The music plays the band! Dark Star Orchestra and Borderland Festival announce that DSO will perform the famous Grateful Dead 5/9/77 show at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY, on Sunday, September 15, during the three-day festival in East Aurora, NY. Dark Star Orchestra will make their Borderland debut, paying tribute to the epic upstate Grateful Dead tour stop from the Spring ‘77 run, which also featured the revered Barton Hall show at Cornell.
The band will play two sunset sets Sunday night at Borderland Festival, capping off a weekend that showcases over 25 bands, including The Black Crowes, Caamp, Marcus King, and more. Performing to critical acclaim for over 25 years and over 3,100 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead live concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead's extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show.
“There is a strong relationship between the Grateful Dead and Buffalo, NY,” says Borderland Festival founder Jennifer Brazill. “I grew up listening to this music alongside many Western New Yorkers, so DSO performing 5/9/77 is a special way to celebrate the history that the Dead have in this region.”
Borderland Festival takes place on September 13-15 this year at its home, Knox Farm State Park, in East Aurora, NY. This year’s headliners include rock legends The Black Crowes after a four-plus year hiatus and rising stars of the indie-folk scene, Caamp. The 2024 lineup also features southern-rocker Marcus King, big-band extraordinaire Cory Wong, and the country’s most authentic Grateful Dead show, Dark Star Orchestra. Borderland Festival is proud to bring The Wood Brothers and The Sheepdogs back to East Aurora for the first time in 4 years to help celebrate the festival’s 6th year. Rounding out the can’t-miss lineup are reggae’s most famous backing band, The Wailers, alongside nationally touring bands Houndmouth, Sierra Hull, Eggy, The Dip, Wilderado, and many local acts.
FESTIVAL TICKETS Passes for Borderland Festival are on sale at borderlandfestival.com, where fans can get Weekend GA, Single-Day GA, and Weekend VIP passes. Hard tickets are also available at select retail partner locations: Jack Rabbit, Terrapin Station, Wallenwein’s Hotel, Wayland Brewing & Britesmith Brewing.
CAMPING OPTIONS For the second year in a row, Borderland Festival has partnered with Kissing Bridge Ski Resort to provide an inexpensive, fun, and safe lodging alternative for the 3-day festival. Tent and RV camping options are available alongside the ticket on sale. Complimentary festival parking is included with an option to purchase a weekend shuttle pass to and from the camping area at Kissing Bridge, located less than 20 minutes away from the festival. Learn more at borderlandfestival.com/camping.
Learn more at borderlandfestival.com.
