If imitation is the highest form of flattery, the Grateful Dead shouldn't have any self-esteem issues.
Dark Star Orchestra, one of many Deadhead tribute bands, goes past imitation. The only things the members are missing are wigs and tie-dyed costumes.
Their first live album, Thunder and Lightnin,' consists of nine tracks, each with a playtime from anywhere between two to 14 minutes. Upbeat rhythms and energetic vocals mix in well with the songs. The laid back melody and rhythmic guitar create a semi-psychedelic atmosphere characteristic of so many Grateful Dead songs.
"It's just our favorite music and you tend to want to emulate your heroes," bassist Kevin Rosen said .
The six-year-old band hails from Chicago with seven members, all self-identified Deadheads. John Kadlecik stars as the beloved Jerry Garcia.
Rosen remembers several other Dead tribute bands the members had played in and says they came up short. Dark Star Orchestra, he feels, is different.
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"They were a part of it because they wanted to be, not because it was a job," he said.
Cover bands, however, stay in the background for a reason. They are for those fans that didn't die with the band and don't get a lot of coverage outside that select group of people. Not many listeners are interested in what's been done. They want new, original ideas, not recreations of the same old tune.
Fortunately, Dark Star Orchestra's main emphasis is not on album sales, but on the live shows. The band selects a specific Grateful Dead concert and attempts to recreate that night.
"I don't get the feeling from Grateful Dead concerts that I used to," Rosen said. "But if we play it well and do it right, I can kind of get that feeling again."
The band re-enacts every aspect - the set list, musicians, instruments used and even their positions onstage echo those of the heroes years ago. The difference between having two drummers instead of one could be the difference between a concert in '72 and a concert in '81.
"We've all been with other Dead bands that have tried putting together their own set lists," Rosen said. "But we've just realized that the Dead, as the years rolled by, grouped certain songs together for a reason."
The band, however, never announces the concert date re-enacted until the end of the concert. It's become a game between the Deadheads who can figure out the concert date from the Dead's 2,500 concerts.
"It's a lot of fun for us, and I think it's a lot of fun for all the Deadheads, too," Rosen said.
Who: Dark Star Orchestra
When: Tonight, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Stella Blue 3001 Cental Ave.
Price: $22.50
Ticket Info: 268-8667
