Tao of Pauly

Dark Star Orchestra

I never blogged the review. I actually never wrote the review, but I will be blogging this mini-review.

I have seen DSO almost twenty times, and they are the best Grateful Dead cover band I have ever seen. Ambitious and foolish at the same time, the musicians in DSO are top notch and they get the entire sound of the Dead form whatever year's concert they happen to be playing. On Saturday it was 1976.

Sat, Nov 30, 2002 at The WWF World Theatre, New York, NY
Performing 7/1/1976 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA (Donna Show)

Set 1: Might As Well, Mama Tried, Dire Wolf, Jack Straw, Deal, El Paso, Loser, BIODTL, Friend of the Devil, Dancin> Wharf Rat> Dancin

The World is a cool venue, located in the heart of Times Square. It's also the home of the WWF and I expected actual wrestlers to be doing door security... I figured why not right? The venue had high quality sound and lights and video.

The first set was tight.... with Jack Straw being the highlight for me. El Paso and Loser are favorites of mine so I was happy to hear them. The crowd was freaking out during Dancin in the Streets and was the highest part of the first set energy wise.

I went with Bruce Cohen, who's only complaint was: "I wish they turned the bass player up..."

Set 2: Let It Grow, Mission in the Rain, Playin> Drums> Space> Wheel> Playin Jam> Other One> Comes A Time> Playin Reprise> Sugar Magnolia

Encore: Johnny B. Goode

Fillers: China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider

Just before the set started a group of high school kids got busted by security for smoking a bowl. Overall the security was more tighter than I expected, and although I saw three people busted during the first five minutes of the set, not one of them was kicked out... the security told them to put it out. I got slightly paranoid because I know the WWF World Theatre also hosts a segment of the weekly WWF TV events. So there must be a control room and cameras all over the place! It made me think twice about puffing down...

Bruce Cohen has been to many Dead shows, but he had never seen Mission in the Rain... and judging by the reaction of the crowd, neither had they... when the song ended, the crowd ripped into an almost five minute applause which surprised the band... so I guess a lot of Deadheads there that night rarely heard that song, so it was a treat indeed.

Wheel > Playin was cooking and high energy... and once again Bruce Cohen got a special treat: Comes a Time, a song which he never heard played either. Got that Jerry vibe during that tune for sure. Sugar Magnolia to close the almost 4 hour show was sweet. Again it was high energy and not cheesed out like Bob Weir always loved doing. The fillers: China > Rider was well welcomed by me, one of my favorite combos to hear at a Dead show... and they did a great job of letting me go home satisfied with nearly four hours of kick ass music from the Grateful Dead.