in advance which shows they will be.

Videos (Captured by Mike Maciunksi)

[Loser]

[Ramble On Rose]

[Peggy-O]

[Lazy Lightning > Supplication]

[Uncle John’s Band]

[Brokedown Palace]

Setlist

Set One: The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Big River, Loser, Looks Like Rain, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Peggy-O, El Paso, Deal, Lazy Lightning > Supplication, Sugaree

Set Two: Samson & Delilah, Brown Eyed Women, Estimated Prophet, Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Good Lovin’, Uncle John’s Band > Space > Wharf Rat > Around & Around

Encore: Brokedown Palace