Splintered Sunlight keeps the Dead's music alive

From AsburyParkPress

Splintered Sunlight keeps the Dead's music alive
Posted by the Asbury Park Press
BY ED CONDRAN
CORRESPONDENT

Grateful Dead cover bands live on long after the legendary band called it a day in August 1995 following the death of singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia.
A number of the bands that cover the Dead, such as Dark Star Orchestra, go to great lengths to reproduce the work of the prototypical jam band. And then there's Splintered Sunlight, a veteran Philadelphia based cover band that isn't about replicating its heroes' tunes note for note.

"With Splintered Sunlight, we always adapt to whoever is in the band and play to our strengths," bassist Anders Alfelt said. "I've been in this band for eight years, and we always try to make the band sound the strongest. The songs are Dead songs — it's just that we do things a little differently than other (Dead cover) bands."

Splintered Sunlight, which plays tonight in Asbury Park, also includes guitarist Tom Donovan of Brick, singer/guitarist Butch Sochorow of Jackson along with keyboardist Mike Borowski and drummers Jerry Horan and Aaron Roussakis, all from suburban Philadelphia.

"We do about 20 to 25 songs a night, so it never gets boring for us," said Alfelt. "If anyone wants to see us in other cities, it doesn't get boring for them."

Alfelt, 42, is a married father with a day job but has a wonderful outlet in his band.

"It's great because it's challenging music and it's an exciting situation for not just me but many people," he said. "How many musicians get together and say, "Let's play "Truckin' in E?' I'm sure a lot do. People, musicians and fans, don't want to let go of the magic the Dead created. It's been great keeping their music alive."