Dark Star Orchestra Keeps the Flame Shining Bright

Grateful Dead publicist: Familiar music helps tribute bands thrive SOUTH DEERFIELD, Massachusetts — Summer is the season for live music and music festivals. Festivals of note in the Monadnock region include: Northlands Music & Arts Festival in Swanzey, Green River Festival in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and The Dead of Summer Music Festival in Manchester, Vermont. A highlight of the live music scene this summer is Dark Star Orchestra's (DSO) return for a two night run at Tree House Brewing Company on June 15 and 16. Just back from their 13th Jubilee in Ohio, DSO is considered the preeminent Grateful Dead tribute band in the U.S. They have performed 3,428 shows since they formed on Nov. 11, 1997 in Chicago. When reached by phone in San Francisco, Dennis McNally, author, historian and Grateful Dead publicist (1984-95) said tribute bands are so popular today "because tribute bands come with a pre-made audience." He continued, "People love the music of the Grateful Dead or the Beatles, or whoever, and that gives the musicians something familiar they can share with the audience, and that is something the audience wants." When asked about DSO, McNally said "DSO attempts to recreate shows, and they do it brilliantly!" He agrees DSO and Joe Russo's Almost Dead are the top two nationally touring Grateful Dead tributes today. DSO shows are built off the Grateful Dead's extensive catalog and on any given night the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list. DSO's line-up is: Jeff Mattson on lead guitar and vocals, Rob Eaton on rhythm guitar and vocals, Lisa Mackey on vocals and harp, Dino English on drums, Rob Koritz on drums, Skip Vangelas on bass, and Rob Barraco on keyboards. Mattson continues to learn from Garcia's work Providing the lead guitar work and vocals is Jeff Mattson, who channels the spirit and sonic signature of Jerry Garcia while keeping his own improvisational solos fluid and organic. Victoria Chertok: Hey Jeff, it's great to talk with you again. When did you first pick up your instrument? Jeff Mattson: I dabbled with it, and then started taking it very seriously when I was about 14. I started out listening to AM radio as a child, and then I got into the Beatles. When I discovered the Grateful Dead, they really resonated with me. I liked the songs and in 1971-72 when "Skull and Roses" and "Europe '72" (two live albums) came out, they blew my mind. I was attracted to the fact that they played stuff differently every night. V.C.: Jamming and improvisation are the spirit of this music; describe DSO's interpretation of the Grateful Dead catalogue. J.M.: There are different kinds of interpretations. We're kind of the keepers of the flame of the way the Grateful Dead played, and so we're interested in all the ways the music changed in their 30-year career. If we do a show from 1973, we try to play it like they played it in 1973 with those arrangements, those instruments, all the stylistic things you can find. V.C.: Why do you think this music is still so popular after 60 years? J.M.: It's remarkable. There are a number of reasons. The first and foremost, is because they are really good songs. They have a very solid grounding in Americana, and they have great melodies and excellent lyrics that are not so specific they can't continually reveal things to you. I've been singing some of these songs for 50 years, and I still get new insights. V.C.: Which instruments will you bring on summer tour? J.M.: The Grateful Guitar Foundation bestowed several instruments on me, including one that's very much like Jerry Garcia's Doug Irwin guitars, like his Rosebud or Tiger guitar. A beautiful instrument was made by Leo Elliott of Scarlet Fire guitars. So that's taking place of the Frankenstein Strat. I told them I like wooly mammoths so it's got an inlay of a wooly mammoth on the front, and there's this beautiful scene inlaid on the back with two wooly mammoths. They actually used real mammoth tusk in the inlays, which are like 20,000 years old! V.C.: Wow! Switching gears. We lost Donna Jean Godchaux in 2025… I know you were a dear friend of hers and played in The Donna Jean Godchaux Band. J.M.: I was very close friends with Donna, so it was tremendously heartbreaking. People didn't really know her because she didn't get interviewed much. She was a very sweet, funny, talented and wonderful person. There are a lot of naysayers out there who didn't appreciate Donna's contributions, but she was an accomplished singer before she moved to California to join the Grateful Dead. She was a backup singer in Muscle Shoals, and sang on many number one records. We wrote tunes together. That was a career highlight for me. I was actually down in the Muscle Shoals area at her memorial a few months ago and it was very moving experience. As soon as I got back to the hotel, I found out that Bob Weir had died. V.C.: Oh my goodness! That must have hit hard. J.M.: It really kind of took me a while to absorb that. I'm still dealing with it. I can't believe that Bob's gone. Seeing him play for 50-some years, and I played with him several times. It's a huge loss. He was a one of a kind musician, certainly, and a character too. He really came into his own after the loss of Jerry. I think he became the sage old man of the scene in just a short time. It was Phil, Donna then Bobby. It's really a tough transition. English reflects on playing with a second drummer Manning one of the two drum kits is Dino English, who channels the syncopated drive of Bill Kreutzmann while keeping his improvisational percussion responsive to the rest of the ensemble. Victoria Chertok: Hey Dino! Glad we could connect today! You grew up in St. Louis? Dino English: Hi Victoria! I grew up in Creve Coeur, Missouri and now live in Lexington, Kentucky. V.C.: Cool. When did you start playing drums? D.E.: I tried to start playing drums earlier, but my parents didn't want the noise in the house. All my other brothers play guitar, so I did that for a while. So as soon as I could afford my own kit, I convinced my parents to let me buy one. I had a short window before my parents got home from work when I could play loud and then I would switch to quieter playing with brushes when my dad got home from work. V.C.: Who were some of your early drumming influences? D.E.: I was very into progressive rock, so my favorite initial drummers were Rush's Neil, Peart, and I liked Stewart Copeland, John Bonham from Zeppelin, Bill Bruford from Yes, and then King Crimson. I was into Genesis, so Phil Collins, too. Phil and Chester Thompson, were my introduction to double drumming. I really fell in love with the two drummer concept because of Genesis. V.C.: Very cool! What is it like to play with a second drummer, Rob Koritz in DSO? D.E.: Rob and I work really well together. We played so much together; it's second nature, and that's not always the case. It's not easy to play with other drummers, because they don't really understand the concept. Listening is key and getting space for each other. V.C.: You play the Billy Kreutzmann parts and Rob plays the Mickey Hart parts? D.E.: Yeah, we both agreed that Rob played naturally closer to Mickey and I played more naturally closer to Billy so we decided to divide up the musical parts that way. V.C.: What drum kit will you bring on summer tour? D.E.: I play a Yamaha recording custom. I believe Billy played some Yamaha's in the late '80s, and '90s, but they're just drums that I like. I used to play Noble and Cooley. V.C.: Do you have a preferred era of the Grateful Dead catalog? D.E.: That has changed over the years. When I joined the band, I was an '80s person, but one of my first tapes that I really got into was Cincinnati '85. Then after joining Dark Star, you had to learn all the different eras and that really broadened my taste out as far as Grateful Dead. I think my favorite stuff is between 1977 and '87. V.C.: Why do you think this music is still so popular after 60 years? D.E.: It's the combination of all the elements but one of the key elements is the lyrics. Robert Hunter just really nailed it, you know? He's just such a poet. All the lyricists for the Grateful Dead were actually the key in the whole thing. But Robert Hunter was definitely something else; his lyrics can change to fit whatever is going on in your life at that moment so they're always meaningful.