Photo credit: Bob Minkin Photography
Dark Star Orchestra closed its two-night return to the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley on Saturday, August 1, with a full recreation of the Grateful Dead’s August 1, 1973, Roosevelt Stadium show, honoring Jerry Garcia on his birthday and bringing The Music Never Stops: A Rex Foundation Benefit & Tribute to Bob Weir to a fitting close.
The evening began with Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project performing music from Old & In The Way, extending another thread of Garcia’s musical life through bluegrass, folk, and the Grisman family connection. Their set was powerful and ended appropriately with “Old & In The Way,” written by David Grisman and recorded and performed by Peter Rowan on acoustic guitar and lead vocals. Rowan received a standing ovation as he left the stage.
Before Dark Star Orchestra began its set, Rob Eaton asked the crowd to raise their hands in the air and wish Garcia a happy birthday, creating one of the night’s clearest moments of shared celebration.
As guests of Dark Star Orchestra and the Rex Foundation, the night also brought a remarkable gathering of Grateful Dead family, crew, and extended community to the Greek Theatre. Among those in attendance were Bill “Kidd” Candelario, who spent 28 years with the Grateful Dead crew as a gear specialist; Big Steve Parish, Jerry Garcia’s longtime right-hand man and best man at his wedding; Dan Healy, the Dead’s legendary sound engineer from 1967 to 1994; Dennis McNally, the band’s official biographer and former publicist; Cameron Sears, former Grateful Dead manager and president of the Rex Foundation; Betty Cantor-Jackson, known for the famed “Betty Boards”; Trixie Garcia, Jerry Garcia’s daughter; and Jess Hunter Keilt, daughter of Robert Hunter.
In one especially fitting moment, DSO’s Cotter Michaels and Dan Healy were photographed mixing sound together, underscoring the presence of the Grateful Dead’s original crew and extended family throughout the weekend.
The original Roosevelt Stadium performance took place in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Garcia’s 31st birthday and remains a favorite among many Dead Heads, especially for its second-set sequence of “Dark Star” into “El Paso,” “Eyes of the World,” and “Morning Dew.”
Saturday’s performance added another layer of history to the recreation. DSO guitarist Jeff Mattson played Garcia’s famed Alligator Stratocaster, on loan from Grateful Guitars Foundation founder Andy Logan. Garcia last played Alligator at the original August 1, 1973, Roosevelt Stadium show before retiring it. Since then, the guitar has only been played twice by Mattson: at the Warfield in San Francisco in 2020 and again on August 1, 2026, at the Greek Theatre for this anniversary recreation.
Dark Star Orchestra opened the night with a first set that included “The Promised Land,” “Sugaree,” “Bird Song,” “They Love Each Other,” “Jack Straw,” “Stella Blue,” and “Casey Jones.” The second set moved through “Around and Around,” “Mississippi Half-Step,” “Me and My Uncle,” and “Row Jimmy” before arriving at the show’s central stretch: “Dark Star” > “El Paso” > “Eyes of the World” > “Morning Dew.” The evening closed with “Sugar Magnolia” > “Sunshine Daydream,” followed by an encore of “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” > “One More Saturday Night.”
Saturday’s show followed Friday night’s guest-filled opening performance, which featured sit-ins from Dave Ellis, Barry Sless, Melvin Seals, John Kadlecik, Mark Karan, and Jay Lane, along with an expanded second-set percussion segment featuring Jeremy Hoenig, Jay Lane, Jake Wolf, Matt Butler, Rob Koritz, and Dino English.
Taken together, the two nights brought several threads of the Grateful Dead’s extended world to the Greek Theatre, including Garcia’s birthday, Bob Weir’s musical legacy, the Rex Foundation’s philanthropic work, the Jerry Garcia Band, Old & In The Way, the Grateful Dead’s crew and family, and the Bay Area community that continues to gather around this music.
The weekend took place at the beginning of the Days Between, the annual stretch from Garcia’s birth on August 1 to the anniversary of his passing on August 9. Proceeds from the weekend benefit the Rex Foundation, the nonprofit founded in 1983 by members of the Grateful Dead.
For Dark Star Orchestra, the Greek Theatre run was also part of a busy year of touring. The band recently announced its Fall 2026 Tour, a run through the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Florida that includes a Rex Foundation benefit at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 45th anniversary of Reckoning, multiple-night stands in Montclair, Huntington, and Fort Lauderdale, and a special four-night Florida run in December. Tickets for the newly announced dates are on sale now at darkstarorchestra.net.
Dark Star Orchestra
The Music Never Stops: A Rex Foundation Benefit & Tribute to Bob Weir
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Recreation of the Grateful Dead’s August 1, 1973, Roosevelt Stadium show
Original performance: Roosevelt Stadium – Jersey City, NJ
53rd anniversary
Set I
The Promised Land
Sugaree
The Race Is On
You Ain’t Woman Enough
Bird Song
Mexicali Blues
They Love Each Other
Jack Straw
Stella Blue
Big River
Casey Jones
Set II
Around and Around
Mississippi Half-Step
Me and My Uncle
Row Jimmy
Dark Star >
El Paso >
Eyes of the World >
Morning Dew
Sugar Magnolia >
Sunshine Daydream
Encore
Going Down the Road Feeling Bad >
One More Saturday Night
Dark Star Orchestra Tour Dates
Tuesday, August 4 – Britt Pavilion – Jacksonville, OR
Thursday, August 6 – The Cuthbert Amphitheater – Eugene, OR
Friday, August 7 – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery – Woodinville, WA
Saturday, August 8 – McMenamins Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, OR
Thursday, September 10 – Ting Pavilion – Charlottesville, VA
Friday, September 11 – Riverfront Park – Harrisburg, PA
Saturday, September 12 – Ovation Hall – Atlantic City, NJ
Tuesday, September 15 – Saranac Brewery – Utica, NY
Thursday, September 17 – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT
Friday, September 18 – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Hampton Beach, NH
Saturday, September 19 – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Hampton Beach, NH
Sunday, September 20 – Grand Point North Festival – Burlington, VT
Saturday, September 26 – William & Mary University – Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre – Williamsburg, VA
Thursday, November 12 – Providence Performing Arts Center – Providence, RI
Friday, November 13 – Palace Theatre – Albany, NY
Saturday, November 14 – Orpheum Theatre – Boston, MA
Thursday, November 19 – The Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ
Friday, November 20 – The Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ
Saturday, November 21 – The Anthem – Washington, DC^
Sunday, November 22 – Warner Theatre – Erie, PA
Tuesday, November 24 – Forum Theater – Binghamton, NY
Wednesday, November 25 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe, PA
Friday, November 27 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
Saturday, November 28 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
Wednesday, December 2 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL
Thursday, December 3 – War Memorial Auditorium – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Friday, December 4 – War Memorial Auditorium – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Saturday, December 5 – The BayCare Sound – Clearwater, FL
Tuesday, January 12–Saturday, January 16 – Jam in the Sand XIII – Montego Bay, Jamaica*
*SOLD OUT
^ Special Rex Foundation benefit celebrating 45 years of Reckoning
