Dark Star Orchestra Plays Jerry Garcia Band Shows In Kansas Without Rob Eaton

Dark Star Orchestra brought their fall tour to Kansas for shows in Lawrence on Monday and Salina on Tuesday. Guitarist Rob Eaton, the band’s Bob Weir, had to miss both shows due to a family emergency. As such, DSO adapted to the situation and instead of utilizing Grateful Dead setlists they used Jerry Garcia Band setlists from two very different periods.

On Monday, DSO played the Granada Theater in Lawrence. Dino English was the sole drummer and the band was aided by vocalist Tanya Shylock for Dark Star Orchestra’s take on Jerry Garcia Band’s March 22, 1978 performance at Veteran’s Hall in Sebastopol, California. The concert was heavy on JGB staples including “Catfish John,” “I Second That Emotion,” “Cats Under The Stars” and “Mission In The Rain.” After two sets the group treated fans to a filler of “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” “Strange Man,” “Don’t Let Go” and “Tore Up.”

Tuesday’s performance took place at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Rob Koritz was the sole drummer and again the group was joined by Shylock. This time around DSO and Shylock presented the same setlist the Jerry Garcia Band used at Nassau Coliseum on September 6, 1989. Included within was the Dark Star Orchestra debut of “Mississippi Moon.” The evening’s filler was “I’ll Be With Thee,” “You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie),” “The Maker” and “My Sisters And Brothers.” DSO hadn’t covered Daniel Lanois’s “The Maker” previously.

Rob Eaton is hoping to return for Thursday’s show in Boulder.

Setlists

9/25

Set One: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Catfish John, Simple Twist Of Fate, I Second That Emotion, Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Set Two: Harder They Come, Mission In The Rain, Cats Under The Stars, Gomorrah, Mystery Train, Love In The Afternoon, I’ll Be With Thee, Midnight Moonlight

Filler: The Way You Do The Things You Do, Strange Man, Don’t Let Go, Tore Up

9/26

Set One: How Sweet It Is, Stop That Train, That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Mississippi Moon*, Second That Emotion, And It Stoned Me, Deal

Set Two: The Harder They Come, Dear Prudence, I Shall Be Released, Let It Rock, Evangeline, That Lucky Old Sun, Tangled Up In Blue

Filler: I’ll Be With Thee, You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie), The Maker*, My Sisters And Brothers

* – DSO debut