Amid the recent and exciting “Shakedowns” amongst the currently touring Grateful Dead threaded projects, I had the good fortune of swapping some very interesting and eloquent emails with my friend Jeff Mattson.

After years at the helm of The Zen Tricksters, a stint with Phil Lesh and Friends, a terrific and on-going run with Donna Jean Godchaux and her various recent incarnations, Mattson now steps into John Kadlicek’s shoes with the freight train that is the Dark Star Orchestra.

DSO is excited to be joined by many great friends for their second installment of the Cosmic New Years. This year at Rams Head Live! DSO will be joined by some great friends and family to ring in 2010. Jeff Mattson of the Donna Jean Godchaux Band will join DSO on Guitar, Donna Jean Godchaux will lend her legendary voice to the night's festivities and Baltimore's own, The Bridge, will kick off the evening.

The group that has for more than 13 years brought you Quixote’s True Blue, Sancho’s Broken Arrow, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, Dulcinea’s 100th Monkey and Owsley’s Golden Road, is making their foray into the festival business with Dancin’ In The Streets, which is set for Aug. 7, 8 and 9.

Keepers of the flame. Revivers of the vibe. The ultimate players in the game of cover band glory.—Whatever title you pin on Dark Star Orchestra, doesn’t nearly encapsulate their dedication, precision and drive. Getting everything right, even the simple sounds of instrumental tuning, is something that they take very seriously.

Most tribute bands fall short of capturing the true essence of their musical pioneer predecessors.