Gratefulfest 9 took place this past weekend at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, Ohio. Dark Star Orchestra anchored the event, performing over each of the three days, during which the group offered two interpretations of past Grateful Dead performances as well as an original setlist. On Friday the group presented the Dead’s Irvine Meadows show from 4/23/88 (which includied a fitting ‘Big River’ in the midst of some Nelson Ledges rain showers). Earlier that same day, DSO’s Rob Barraco and Cornmeal’s Wavy Dave added keys and banjo to the Chef Dave Band’s original song ‘Approach.’ Then on Saturday, DSO delivered 4/27/77 from the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ, with a special, fitting guest, as Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, who performed at the original show, shared vocals with DSO’s Lisa Mackey. Sunday then featured two sets that did not correspond to any prior Dead performance and included a Keller Williams guest slot on a version of Jesse Stone’s ‘Don’t Let Go,’ a song often covered by the Jerry Garcia Band.