Every other Thursday, we will preview the upcoming podcast release. 

Before Robert Koritz readies his gear to hit the road with Dark Star Orchestra, he needs to ready his interviews of fellow musicians.

That’s because while he and the Grateful Dead tribute band are finally playing shows again, Koritz will continue to host his podcast, “The Music Plays the Band.”

Koritz, who is Jewish and and co-chair of the Camp Sabra alumni committee, interviewed a pair of musicians for his latest episode of the podcast, which debuts today, April 8.

Reed Mathis is a virtuoso bassist who has been part of a number of different bands, including Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey; Tea Leaf Green; Billy & the Kids (with drummer Bill Kreutzman from the Dead); and most recently, his own band, Electric Beethoven.

“The one with Reed is so exciting because he is such a versatile player — plays with anybody and everybody — but the biggest thing about Reed is he plays with such an energy and spirit,” said Koritz, who produces the podcast with fellow Jewish musicians David and Jeff Lazaroff of Brothers Lazaroff. Getting Mathis to “share how that works for him was really, really nice, to let people know how much emotion is a factor in making music besides just technical skill.”

The other person featured on the podcast is Joni Bottari, lead guitarist in Brown Eyed Women, the only all-female Dead cover band.

“To hear her talk about the perception of an all female group and the perception of an all female group was really, really interesting,” said Koritz.

As to Koritz’s other gig, with Dark Star, the band will play a show April 15 in Birmingham, Ala., and then April 16 and 17 in Pelham, Tenn. For a complete list of tour dates visit https://www.darkstarorchestra.net/tour-dates/

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the band is not traveling on a tour bus and is instead flying for three outdoor, socially-distanced shows on weekends.

“It’s definitely different, but this whole thing is different right now. We don’t have guests backstage; we just keep to ourselves, but everyone is still so excited because they get to work,” Koritz said.

When does he expect to start truckin’ to perform at full-capacity concerts? 2022.

“But that could change; it could come earlier,” he added.