Colorado’s DeadPhish Orchestra will be making their first appearance in Big Sky since 2017, and what better reason to return than to headline the third annual Skull and Roses Ball! The Ball will include a costume competition with prizes awarded to dedicated costume categories. Themed drinks, photo opportunities, raffles and more! Tickets are limited, and last year’s event sold out - come enjoy the party of the season! Tickets are now on sale for $30/advance and any available tickets left will be $40 at the door.

Doors open at 8, music starts at 9 with two sets from DPO so we can dance our bones off!

DeadPhish Orchestra is a well-established and well-loved quartet of Colorado musicians whose roots together go back more than two decades, and who have shared stages literally thousands of times. What started out as a lark, and got tagged with a tongue-in-cheek band name, turned out to have some serious staying power.

The original members of DPO met in the summer of 2001, and spent most of the rest of the decade touring as Phix, the first nationally-recognized Phish tribute band. Phix had stopped touring by the time Phish made their grand comeback in 2009, but the guys were still doing various gigs together around Colorado. The seed for DPO was planted a few months later, when they were casually playing some Grateful Dead covers at a Denver venue, and a jam on the Grateful Dead’s “Here Comes Sunshine” somehow organically morphed into a jam on Phish’s “Bathtub Gin.” The crowd went wild, and a new band was born.

The first “official” DPO show happened at that same venue on New Year’s Eve of 2009. In the 15 ensuing years, DPO has played hundreds of shows all over the United States. With surprising song combinations like “Help > Slip > Frankie Says,” “Divided Sky > Morning Dew,” and “Mike’s Song > Jack Straw > Weekapaug Groove,” DPO’s unpredictable setlists and top-notch musicianship continue to draw crowds and deliver thrilling performances.

The band’s current lineup features seasoned Colorado musicians Paul Murin (guitar), Brian Adams (bass), and Ted Tilton (keyboards).

Paul, a.k.a. “Lefty,” was a founding member of Phix, a Phish tribute band that toured extensively in the 2000’s. Prior to that, he spent much of the 1990’s playing original music with the Chicago-based band Ralph’s Kind. He currently resides in the mountains of Boulder, CO, and spends much of his weekday time teaching guitar lessons. He also operates highcountryguitar.com, an instructional website for guitarists (especially those who love the Dead & Phish!).

Ted’s experience and skills on the keyboards and as a vocalist date back to the 1990’s, when he played with Iowa City-based Funk Farm, and in the early 2000’s with Colorado-based Purple Buddha. He currently lives in the Denver area, has two sons (Ethan and Dylan), and spends much of his time traveling for his work in the cannabis industry.

Brian Adams…yes, THE Brian Adams…began his touring career with the Missouri-based band Barefoot Revolution. He joined Phix, with Chris and Paul, in 2003. Brian can also frequently be found onstage with Americana band Great American Taxi, and most recently has been playing bass with the High Hawks (featuring Vince Herman and Tim Carbone). He also does a damned fine Les Claypool impersonation–go ahead…ask him about it.

Chris got his early start in the Colorado music scene with the band Running With Sally, and soon afterward founded the band Phix. As one of the busiest drummers in Colorado, he can just about always be found doing assorted shows with all kinds of local musicians. Perhaps most notably, Chris is the inventor of the Banjotron 3000.