Is DSO at a another crossroad?

[dsostar]

Am i the victim or the crime ? My first DSO show was the Electric Factory 5/6/11, Penn’s Peak 2012 was my 6^th, and i’m locked in for December EF.

I hit the scene as an 80’s dead-head, arena’s & stadiums were already the norm. There were a few open floor set-ups, but far from intimate or comfortable. I remember going thru a phase where we would sit behind the stage to enjoy elbow room – the back stage was open view. The Dead were thoughtful enough to have speakers turned to the rear, and i remember Spectrum shows had music piped in the outer walkways.

There was nothing like the adrenaline rush when the lights went down at an arena show. There was a certain "Dead’ tonal quality to the cheering & howling in anticipation of the boys taking stage.

The magic of a DSO arena show would be incredible – as long as the younger heads recognize the trade-offs. Many arena shows treated heads as unwanted customers – DSO shows i’ve attended have been very welcoming. Yet if arenas are part of the destiny of DSO, perhaps that fulfills another facet of Dead history for the younger crowd?

Any way the wind blows, i’m on the Bus for the ride.

[Still Truckin]

Am i the victim or the crime ?

No disrespect dsostar, but both I guess, victim for having no club/theater shows to compare to, crime for even thinking of arena shows for DSO. I too spent many arena shows behind the stage, or last row upper balcony to get some dance room. While the arena light shows and stage sets were often spectacular, they hardly made up for awful sound (boston garden), vicious staff (Nassau coliseum), or nosebleed seating (Sullivan stadium). Those goosebump experiences preceded arenas- listen to aud tape on archive of 6/9/76 boston music hall, as the audience realized the dead are awakening St Stephen from his several year slumber. (sadly lost on the official dead release) Chills just thinking about it. I hope DSO plays more multi-night runs to avoid the arena pressure in sold out markets. Festies seem to give us the big audience thrill without the arena bummers. (Still hoping for a dso-led recreation of Watkins Glen with ABB&Band tributers this anniversary summer!) Anyway, certainly agreed, I'd follow them anywhere - even to an arena.

[Rbarracoph]

Rob, the academy of music shows were special indeed, but the dancing (much of it on the seats) in the balcony shook the house so bad I thought it was going to cave in! While the music comes first, agreed, Jerry recognized that the Dead were first and foremost a dance band for the 'heads. I loved going to shows at AOM, Manhattan Center, and Stanley and Capitol Thr back then, but having also had the opportunity to dance free at the Hollywood Palladium in 71, there was nothing like it! At the Stony Brook Gym shows, many of us collectively piled up our folding chairs creating little dance spaces throughout the venue. DSO has played beautiful shows at Lowell Auditiorium but dancing in the aisles is mostly not tolerated and Starheads gotta move when the band is in the groove. Please keep open dance floor shows (like Hampton Casino Ballroom) in the mix. You and I both know how great it was to see the dead in pre-arena venues (felt forum before MSG) - DSO gives us back that special experience that was totally lost for deadheads by 1980. Anyway, thanks for keeping on; if DSO played the black hole of Calcutta, I'd still come out for the show! I'm in Laos now, missing the fall tour, but still hope to catch my first pigpen show in 2013!

Believe me, we love playing places that have open dance floors. New venue we played back in the spring and will play for new years is case in point(and its in my town!) The Paramount in Huntington, Long Island. I dont think there is anything to worry about. We'll be playing venues like that and Hampton casino for a long time:-)

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

It has been really great DSO has been selling out so many shows, especially larger venues such as Penn's Peak. I hope the management can find great venues of decent size with no seats, although I know that those are not the easiest to find.

On the drive back from Penn's Peak I was talking with my friend Brittani and DSO seems to be in a very interesting position. Phil Lesh and Bob Weir are getting pretty old. Who knows how many years Futhur will continue on. Will the torch be passed to DSO? What do you guys think? I would like to think that would happen. After all the Grateful Dead is a band with a legacy like no other, and I would like to think they have truly transcended through death/time. Jerry would be proud.

To DSO...You guys work so incredibly hard and I know everyone truly appreciates it. I am thrilled with how you guys continue to push and explore musically. Keep up the excellent work, but at the same time please don't overwork yourselves too much over the years to come. All good things in all good time.

Cool view, man. I got a friend that loves Furthur and is always telling me that Furthur will continue after Phil n Bob don't wanna tour anymore w new ppl they get to pick. I listen to her but don't really feel the power of the words like I did in 2010.

If DSO keeps playing, we will come. That's the fire. Don't care what their names are but the music brought to us by this Orchestra is my treasure in life and I know I'm not alone in feeling this way.

Just got to see my friend's old DSO merch and fan fliers from 2002 and bf. Very deep nostalgia combined with the majesty of the power in the moments of this music has my head reeling and I'm not even on tour atm.

Comin around

[Scott Timmins!]

On a personal and admittedly self serving angle, I hope the good DSO folks stick to the smaller venues with open floor seating. I just really get off on seeing a great band in a small space It's cool to get as close as you want to, or step back and take a breather or just take in a different view. It's nice to be able to carve out a little dance floor space and get your groove on as well. This isn't always possible or allowed in larger venues with assigned seating.

But on the flip side, DSO is a hard working, blue collar band if there ever was one. And they deserve every opportunity to maximize their earning potential and be able to sock as much away for the future. And if that means I dance between rows of assigned seats or in an aisle with 3 or 4 thousand friends at a larger venue, then so be it.

See ya in Syracuse in about 3 hours!

[BrentFan]

step it up....I want red rocks.

Just let me know when to buy my ticket!!!

[jazfish]

Small room, large room , mid-size room,,, Thanks for bringing the beloved Dead music to a destiny within the feasability of my geography. Two years in a row now I have seen the Dallas shows. Hopefully looking forward to next year.

DSO thanks for bringing it back. I am a fan..

[GoingBackTo Where....]

My first DSO show this past year at a outdoor Venue near Richmond, VA---Pocahontas State Park!!

I am like the first poster said-----"I did not know that these guys were that good"

OMG-------DSO rocks, and brings those soothing sounds back to my now older ears!!

My second show was at the Norva, Norfolk, VA. Plenty of room to dance my ass off, and i did.

These past shows at the Jefferson and both nights at the 930 Club proved to be a much different experience!!

Nearly no room to spin, and though I did, I kept apologizing to those around me for continually bumping into them:{

There is no way that my body can not move while these guys play, and its unfortunate, that in some venues, the true musical, physical, and spritual experience can not be fully appreciated with such compacted and overcrowded venues!

Please move on to your bigger call. DSO are true magicians, and their magic should, and can be better enjoyed at some larger venues.

I got shows coming up at the Ram's Head and Electric Factory..........on too The National----Ashville-----Charlotte.

I have looked at the Venues, but its hard to tell if my dancing shoes can get their phil!!!

Thank you DSO, you have no idea what you have given me back!!!

[Herdygerdy]

These past shows at the Jefferson and both nights at the 930 Club proved to be a much different experience!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I got shows coming up at the Ram's Head and Electric Factory........

I have looked at the Venues, but its hard to tell if my dancing shoes can get their phil!!!

The 9:30 Club will unfortunatly always be packed like that... I wish that DSO would move to The Fillmore in Silver Spring, but I don't think that can ever happen as the 9:30 Club is Walthers place, and I believe that The Fillmore is competiton... bah!

As far as dancing at The Ram's Head and E-Factory... Ram's Head last year was SO PACKED it was a definate fire violation! Since they only seem to be playing there once a year, I doubt it will be less crowded.. be prepaired to be bumped ALOT!

The E-Factory, while it has it's dancing space if you know where to look, will also be packed.. Now given the floor layout, you'll have ALOT more space there then at The Ram's Head...

Good luck!!

[acududeman]

Oct 85 at the Fox Theater in ATL is burned into my memory banks... Plush velvet theater seats and all. Seems like as I get older I'd be more inclined to look for a seat but DSO just makes me want to dance the night away. Guess old dogs can learn new tricks!

I was at that show (10/29/85). In my opinion, this is the best indoor venue out there. The acoustics were sickly good.

I prefer the theater seats, because they offer me plenty of room/options and also shield me from the obnoxious drunkards.

I like to be close to the stage, but in the clubs the price I pay by the sloppy end is almost too great at this point.

[gr8fulpair]

I was at that show (10/29/85). In my opinion, this is the best indoor venue out there. The acoustics were sickly good.

I prefer the theater seats, because they offer me plenty of room/options and also shield me from the obnoxious drunkards.

I like to be close to the stage, but in the clubs the price I pay by the sloppy end is almost too great at this point.

Cool, and if I recall the seat bottoms were spring loaded which gave another two feet of space while dancing. Spring loaded seat bottoms, fucking genius. No doubt devised by a head needin more room to dance.....

[Still Truckin]

I prefer the theater seats, because they offer me plenty of room/options and also shield me from the obnoxious drunkards.

I like to be close to the stage, but in the clubs the price I pay by the sloppy end is almost too great at this point.

This is the best reason I've heard for theatre seating. There are few things worse than having beer spilled down your back by drunkards yelling to each other through the whole show while you are stuck to the floor by yesterday's beer/barf residue. Since we're fantasizing about the future here, how about some beer-free venues? (or boor-free audiences?)

[TerrapinJen]

I believe occasionally dso does play beer free venues. actually I think the Wayne show was alcohol free..

[found]

Lebanon was alcohol-free yet there was easy access to bars outside the venue before the show and during the set break.

[Tom Banjo]

Lebanon sounds like a good reasonable policy. My favorite alcohol policy has been at the crystal ballroom. They divide the floor into a drinking side and non drinking side. Booze are not allowed on what I would call the dance floor. This policy allows the fall down drunks to spill beer on themselves and have fun the way they want but also allows others to enjoy and express themselves free from the negative side effects from drinking. Also allows you to take a dance break and have a drink. I think e factory my try to limit alcohol in the big open area and contain it to the side and upstairs. Correct me if I'm wrong. Another big plus for me is venues w reentry. This stems from selfish maybe even juvenile motives to go to my car and enjoy myself.

[chuckvegas]

Go to your car to enjoy yourself? That is very considerate of you, Rick. Those venue floors can be sticky enough as it is.

[Tom Banjo]

My behavior may be juvenile but your comment is juvenile without a doubt Mr. Vegas. I use herdy's car for that. Wouldn't want to make a sticky mess in a car of mine.

[chuckvegas]

Two things, Rick. First, I was also flashing back to the Christwire thread from a while back. It had quite a discussion about such "frenzied" actions inside the venues and the shape it left the floors, walls, and celebrants. That author was right about so many things, you know. Second, I have been in your car and have spent a lot of time in Herdy's different wheels. When you consider the shape I'm in after shows, it all rolls into one.

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

U guys r gross.

I just met up with some friends I met after DSO played LA. Turns out the live in boulder so I paid them a visit now that I am back home in Colorado and when they spoke of DSO in general and that recent delicious 69 flavored boulder show it was as if the holy st Stephen himself had entered the room....

DSO is the name on everyone's tongue. All is as it should be.

We r everywhere

[Pdxhead]

I Loooove seeing you guys at small venues where there is a lot of intimacy. However, I Loooove to dance and it's getting crowded. I like the idea of multiple nights at the same venue but id also like to see you all play at a 5000 seater if you think you could sell the tix. Maybe that would give me more space to flail. I know it might be bad form to compare, but I saw Furthur at McMennamins Edgefield in Portland and I was thinking how great it would be to see you guys there. That's a 5000 seater and an outdoor venue with great sound and just a magical environment. Can't wait to see you all again...you are magic...

[dreamingtoo]

Just want to say how wonderful its been to be back in the GD music scene these last 3 years. Besides a Dead show in 04', I hadn't seen much live music since 95' and would only listen to my official release GD cd's every now and then. Then came the GD channel on Sirius- whole shows, it was all I'd listen to. I vaguely remember mention of Bob and Phil's new project and a desire to check it out. That day came in Columbus, OH summer 10'. Sold out! well I just drove 5 hrs on a whim, so I scalped one for a hefty price. Standing at the top of the lawn with my back against the wall, the speaker stack obscured my view of the lead guitarist. First 2 songs were pretty good, then the opening riff to Loser and it felt like old times,I was hooked and knew I'd be back.

I asked a couple OSU kids who the guitarist was and they said "John K something from Dark Star Orchestra". They also turned me on to archive.org. Hey now! Let John sing that SOTM, that Liberty- I remember thinking.

Well 3 years later, close to 40 shows all over the country, and my wife is now a Deadhead. Thank You so much. I had no idea of the crossroads that DSO was at in 09'- 10'. It was so right! With my heightened awareness of all things GD since, I knew I needed to finally check out DSO. I've had the pleasure of seeing them 4 times since summer 12', and have really been blown away. Jeff M really hits the Jerry parts so wonderfully, and the rest of the band are awsome. I can't stop watching Lisa spin and dance and sing and smile.

I'd like to think everything is really on fire with all this GD music. I know we were on fire at Buffalo's Town Ballroom recently, and I can't wait for my return to Columbus in Feb. I love the intimate venues, but if this crossroads means expansion for DSO its certainly expected from my standpoint. I love this shit! Peace.

[gratefulfordso27]

DSO playing in small venues really works for us most of the time. But the seating thing can sometimes be hard for dancing. We always go early and claim a small space to dance away the night in the front. Either way, big, medium, or small...we will be there! The best buy and paramount were AWESOME and had great sound. I like the reasonable pricing and intimacy of small shows, but larger shows have their benefits as well. Our favorite part of the show is finding the people who are there to dance the night away with us, instead of forget the night away. DSO is my FAVORITE live band, and no matter the situation, it turns out to be an amazing time!

[Mango]

I think(could be wrong) that there is a considerable jump in venue size...might take over-packed sell outs for a while before we see and big changes. But i'm ready. Bring on the RED ROCKS.