Cosmic Charlie, a Grateful Dead cover band from Athens, Georgia, brought their “Dark Side of the Dead” concert to Carrboro’s Cat’s Cradle in December. Part of a two-night stint spanning New Year’s Eve, Deadheads and Pink Floyd fans of all ages gathered for a night of classic jams.

A full band, including a dual drummer setup, made for robust renditions. The lead guitarist’s voice is somewhere between Jerry Garcia’s and Tom Petty’s, keeping his vocals modest like the former – something John Mayer of Dead & Company could learn a thing about. Some of the longer songs included some misplaced notes and shaky solos, but what’s a jam without the risks of experimentation?

Their setlist catered well to many levels of the Dead’s discography – I had a great time, even as a casual fan. The band brought out several familiar tunes, including “Althea” and “Touch of Grey,” two of Grateful Dead’s biggest hits. Other songs included “Not Fade Away” as the opener and the iconic “Shakedown Street.”

I loved the band’s interpretation of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. It’s an album I grew up on, and hearing it performed in full for the first time was thrilling. The band’s rendition brought the record to life in many ways – a guest saxophonist ran away with the solo on “Us and Them,” and then stuck around to liven up the Dead tunes that followed. The band’s vocalist blew me away with her ferocious solo on “The Great Gig in the Sky,” which I’m happy to say lived up to the original. The group closed out the evening with energetic takes on “One More Saturday Night” and “Another Brick in the Wall” as an encore. 

Cosmic Charlie’s love for the local Deadhead community was palpable. It was a family-friendly night of good music, and I recommend catching one of the band’s many upcoming shows! The group fostered a great atmosphere and didn’t shy away from drawing out the groove at times, letting the music breathe like any jam band should.