Dark Star Orchestra Playing New Year’s Eve Shows In Montclair

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Ready to ring in the New Year in North Jersey? The Wellmont Theater will be hosting Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra for a two-day New Year’s Extravaganza on Monday, Dec. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 31 in Montclair, with showtimes at 8 p.m. and doors opening at 7 p.m.

Playing to decades of acclaim, Dark Star Orchestra offers more than the sound of The Dead; they attempt to encapsulate the energy and experience of a show, as well.

Click here to find tickets on Patch and enter the coupon code "PatchTickets10" to receive 10 percent off.

Here's how the Wellmont Theater sums up the band:

"At any Dark Star Orchestra show, it’s about a sense of familiarity; it’s about a feeling that immediately grabs listeners or a contagious energy. The fan experience is unrivaled and continues to excite Deadheads around the country."

The band, which has performed to critical acclaim for more than 20 years and 2,600 shows, continues the Grateful Dead legacy with shows built off the Dead’s extensive catalog.

The orchestra will perform sets from the Grateful Dead’s 30-year songbook, allowing fans both young and old to share in the experience. Dark Star offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon.

“For us it’s a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created over the years,” rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rob Eaton explained. “We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the ’90s, we offer something they never got to see live.”

Fans and critics haven’t been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members: Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten, and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy. Other notable guests have included Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot.

In addition to appearing at some of the nation’s top festivals, Dark Star Orchestra also hosts its own annual music festival called the “Dark Star Jubilee,” currently in its sixth year.

On New Year’s Eve, the show will also feature holiday décor and a balloon drop. See more information or purchase tickets.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com