When Jerry Garcia died eight years ago, most people thought the Grateful Dead would die with him. But the Chicago-based Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) has re-awakened the Dead through its true-to-life performances of actual shows from the past. The band will perform 10 p.m. Saturday at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.

There are tons of cover bands out there, especially Grateful Dead cover bands, but what sets DSO apart is that instead of reenacting past shows through fake beards or hippie-like attire, the band delivers through live music.

"The members [of DSO] had the innovative idea in recreating shows out of history," DSO publicist Dave Weissman said. "The band selects one show from the past for each performance and replicates the set, set lists, sounds, energy and even the rotation of members that the Grateful Dead followed over their 30 year period of performing. The shows are not note for note, but the style is the same."

Where some cover bands mix cover songs with originals, DSO is faithful in recreating past shows through identical set lists used by the Grateful Dead.

"We try to be as true to the music as possible," DSO drummer Rob Koritz said. "As jazz musicians would put it, we're the purists."

On any given night the audiences could be experiencing a show in the Providence Civic Center back in May '81 or a 1973 Denver Coliseum show.

"That's what makes DSO so interesting," Weissman said. "The audience never knows what show is being recreated until the end of the show."

Since its humble beginnings in 1997, DSO has expanded from a weekly gig at a Chicago venue into a nationwide touring success.

Critics from the country's most respected magazines and newspapers, including Rolling Stone, USA Today and the Washington Post all agree about DSO's amazing ability to recreate shows from the past with incredible attention to detail.

"This music has become so much a part of the band's lives," Koritz said. "I personally have been to over 80 Dead shows, but it ranges within the band from 30 to 400."

Not only have the members of DSO gained the respect of the nation's top music critics, but also from the toughest critics -- remaining members of the Grateful Dead.

"Four out of five members have actually sat in with members of the Grateful Dead," Weissman said.

After seeing DSO a couple of times, Renee Rheaume (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said she is excited for this weekend's performance.

"Although I did not have the opportunity to attend an original Grateful Dead show, from what I have heard, DSO is like the real thing," Rheaume said. "They even rotate members like the Grateful Dead did, and many old Deadheads are impressed by their similarities."

DSO members said they are very excited to perform at Crowbar this weekend.

"We love the Crowbar. They're great to us," Koritz said. "We always have great crowds."

Tickets to the 21-and-over show are $15 and are available by calling 237-2925.