Jamband fans and Deadheads take note

Dark Star Orchestra – All Good Music Festival 2012 – Thornville, Ohio

This week’s festivities begin Friday as Dark Star Orchestra brings their special tribute to the Grateful Dead to the Madison Theater in Covington, Ky.

I will definitely be there, and am really looking forward to the show and seeing some good friends. My show buddy (who I have seen more than 300 shows with) will be there after too long of a hiatus.

This DSO show comes on the heel of this week’s announcement of the Dark Star Jubilee lineup.

The second annual festival returns to Legend Valley (formerly Buckeye Lake)  in Thornville, Ohio, on Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26, and celebrates the music and spirit of The Grateful Dead, with 3 nights of Dark Star Orchestra, plus two Grateful Dead member and their bands.

Hosted and curated by world-renowned Grateful Dead tribute band, Dark Star Orchestra, the Jubilee also features members of The Dead in their own bands, the Mickey Hart Band and Donna Jean Band. Other artists confirmed include Yonder Mountain String Band (All Good Music Festival alum), Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (Downtown Dayton Revival alum), The Wailers, The New Orleans Suspects featuring Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett of Little Feat, local favorites The Werks (Downtown Dayton Revival alum), Greensky Bluegrass, John Brown’s Body, Marco Benevento, Elephant Revival, The Pimps of Joytime (All Good Music Festival alum) , Rumpke Mountain Boys (Cincinnati’s own), BigEaR, The Folkadelics, The Ark Band, Matt Reynolds with additional artists still to be announced.

With three nights of Dark Star Orchestra and over two dozen artists for more than 36 hours of music with no overlapping sets, the Jubilee takes place at the historic Legend Valley, home to some of the largest outdoor Grateful Dead concerts. Legend Valley is also the home to the All Good Music Festival, where the 17^th annual event is going on July 18-22. Promoters are offering the only chance to obtain All Good Festival ticket at this time by offering an Early Bird package deal including GA camping, parking and entertainment to both the Dark Star Jubilee and All Good Festivals, for $250, saving buyers over $125 off the gate price.

For over 15 years and 2150 shows, Dark Star Orchestra has toured the world embodying the Grateful Dead’s live concert experience for veteran Deadheads and those too young to have ever seen a Grateful Dead show.  Countless guest musicians have sat in with Dark Star Orchestra, including six members of The Grateful Dead, most recently when GD founding member and bassist, Phil Lesh, joined the band onstage in San Francisco last year.

Dark Star Jubilee tickets are on sale now with discounted ‘Morning Dew Early Bird’ tickets for 3-day GA admission at $99 ($45 off gate price) and for ‘Good Lovin’ VIP’ festival admission at $199 ($80 off gate price). ‘Little Star Kids’ is a $25 ticket for children ages 4-12, who must be accompanied by a festival ticket-holding adult. Festival attendees ages three and under are free while youth above age 13 must have a full price festival pass. Gates open at noon Friday, May 24. Complete ticket options with pricing are available at www.darkstarjubilee.com.

For more sound clips, photos, interview request and any further information on the Dark Star Jubilee or Dark Star Orchestra, please visit www.darkstarjubilee.com and www.darkstarorchestra.net.

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Yonder turned up the heat!!!

Yonder Mountain String Band – 1-31-13 –
Madison Theater – Covington, Ky.

The show opened with a bang with bluegrass, American, folk outfit Lake Street Dive (not Drive).

The band had people bouncing early, and noted that “Yonder has an amazing crowd. We seemed to have overlooked Covington in the past. We are definitely going to have to come back!”

If the band’s set has anything to do with it, the crowd will be back as well.

After the warm-up act and despite more than an inch of snow falling during the show, Yonder Mountain String Band kept it smoking hot inside the Madison Theater in Covington, Ky.

Lead by smoldering banjo, guitar and mandolin rifts by Dave Johnston, Adam Aijala and Jeff Austin respectively, and killer bass-lines by Ben Kaufmann, YMSB had the crowd in the palms of their hands right from the beginning.

This was the 20^th or 21^st YMSB shows I have seen, and each one while amazing, is a little bit different than the last.

My personal highlight was the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter Grateful Dead classic Reuben & Cherise with teases to YMSB’s Girlfriend is Better. I could barely take pictures between the dancing.

Well done, boys!!!

For more pictures from Lake Street Dive, click here.
For more pictures from Yonder Mountain String Band, click here.

01/31/13 – Madison Theater – Covington, Ky.
Set I: Part 1> Easy As Pie, Reuben & Cherise, Pride Of Alabama, Hit Parade Of Love, Finally Saw The Light, Red Tail Lights, 1/2 Moon Rising, Funtime, In The Seam> Ruby> Shake Me Up> Ruby
Set II: Bolton Stretch, I Am The Slime, A Father’s Arms, To See You Coming Round The Bend, Shady Grove> Wheel Hoss> Shady Grove, Dreams, Ripcord Blues, If Loving You Is Killing Me, Hill Country Girl, Isolate> New Horizons> King Ebeneezer> New Horizons
E: Naughty Sweetie, At The End Of The Day, Idah

Ready for some Yonder Mountain String Band jamgrass tonight

Ben Kauffman of Yonder Mountain String Band at the All Good Music Festival

Stoked to be getting back on the horse tonight to check out some Yonder Mountain String Band. I haven’t seen them since the All Good Music Festival this summer and cannot wait to boogie with them and their fast-paced bluegrass stylings.

If you are looking for something to do, I can assure you there will be a party tonight at the Madison Theater in Covington, Ky. Hope to see you there!!!