This past weekend, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead made their highly awaited return to The Capitol Theater, NY for a two-night run at the historic venue, and their first shows in Port Chester since their 2016-2017 New Year’s run. As is usual in the New York market (and in most other markets, to boot), the performances sold out at lightning speed, and the band returned the favors by bringing their own electric musicianship and improvisation to one of the late Jerry Garcia‘s favorite venues.
Friday 7/21 “Althea”:
Friday 7/21 “Deep Elem Blues”:
Saturday 7/22 – “King Solomon’s Marbles”:
Saturday 7/22 – “Cassidy”:
Both nights nights of the run proved to offer countless highlights. Friday featured JRAD’s first “Dark Hollow” on electric instruments, an “Althea” that segued into (and back out of) “Space,” the band’s debuts of an instrumental “In With The In Crowd” jam (by Ramsey Lewis), “Deep Elem Blues,” and “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue,” a rendition of “The Wheel” with a jam on Cold Play Cold‘s “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” (another first) sandwiched in between, and much more.
Saturday’s performance boasted a dream setlist including “King Solomon’s Marbles,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Crazy Fingers,” “St. Stephen,” and the JRAD debut of Benevento/Russo Duo‘s “Play Pause Stop” in set one, a “Scarlet” > “Cassidy” > “Fire” sandwich, a beautiful “Lost Sailor,” and a celebratory “Bertha” closer in set two, and a howling cover of Warren Zevon‘s “Werewolves of London” to round out the encore.
You can watch a selection of pro-shot videos from each night of JRAD’s summer Capitol Theater shows below, via the band’s Facebook and nugs.net.
SETLIST: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | The Capitol Theater | Port Chester, NY | 7/21/17
Set One (9:00PM – 10:30PM)
Jam @ ->
Dark Hollow ##
Althea ->
Space ->
Althea Reprise # ->
Playing In The Band ->
In With the In Crowd Jam $ ->
Playing In The Band Reprise
They Love Each Other
Gonesville ->
Casey Jones >
Sugaree
Set Two (10:57PM – 12:27AM)
Deep Elem Blues % (All) ->
Easy Wind ->
The Wheel ^ ->
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face Jam & ->
The Wheel Reprise * >
So Many Roads ->
Dark Star + ->
Estimated Prophet ->
Touch Of Grey
“Happy Birthday to Marco” (Crowd & band sung)
E: It’s All Over Now Baby Blue @@ (TH)
@ – With a “Lay Down Sally” (Eric Clapton) Tease (TH)
## – First Electric Version by Almost Dead – played Acoustic on 2015-12-31 & 2016-10-07.
# – First “Split” Althea
$ – Instrumental, incomplete version of a Ramsey Lewis Cover, First Time Played By Almost Dead
% – First Time Played By Almost Dead, with a BT Wind Tease (SM). MB 1st Verse, DD 2nd Verse, JR 3rd Verse, SM 4th Verse, TH 5th Verse
^ – With a “Jolene” (American Babies) Tease & a So Many Roads Tease (TH)
& – Instrumental, incomplete version of a Cold Play Cover, First Time Played By Almost Dead, with “Becky” (Benevento Russo Duo) teases (JR & SM)
* – With “National Anthem” (Radiohead) Teases (TH)
+ – Verse One Only
@@ – Bob Dylan Cover, First Time Played By Almost Dead, with a “Take On Me” (Ah-Ha) Tease (MB)
SETLIST: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | The Capitol Theater | Port Chester, NY | 7/21/17 (Show #114)
Set One: King Solomon’s Marbles > Cumberland Blues, I Need A Miracle > Crazy Fingers > St. Stephen > Play Pause Stop*
Set Two: Silvio** > Scarlet Begonias > Cassidy > Fire On The Mountain > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Bertha
Encore: Werewolves of London^
*Benevento/Russo Duo cover
**Bob Dylan cover
^Warren Zevon cover
[Cover photo via Andrew Rios, from The Ogden, Denver, CO]