DARK STAR ORCHESTRA
SANTA MONICA PIER
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 7:30 P.M.

By Tomm Carroll
Music Writer

While tribute bands dedicated to the Grateful Dead are a dime a dozen, Dark Star Orchestra is in another league entirely.

The group’s live concerts recreate -- down to the smallest detail-- actual Grateful Dead performances. Every element of the Dead shows, whether it be between-song patter or off-beat musical interpretations, is re-enacted for the delight of Deadheads and other obsessives in the audience.

And that’s just what you can expect when Dark Star shines on the Santa Monica Pier for a two-hour concert as part of the Twilight Dance Series Thursday night.

What you can’t expect is to learn the date and location of the original show, at least not until the end of the band’s performance, when it finally will be revealed just which show was recreated.

DSO comes with the approval of the surviving members of the Grateful Dead themselves. When they performed last year at a Rex Foundation benefit (the Dead’s philanthropic organization), Bob Weir of the Dead sat in as lead guitarist and commented that it felt like Jerry was right there behind him.

The Evanston, Illinois-based Dark Star Orchestra consists of John Kadlecik (Lead Guitar), Scott Larned (Keyboards), Lisa Mackey (Vocals), Rob Eaton (Rhythm Guitar), Kevin Rosen (Bass), Dino English (Drums) and Rob Koritz (Drums).