One Snowy Saturday Night: Dark Star Orchestra Caps Rail Rider Jamboree

Dark Star Orchestra played two sets in the snow on Saturday night to bring the second annual Rail Rider Jamboree to a close. The Grateful Dead tribute act went the elective route for their setlist instead of recreating a GD show.

Rail Rider Jamboree was held at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, New York. Eggy kicked off the main stage action before Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer was joined by bandmate Evan McPhaden on bass, multi-instrumentalist Craig Brodhead (Cool Cool Cool, former Turkuaz) and Eggy drummer Alex Bailey for a Gantzer & Friends performance.

With the snow falling at a steady peak, DSO fittingly chose “Cold Rain & Snow” to open their first set. Dead staples “Jack Straw” and “West L.A. Fadeaway” followed before the band went with deep cut “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” and a cover of The Band’s “The Shape I’m In.” The oft-paired “Lost Sailor” and “Saint Of Circumstance” came next along with a set-closing “Casey Jones.”

Dark Star Orchestra launched Saturday’s second set by linking “Help On The Way” and “Slipknot!” Yet, instead of the expected “Franklin’s Tower” to complete the triumvirate, the band dropped into “Here Comes Sunshine.” The seamless frame continued with a take on The Beatles’ White Album gem “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?,” which bled into a “China Cat Sunflower”/”I Know You Rider” split by “Saint Stephen.” the group then delivered “Iko Iko” and ended the festival with the day-appropriate “One More Saturday Night.”

Setlist (via DSO Starbase)

Set One: Cold Rain And Snow, Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man), The Shape I’m In, Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance, Casey Jones

Set Two: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Here Comes Sunshine > Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? > China Cat Sunflower > Saint Stephen > I Know You Rider > Iko Iko > One More Saturday Night