They’re not just a Grateful Dead tribute band; they’re THE Grateful Dead tribute band.

Formed in Chicago, Dark Star Orchestra has been faithfully performing the jam band’s most loved songs and little known gems for 20 years.

On Saturday, June 24, Dark Star Orchestra: Continuing the Grateful Dead Experience will makes its RiverEdge Park debut in downtown Aurora. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The concert starts at 7 p.m.

Whether you were born too late to experience the Grateful Dead in their prime or want to relive that long, strange trip, Dark Star Orchestra will bring back many incredible memories and create plenty of new ones, in an summer concert setting on the banks of the Fox River.

Dark Star Orchestra has been a favorite of old and new Grateful Dead fans since 1997, when a group of talented musicians came up with an original concept – to perform complete Grateful Dead shows from out of the beloved act’s long touring history.

With the concept in mind, the newly formed Dark Star Orchestra secured four Tuesday night gigs at Martyrs’ in their hometown of Chicago. The first night saw just 78 people, but through word-of-mouth, by the fourth week they had sold out the room. One year later, on the eve of their first anniversary, Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish joined Dark Star Orchestra at Martyrs’ after their own show in town.

The ensuing buzz caused national interest in the then regional favorite. That winter their Colorado tour sold out almost every performance and their website was getting millions of hits – everyone wanted to know how they got their sound so precise. Critics began to take note as well, with The Washington Post declaring them “the hottest Grateful Dead tribute act” and USA Today raved that DSO was “channeling the Dead.” Dark Star Orchestra had arrived.

Committed to their original mission of recreating the Grateful Dead’s live experience, Dark Star Orchestra has performed as many as 250 dates in a single year. Fans and critics haven’t been the only people caught up either, as the band has featured guest performances from original Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy.

More than 15 years since that first show at Martyrs’, Dark Star Orchestra has gone on to perform over 2,200 concerts worldwide. What they do is not simply a tribute to the Grateful Dead, but a testament to their enormous catalogue of timeless performances – in addition to Dark Star Orchestra’s own intermittent original set lists, created to give the listener a wholly unique experience. For more, visit darkstarorchestra.net.

Purchase tickets through May 31 to take advantage of the early-bird price, only $20. Regular tickets are $30 starting June 1 and on-site.

RiverEdge Park is located at 360 N. Broadway, directly across the street from Metra’s Aurora Transportation Center.

For tickets and information, visit RiverEdgeAurora.com, call the RiverEdge box office, 630.896.6666, or stop by in-person at RiverEdge’s satellite box office, the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

The RiverEdge box office will also be open on-site both days for day-of sales, beginning at noon. All tickets are general admission. Ticket fees not included.

RiverEdge is easy to get to from Chicago via Metra’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) line. Paid public parking is available in the Metra lot, with additional private lots surrounding the park and in downtown Aurora.

RiverEdge Park, renamed Thomas J. Weisner RiverEdge Park in 2016 in honor of former Aurora Mayor Thomas Weisner, debuted in 2013.

For tickets and information, visit RiverEdgeAurora.com or call 630.896.6666.