Richmond Raceway and AEG Presents Dark Star Orchestra will present their critically acclaimed live show to Deadheads both young and old at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway on Thursday, August 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets will go on sale to the public online at vaculive.com or in-person at The National Box Office at 708 East Broad Street in Richmond, Va. on Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m. Virginia Credit Union and RICHMOND NATION members will receive an exclusive pre-sale for the Dark Star Orchestra concert on Thursday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Dark Star Orchestra is made up of Jeff Mattson (Jerry Garcia), Lisa Mackey (Donna Jean Godchaux), Dino English (Bill Kreutzmann), Rob Koritz (Mickey Hart), Skip Vangelas (Phil Lesh), Rob Eaton (Bob Weir) and Rob Barraco (multiple keyboardists).
Offering a continually evolving artistic outlet within the Grateful Dead’s musical canon, members of Dark Star Orchestra seek out the unique style of each performance era and offer their own interpretations and improvisations at each show. Using entire set lists from the Grateful Dead’s decades of touring as a launching pad, Dark Star Orchestra recreates song for song performances straight from the set list of these historic shows.
While faithful improvisation is pinnacle, precision is of equal importance with Dark Star Orchestra, which position the stage plot based on the year of Grateful Dead show to be performed, adapting phrasing, voice arrangements, and even arranges specific musical equipment for the various eras of Dead music performed. At the end of each performance, the band announces the date and venue where the original show just covered took place. Dark Star Orchestra dips into every incarnation of the Dead, so most fans can “see” shows that happened long before they were born.
Numerous original members of the Grateful Dead have played alongside the band.
“A couple of times when I had my back to John onstage and he started to sing, I had this weird sense that it was Jerry,” said Bob Weir, Grateful Dead co-founder/vocalist/guitarist.
“Playing with Dark Star Orchestra is something that feels just exactly like it felt when I was playing with the Grateful Dead,” said Donna Jean Godchaux, Grateful Dead vocalist.
“There are moments where I can close my eyes and go back 30 years and have it be every bit as rewarding and satisfying,” said Dan Healy, Grateful Dead sound engineer 1966 -1994. “Dark Star is an amazingly legitimate representation of the Dead.”
Dark Star Orchestra’s determined commitment to ‘raising the Dead’ has drawn nationwide attention.
“Quite possibly the most talented and accomplished tribute band out there… they’ve definitely mastered their inspiration’s vagabond nature.” – RollingStone.com
“Recreates the Dead concert experience with uncanny verisimilitude… In fact, Dark Star Orchestra often sounds more like the Dead than the Dead sometimes did.” – Chicago Tribune
“The hottest Grateful Dead tribute act. A cover band for people who don’t like cover bands.” – Washington Post
The Commonwealth Mall at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! will feature concessions, displays, and merchandise on the day of the event, with gates opening at 6:00 p.m. Parking for the event is located in Lot D, at the corner of Laburnum and Carolina Avenues, and can be accessed through Gate 4 on Laburnum Avenue. Parking is $10 cash only for the public and free for Virginia Credit Union members with lots opening at 5:00 p.m.
Virginia Credit Union LIVE! continues to bring top musical acts and superior concert experiences to music fans in the Richmond region. The venue has hosted top national recording artists such as Aerosmith, Sting, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews Band, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, and Florida Georgia Line.
In addition to its 6,000 covered seats, the venue hosts six permanent private dressing rooms with restrooms and showers attached to the stage as well as two loading docks. There is a separate hospitality building providing a full menu of food and beverage amenities. The backstage area is completely secured with ample room for parking large vehicles and tour buses.
To purchase tickets and learn more about Virginia Credit Union LIVE!, visit vaculive.com or connect on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To learn more about Dark Star Orchestra, visit darkstarorchestra.net.
2019 Virginia Credit Union LIVE! Concert Season
Virginia Credit Union LIVE! continues to bring top musical acts and superior concert experiences to music fans in the Richmond region. The venue has hosted top national recording artists such as Aerosmith, Sting, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews Band, Florida Georgia Line, and The Lumineers. This year’s Virginia Credit Union LIVE! concert season looks to be one of the best in the venue’s history. Tickets for previously announced shows are available for purchase unless otherwise specified.
Juice WRLD will take the stage of Virginia Credit Union LIVE! on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. Juice WRLD will be promoting his new album, A Deathrace for Love, will be released on March 8.
The 1975, one of the most popular pop-rock bands in the world, will bring their North American Tour to Virginia Credit Union LIVE! on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. The popular British pop-rock group’s tour is in support of their critically-acclaimed new album, “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.”
The Avett Brothers, one of the top folk-rock acts in the country, perform their iconic sound to Virginia Credit Union LIVE! on Sunday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. This will be the band’s first performance at the venue since July 25, 2013.
Young the Giant and Fitz and the Tantrums will bring their New Wave modern rock co-headline tour to Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway on Tuesday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m.
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s Strings Attached tour, a high-energy, rock and comedy show featuring costumes, props, a video wall, and for the first time, the Richmond Symphony, comes to Virginia Credit Union LIVE! on Thursday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m.
As part of Eastern League All-Star Week, Richmond and the Richmond Flying Squirrels have partnered for the All-Star Country Music Jam headlined by Big & Rich with special guests Cowboy Troy and DJ Sinister at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! on Monday, July 8 at 7 p.m.
JoJo Siwa’s D.R.E.A.M. The Tour will be showcased at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! on Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m. The D.R.E.A.M. tour will bring the viral Nickelodeon superstar’s youthful energy to the Virginia Credit Union LIVE! stage to highlight some of her certified platinum singles.
To purchase concert tickets and learn more about Virginia Credit Union LIVE!, visit vaculive.com or connect on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Richmond Raceway 2019 NASCAR Season
The 2019 NASCAR season at Richmond returns “under the lights” for both race weekends hosting the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) at America’s Premier Short Track.
The Toyota Spring Race Weekend will bring NASCAR’s best to Richmond for the ToyotaCare 250 NXS Dash4Cash race and TOYOTA OWNERS 400 Monster Energy Series race on April 12-13.
Richmond’s Fall Playoff Race Weekend will start the NXS Playoffs with the Go Bowling 250 playoff race and host the second race of the Monster Energy Series Playoffs with the Federated Auto Parts 400 playoff race on Sept. 20-21.
Tickets for the Toyota Spring Race Weekend on April 12-13 and Fall Playoff Race Weekend on Sept. 20-21 are available for purchase in-person at the Richmond Ticket Office, via phone at 866-455-7223, or online at richmondraceway.com.
The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) will run the inaugural PASS Commonwealth Classic on Saturday, March 30 at Richmond. The PASS Super Late Models will headline the day with feature events for Tour-Type Modifieds, MASS Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, and American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models. To learn more, visit proallstarseries.com.
Stay connected to Richmond Raceway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, and by downloading the Richmond Raceway mobile app for Apple or Android.