There was no way that the teenaged Butchy Sochorow would miss the final concert of his first tour with the Grateful Dead, his favorite musical tribe. It was one of many examples of "Deadication" for Sochorow, who attended more than 200 shows by the Grateful Dead from 1984 to 1995, the year the band disbanded after Garcia died.

Sochorow and his Splintered Sunlight mates will perform Friday at the Mauch Chunk Opera House, where 15 months ago they re-created a Dead Halloween gig from 1980, which is preserved in a free download on the opera house website.For nearly 20 years he's been sparking Garcia's spirit with measured, spacious, bluegrassy instrumentals and earthy, ethereal vocals. His uncanniness has earned him the nickname "Asian Jerry."Splintered Sunlight is every bit the equal of the various bigger-name Dead bands. From its authentic two-drumset lineup to Butchy Sochorow's soaring lead guitar and naturally dead-on Jerry-like voice, to Dan Leyden's rhythms and Bob Weir vocals, Splintered can do it all in a big way. They're musically superb, imaginative and always changing set lists.The audience can expect a sprinkling of relative Dead rarities. Expect a few Christmas tunes dosed with Dead soul. Expect a surprising non-Dead cover or two from a band that has snuck in the last three tracks of "Abbey Road" and Stevie Wonder's "Boogie on Reggae Woman."Tickets are $25 and available at

www.mcohjt.com, by visiting SoundCheck Records in downtown Jim Thorpe from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., or by calling 570-325-4009. The show begins at 8 p.m. The 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, and tickets are available for most shows at the door at showtime.