Dark Star Orchestra - 2/12

Dark Star Orchestra is a tribute act that recreates Grateful Dead concerts, playing at the Fox Theater in Oakland. The band honors the Grateful Dead and is not the original group.

Dark Star Orchestra is a rock tribute band devoted to the Grateful Dead, the San Francisco psychedelic rock group formed in 1965 and active until the death of guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia in 1995. The band was formed in the 1990s and takes its name from "Dark Star," one of the Dead's best-known extended jams.

In concert, Dark Star Orchestra reconstructs full Grateful Dead shows, working from the Dead's catalog of songs and improvised passages. The sets are built around the band's long-form jam style, with the rhythmic interplay and extended instrumental sections that defined the original group's live performances.

The program suits listeners who follow the Grateful Dead's music and its jam-band lineage, including the blues, folk and country influences in its repertoire. The Fox Theater is a historic venue in downtown Oakland that opened in 1928 and hosts concerts and shows throughout the year.