Dark Star Orchestra performed on Friday and Saturday night at The Warfield in San Francisco, Calif. Friday night’s show included a sit-in from Jerry Garcia collaborator and Bay Area staple Peter Rowan with odes to Old & In the Way. Bob Weir joined in on Saturday for the latter part of the first set.
Friday night kicked off with a Rowen classic and Jerry Garcia Band standard “Midnite Moonlite,” followed by a cover of an early Dead staple, “Dark Hollow,” led by Rowen. They continued with “Friend of the Devil” before launching into another Old & In the Way tune, “Land of the Navajo" written by Rowen.
The night continued with “Ripple” and another Old & In the Way classic, “Panama Red.” The acoustic set concluded with the bluegrass staple, “The Hobo Song.”
Dark Star Orchestra then broke into a three-song electric set that featured the classic Grateful Dead pairing of “Help on the Way” and “Slipknot!” followed by “Shakedown Street.”
Friday’s final set featured “St. Stephen” followed by a pairing of “Scarlett Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain.” Next, Dark Star Orchestra performed “Unbroken Chain” before breaking into “Drums” and “Space” and “One More Saturday Night” to end the second set. The band returned to the stage for a “Box of Rain” encore.
Saturday night’s show began with “Feel Like a Stranger” and “Franklin’s Tower” before busting into “The Music Never Stopped." Bob Weir joined in for “Shakedown Street” and sat in for the remainder of the first set, which included "Cassidy," "China Cat Sunflower," "I Know You Rider," and finally "Morning Dew."
The second set kicked off with “Sugar Magnolia,” followed by Jerry Garcia Band favorite, “Rubin and Cherise.” Dark Star Orchestra performed “Playing in the Band” and “Uncle John’s Band” before continuing with “Drums” and “Space,” DSO then reprised “Uncle John’s Band.”
The Warfield run concluded with a cover of Traffic’s “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boy” and “Viola Lee Blues” before breaking into “Playing in the Band” once more. Dark Star Orchestra played an encore of “Mission in the Rain” to end the night.
Next, Dark Star Orchestra will perform at The Common Wealth Room in Salt Lake City on Feb. 8. Tickets are available and can be purchased here.
Dark Star Orchestra
The Warfield– San Francisco, Calif.
Feb. 4, 2022
Set I: Midnite Moonlite, Dark Hollow, Friend of the Devil, Land of the Navajo, Ripple, Panama Red, The Hobo Song
Electric: Help on the Way, Slipknot!, Shakedown Street
Set 2: St. Stephen, Scarlet Begonias, Fire on the Mountain, Unbroken Chain, Drums, Space, Not Fade Away, Wharf Rat, Lonesome and a Long Way From Home, One More Saturday Night
Enc.: Box of Rain
Dark Star Orchestra
The Warfield– San Francisco, Calif.
Feb. 5, 2022
Set I: Feel Like a Stranger, Franklin’s Tower, The Music Never Stopped, Shakedown Streer, Cassidy, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, Morning Dew
Set 2: Sugar Magnolia, Rubin and Cherise, Playing in the Band, Uncle John’s Band, Drums, Space, Uncle John’s Band, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boy, Viola Lee Blues, Playing in the Band
Enc.: Mission in the Rain
