Tie-dyes, Grateful Dead jams and a (not-so-strange) trip. That was the order of the evening at Meijer Gardens on Thursday as Dark Star Orchestra paid tribute to the iconic rock band.
Psychedelic Vibe: Dark Star Orchestra on stage Thursday night. (Photo/Steve Baran)
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Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park was awash in a sea of tie-dye (and the expected haze that accompanies any performer in the “jam band” universe) Thursday evening when Dark Star Orchestra made its tour stop at the Grand Rapids amphitheater.
Doing their part to keep the spirit of the Grateful Dead alive, the musicians delivered a three-part set that mixed the Dead (“Cold Rain and Snow” and “Help On the Way,” to name a few) with covers of other artists of the era: Bob Dylan (“Masters of War”), the Spencer Davis Group (“Gimmie Some Lovin'”) and the Beatles (“I Am the Walrus”), which closed out the show.
The vibes were, as they say, immaculate, with much of the audience/community on its feet and grooving for the entirety of the roughly dozen-and-a-half-song evening.
The picturesque surroundings and warm reception helped Dark Star Orchestra to close out its summer tour. The long-running act heads to Ohio this weekend before taking a brief break ahead of a fall leg.
Up Next at Meijer Gardens: Three Dog Night with special guest Chris Trapper perform at 7 p.m. Sunday. The concert is sold out.
PHOTO GALLERY: Dark Star Orchestra at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Steve Baran
