Dark Star rises again

From the Capital Times:

Dark Star rises again
By Rob Thomas

It may have been Nostradamus who predicted, "look for the young to return and the music to play, once the dark star is on the horizon, the dead rise from their graves and the schnauzers rise up against their masters." Or maybe Jewel wrote that in one of her poems.
Either way, it's an eerily accurate forecast, with UW-Madison students returning from winter break this week and the slumbering local concert scene beginning to rouse itself accordingly. And the first sign is the return of Dark Star Orchestra, bringing its take on classic Grateful Dead to the Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave., at 8 p.m. Saturday.

(I'm not sure what the part about the schnauzers means. But if you've got one, you might want to sleep with one eye open.)

For the uninitiated, the Chicago-based DSO plays an entire set list from an actual Grateful Dead show, using a comparable lineup to whoever was in the legendary band at that time. But it's not a note-for-note re-creation, but rather one that tries to evoke the improvisational spirit of the Dead.

Last year was a sad one for the group, as founding keyboardist Scott Larned died of a heart attack in April while the band was on tour. Saturday's show will be the third of 2006 for the band and its first outside the Chicagoland area.

Tickets are $18, $20 at the door, available through the Barrymore and its outlets, by calling 241-8633, or by visiting www.barrymorelive.com.

Reach Rob Thomas of The Capital Times at 252-6464 or by e-mail at rthomas@madison.com.
Published: January 19, 2006