Dark Star Orchestra to Perform With Two of Jerry Garcia's Guitars

Article Contributed by Dark Star Orchestra | Published on Friday, January 31, 2020

August 1, 1973. Jerry Garcia’s 31st birthday. That was the last show that his Fender Stratocaster guitar – nicknamed ‘Alligator’ - was used in a concert performance.

Thanks to the generosity of the guitar's new owner Andy Logan, Dark Star Orchestra guitarist Jeff Mattson will be the first to perform with the instrument since Garcia set it down following that summer evening's show. Alligator returns to the stage Saturday, February 15 when Dark Star Orchestra performs at The Warfield in San Francisco. 

On Friday, February 14, Jerry Garcia's Martin D28 acoustic guitar (also made possible by the generosity of Andy Logan) will join DSO for another highly notable stage addition when they perform the acoustic portion of the recreation of the original Grateful Dead 2/14/70 show that the band is performing on the show's 50th anniversary. Additionally, this is the acoustic guitar that filled train cars with its vast tones alongside Janis Joplin, The Band and more on the infamous Festival Express tour in 1970.

These opportunities are made possible by the work of these guitars’ owner and benefactor Andy Logan, who notes “I was three years old when Alligator was last on stage, and drooled over Europe ‘72 bootlegs and videos never dreaming I would get to see Alligator played live. Thanks to Rick Turner and Dark Star Orchestra, we fans will all get to hear Alligator’s return to the stage with its unique tone cutting through the room. Other than the Grateful Dead, there’s no band that has put in more time studying and playing this material, than Dark Star Orchestra, so I am thrilled they will have the honor to kick off the next chapter for this time-tested instrument that is dripping with Grateful Dead history.”

Tickets for the two night run at The Warfield in San Francisco are available at https://www.axs.com/series/10024/dark-star-orchestra-two-nights-tickets?skin=goldenvoice&aff=ebprom

Complete Dark Star Orchestra Tour Dates: https://www.darkstarorchestra.net/tour-dates/

FEB 6 -Seattle, WA - The Showbox

FEB 7 Portland, OR Roseland Theater  -

FEB 8 Eugene, OR McDonald Theater 

FEB 10 Bend, OR Tower Theatre 

FEB 11 Ashland, OR Historic Ashland Armory

FEB 13 Chico, CA Senator Theatre 

FEB 14 San Francisco, CA The Warfield

FEB 15 San Francisco, CA The Warfield 

FEB 16 Stateline, NV Harrah's Lake Tahoe

FEB 19 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre

FEB 20  Ventura, CA The Majestic Ventura Theater

FEB 21 San Diego, CA House of Blues San Diego

FEB 22 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern

MAR 27 Raleigh, NC The Ritz 

MAR 28 Wilmington, NC Greenfield Lake Amphitheater

MAR 29 Wilmington, NC Greenfield Lake Amphitheater

MAR 31  Columbia, SC The Senate

APR 2 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live

APR 3 St. Augustine, FL St Augustine Amphitheatre Backyard Stage

APR 4 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre

APR 5 Orlando, FL  The Plaza Live

APR 7 Savannah, GA Victory North Savannah

APR 9 Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall

APR 10 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle

APR 11 Pelham, TN The Caverns

APR 12 Birmingham, AL Avondale Brewing Company

MAY 7 Boston, MA Wilbur Theatre

MAY 8 Port Chester, NY The Capitol Theatre

MAY 9 Port Chester, NY The Capitol Theatre

MAY 11 Washington City, DC The Hamilton

MAY 12 Washington City, DC The Hamilton

MAY 14 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Center for the Arts

MAY 15 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn's Peak

MAY 16 Westbury, NY The Space at Westbury

MAY 18 Princeton, NJ  McCarter Theatre Center

MAY 19 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom

MAY 22 - 24 Thornville, OH Dark Star Jubilee - Legend Valley

JUNE 18 – Arrington, VA – Lockn Festival - Infinity Downs

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