The Broome County Forum Theatre welcomed the Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead tribute band, this Thursday. The orchestra has performed 3,100 shows over 25 years, with guest features from six original Grateful Dead members. During performances, they aim to emulate the traditional Grateful Dead experience while adding their own unique twists.

Current members include Rob Barraco on keyboard and lead vocals, Rob Eaton on rhythm guitar and vocals, Richard “Dino” English on drums and percussion, Lisa Mackey on vocals, Skip Vangelas on bass and vocals, Jeff Mattson on lead guitar and vocals and Rob Koritz on drums and percussion. The band originated in Chicago, Illinois and has been touring since 1997.

The group has earned its fair share of fame throughout its tenure, including sold-out shows at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and venues in London, Paris, and the Caribbean, including an annual winter show in Jamaica called “Jam in the Sand.”

Every band member has a long history with music, and the passion was evident in their performance on Thursday. Attendees were transported back to the 70s and 80s, with mesmerizing light and smoke displays adding to the experience. Balloons and glow sticks were passed around.

English described a relationship between themselves and their audience that creates an amazing atmosphere at concerts. On his favorite part of performing, he said “watching the audience dance and have the time of their lives while playing some of the most well-crafted songs and musical exploration motifs and simultaneously exploring my own musical creativity and constantly finding both naturally living within each other.”

The theater’s atmosphere made it impossible to not dance, and the ambiance transported you into a 1970s live concert of the Grateful Dead. The orchestra did a wonderful job emulating the nature of the Grateful Dead and carrying on their prolific legacy.

“I consider DSO more of a progeny of the Grateful Dead,” English said.

Over a nearly four-hour performance, the group performed classic Grateful Dead songs, including “Casey Jones,” “Truckin’” and “Sugaree.”

There was a wide range of ages in the audience, some coming for the nostalgic times of the Dead, but also younger, newer fans coming to keep the iconic sound alive.

“There is so much good music that we would never hear live anymore without these bands bringing it to an audience,” Koritz said.

There was a definite sense of community among the Deadheads. Few cameras or phones were out during the performance, a rare phenomenon at concerts in recent years. The audience’s sole focus was on taking in the band’s sound.

English, the group’s drummer since 1999, said he loves to watch the audience engage with the music while also using each concert as an opportunity for musical creativity. The orchestra’s concert experience is all about emulating the sound of the Grateful Dead and recreating that experience for both fans who had been able to see the original band in concert and those who haven’t. The night was lots of fun for old and new fans alike.