[Phil Lesh101]

I wish I could write how awesome they are, but to save me and you the time, just got to one of their shows.
I met the guys a few times, they are wicked cool and not afraid to give a drum stick or two! haha
These guys deserve such a bigger crowd of dead heads then they have, hell i'm surprised they don't sell out every damn joint in the U.S.
They are so crowd friendly and give their time to any fans. Do me and them a favor! GO TO A SHOW!

P.s 12/9/11 amazing show at the Palace.

[Grant]

They are seriously good, that's a given. however they are a cover band, so their audience can only get so big. I would probably rather see them than Furthur though (and I like Furthur)

[Phil Lesh101]

I try not to compare THE Band Furthur, to a clone band because they are equally good! I have seen them both DSO twice and Furthur three times.

Cover band or not they can gather new generation dead heads that like the music... like myself!

[beaner]

The show last night was fantastic!
I have never seen DSO before and WOW!
I closed my eyes several times a really heard
The Grateful Dead coming through this band.
They closed it out with Johnny B. then they threw
in Easy Wind sung/harped by their 'Donna'.
Not sure how many people were there but the
turnout seemed comfortable and right sized
for the Palace Theater. The set list was 1/30/78
Chicago.

[Phil Lesh101]

I have met their Donna last year when they came to the Palace along with Their, Bobby(Rob E), Jerry(Jeff Mattson) and Brent or Keith or Pigpen or Vince(ROB B!)...

Their Donna (Lisa M) didn't sing with them on either encores but she did do some crisp harmonica ( Rob said after the show her voice was shot) Rob B sang Easy Wind


as Rob E said before they played "The Palace is our favorite place to play, and one of these days were gunna' fill the F**king Place" (Then they ripped into Promised Land)
Then we went to the front

One: The Promised Land ; Dire Wolf ; Mexicali Blues > Big River ; Brown Eyed Women ; Looks Like Rain ; Peggy-O ; It's All Over Now ; Deal ; Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication

Two: Bertha > Good Lovin' ; Ship Of Fools ; Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Space > Stella Blue > Franklin's Tower > Around And Around

Encore: Johnny B. Goode

Filler: Easy Wind

[tiffcheese]

They are not bad. I have heard only very good things from others that go see them regularly, but they didn't win me over 100% the New Years Eve shows I saw them.
The sound is good, maybe even careful, and I wouldn't mind sensing a bit more adventure? interaction? recklessness? in their performance. I'm a huge fan of attempting to connect with the band, and I definitely had some give and take energetically with DSO, that communication back and forth that I seek ruthlessly. It was a very very very gentle communication though, and I prefer it edgier. I've been seeing Phish for years and those frickers like to wind your coil till the thing's about to snap, then they let it go, so that's the mindset I've been riding for some time now. Sure do love the Grateful Dead, but truthfully, I would much rather see our local Dead tribute rock out for $5. Again, I have heard nothing but good about DSO, but they are just not my thing. Awesomely warm crowd the night before the NYE show tho. Gotta love a warm crowd o hippies

[tiffcheese]

loved their female singer when I saw them and I remember Barraco and Mattson from the handful of Tricksters shows I'd seen in the late 90's

[Jimaroe]

DSO is playing a benefit show (80,000 acre wildfire- High Park Fire) Friday the 29th of June at Left Hand Brewery in Longmont CO, so I hear. Never seen em, thought it would be cool to check em out, especially given that it is a show to benefit some folks that have lost their home to the wildfire. They were scheduled to play Mishawaka, that night, which is located in the fire area.

[Phil Lesh101]

They are sweet man, GO SEE EM'!

[dleonard]

Ya dude....GOTTA see em

[wolftigerrosebud]

jeff mattson's great with them. i actually prefer him to kadlecik. not knocking kadlecik at all -- he's great too. just saying, mattson's great on the same level for sure.

[willmusic]

Wife and I have seen em over a hundred times since '99 and aren't gonna stop anytime soon. Doesn't hurt that she's been street team since 2000. Reckon that since I've been living off her plus ones for over a decade, well, that makes her my DSO sugar mama right ? They definitely sell out some shows too, and exciting numbers of first timers at every show. New believers! Seen em thru 3 Bobbys, 2 Jerrys, and 3 Keith/Brent/Pigs. Got a lot of love for John, but note for note, Jeff's got the tone imo. John is great with Furthur and would still be awesome w/ DSO if he ever returned. As far as being as close to the "Jerry" sound, Mattson's your man. Again, imo.

[wolftigerrosebud]

interesting.... i just think he sounds better. jk's playing always sounds (preparing to be flamed) uninspired to me. mattson's just sounds rockin'. i mean, i also prefer the guitarist from cubensis to jk. i dunno.

[mgbills]

Big fun. I'm in the 50+ DSO group. Always going to "laugh the past away." If GD music is playin'...i'm boogyin'. Heard great shows. Heard OK shows. But I also saw the good ole Grateful Dead more than 100 times. Nobody will ever top Jerry when he was in the Great Embrace, but ...that said...I've seen enough shows to be reconciled to the fact that my $$ somethimes purchased some really "uninspired" GD. And that's being generous. In the later days we lived for the moments, and some nights ...they were fleeting.

But I go to laugh & dance. I'm 48, and really good at laughing and really bad at dancing. In fact...I only know one dance...it's got a few moves...but it hasn't changed much since 1981.

Go see DSO. Put your critical eye in a bucket at the door. I was really critical of Mattson the first time I saw him (early in his DSO career). Now...he rocks. Have fun. Get sweaty. Be whoever you are.

Peace
Mart

[Octal]

interesting.... i just think he sounds better. jk's playing always sounds (preparing to be flamed) uninspired to me. mattson's just sounds rockin'. i mean, i also prefer the guitarist from cubensis to jk. i dunno.

Mattson "rocks" too much for me. I mean, do we really need an exploding climax for every song?

I see DSO every chance I get, but there seems to be a lack of flow for the whole show. Listening to recordings, the dead's music flowed much more than DSO's. They were more willing to explore--but consequently be less coherent. A whole show had very much a symphonic feel to it, and contained a variety that isn't as easy to appreciate as exploding guitar solos every song. Some songs Jerry would lay back more, other songs not so much. Some songs need that explosion, but other songs not so much.

For example, has anyone noticed that Mattson takes multiple verses for a solo where Jerry would have only taken one? Brown-Eyed Woman and other similar songs.

Ehh, I feel as though I expressed that whole idea badly.