Dead On Live

Prepare to get your groove on.

Dead On Live, the critically acclaimed Grateful Dead tribute band, returns to the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe at 8 p.m. Jan. 30.

If this show is anything like the previous three, the audience is in for a treat as founder Marc Muller and company play the music of The Dead both note for note as it was recorded, and the way the band performed live in concert, with free-form jamming.

Muller created Dead On Live in 2010, taking a page from his friend, Glen Burtnik (Styx, The Orchestra, The Weeklings) who performs concerts in which he replicates songs from the Beatles' albums, note-for-note.

After 10 years on the road with Shania Twain, and three with Van Zant, Muller found himself back home in New Jersey in 2008.

"I started digging into the Beatles' catalog," says Muller. "I ran into Glen, and he invited me to be part of his Beatle shows at The State Theatre in New Brunswick, where he would do album recreations of Beatle records on the 40th anniversary of the releases of those recordings."

During that time Muller was also working at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, where he was teaching adult rock ensemble.

While at the Count Basie, the CEO there was impressed with Muller and the program, and told him if he could come up with a show idea, he was welcome to perform it there.

"I didn't have anything I could think of," says Muller. "The Beatles, that was Glen. I went home and went back to my roots."

Muller thought about the music he grew up with and what records had come out 40 years earlier. He didn't have to think too long. "Working Man's Dead" and "American Beauty," two of the Grateful Dead's most widely known albums were both released in 1970.

"It was a turning point in their musical style," says Muller. "I was all about the Grateful Dead in the '70s. I went to all the shows. I learned to play my instrument to play like Jerry back then. It was a natural thing to me."

Muller called the CEO from the County Basie and asked about doing a 40th anniversary show of the two Grateful Dead albums.

"He thought it was a great idea."

But Muller didn't want to be like other tribute bands. In fact, he didn't even want to play that concert the way The Dead would've played it. He wanted to present those classic records with the music and the vocals exactly the way they were recorded and released.

"Being from the Mutt Lange School of Touring (Lange, a record producer and songwriter, was married to Twain while Muller was in her band). When we toured, we did it exactly as the songs were released, reproduced note for note. And the Beatle project. It was classic, note for note," says Muller.

For seven months he transcribed everything on the two albums. Then he hired high level musicians who would be able to play the music the way it was recorded.

The first concert was held at the Count Basie in 2010.

"People went nuts," says Muller. "They couldn't believe they were hearing these records back the same way they grew up listening to them."

With the successful concert under their belt, Dead On Live was invited back. Muller continued to transcribe the rest of the albums for era-specific 40th anniversary shows.

"We've gone through all the records by now."

Having built up a following and an audience locally, Dead On Live has taken its unique performance nationwide, building critical acclaim, all the way to California, the birthplace of the Grateful Dead.

"We surprised the old school Dead fans who were there when the music came out," says Muller. "They were happily shocked hearing these records back live. It's a really beautiful, special thing to play the music over and over. It's like reciting lines to a Shakespeare play. It never gets old or boring. It feels special playing these majestic parts."

While Dead On Live is well-schooled in the nuances of each recorded piece of music in The Dead's catalog, the band gives audiences both parts of the Grateful Dead experience.

"We now take the note-for-note shows that we know and present the blue print of the note for note, and we open them up to what The Dead was all about, loose improvisation and fun, taking the music wherever the audience takes us. There's something for everyone," says Muller.

"People really seem to enjoy it and are always on their feet from the first song on. Audience participation is really great at these shows. It's really like the Grateful Dead family.

Muller says the audience doesn't just sit there and listen.

"They're feeding the band, and the band gives it back to the audience. It's a nice big cycle."

Muller is excited to be returning to the Mauch Chunk Opera House.

"It's a really great venue," he says. "A big, open old-time theater that's perfect for this kind of audience participation show. It's been great."

Muller describes Dead On Live as less a band and more a cast, depending on the era of the music they're presenting.

"For this show, the first set will be based on the big, beautiful harmonies The Dead was known for."

As such, the cast for this show will be musicians with really strong vocal skills.

"The first set is to get the crowd singing along with the big vocal numbers, like 'Ripple,' 'Box of Rain' and 'Uncle John's Band,' The Dead sing-along songs. The second set we'll turn up the electric and do the fun, dancing, jamming songs, like 'Scarlet Begonias,' 'Sugar Magnolias' and 'Truckin,'" says Muller.

"First singing, then dancing as loud as they can. We're going for fun and audience participation."

What's coming up?

This weekend the opera house welcomes the Dirty Bourbon River Show at 8 p.m. Friday.

On Saturday, it's KICK - The INXS Experience at 8 p.m.

Sunday at 8 p.m. 40 Story Radio Tower returns with special guests Craig Thatcher and Nyke Van Wyke.

Tickets are available for all shows 24/7 at www.mcohjt.com, by visiting Soundcheck Records in Jim Thorpe from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The opera house box office is open from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at 570-325-0249. The facility is open from noon until 5 p.m. on show days. Tickets are available for most shows at the door at showtime.