This past weekend, Dead & Company guitarist John Mayer made waves in the world of jam by making his second-ever appearance with “more-than-just-a” Dead cover band Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, nearly 1 year to the day after his first sit-in with the band during last year’s extended guest spot at Brooklyn Bowl.

John Mayer Joins Joe Russo’s Almost Dead On Night 5 Of Fall Ball 2017 [Photos/Recap]

The collaboration began when the band welcomed Mayer out for a first set-closing rendition of “Althea,” an appropriate song choice given that it was the tune that originally turned Mayer on to the Grateful Dead. After the song finished, Russo thanked “their good friend John Mayer,” and promised much more great music to come.

When the band took the stage for set two, Mayer was once again in tow. He lent his guitar chops to the free-form jam that began the set and the “Here Comes Sunshine” -> “New Minglewood Blues.” The crowd let out a collective sigh as Mayer exited the stage following “New Minglewood” to give the core band a chance to do their thing, but Russo assured them that he was “sure we’ll see Mr. Mayer again soon.” He wasn’t lying, as John returned for the show’s encore, which began with an excellent piano solo and vocal performance of Dr. John‘s “Such A Night” (with humorous interjections like “start a Grateful Dead tribute band!” between stanzas of “if I don’t do it, somebody else will” and ad-libs like”I came here with my best friend Joe Fuckin Russo” for “my best friend Jim”; “Under the Brooklyn Bowl” for “Under the moonlight,” and more). Finally, after Mayer helped the band through a celebratory “Franklin’s Tower” to close the show, Russo remarked “once again for our special friend John Mayer, of the musics…”

Now, full pro-shot footage of the entire portion of the 10/13/17 JRAD show featuring John Mayer has emerged on YouTube courtesy of user nn Jimmy, so you can relive the performance. It was such a night…

Video Setlist: Althea; Jam > Here Comes Sunshine >New Minglewood Blues; Marco Solo > Such A Night, Franklin’s Tower

SETLIST: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Brooklyn Bowl | NYC | 10/13/17

Set One (9:36PM – 11:30PM)
Jam @ ->
Greatest Story Ever Told # >
Candyman
Feel Like A Stranger $
Loser % ->
Crazy Fingers
Cosmic Charlie (SM/JR) ^ ->
Jam ->
Althea &

Set Two (11:36PM – 1:24AM)
Jam * ->
Here Comes Sunshine + ->
New Minglewood Blues @@
Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion >
Jam ## ->
Lazy Lightning $$ ->
China Doll %% (TH) ->
Marco Solo ->
There is a Mountain ^^ ->
I Know You Rider

ENC:
Marco Solo ->
Such A Night & ->
Franklin’s Tower &

@ – With The Wheel Teases (Band)
# – With an Unknown Tease (MB) and The Wheel Teases (TH)
$ – With a “Chameleon” (Herbie Hancock) Tease (either SM or TH)
% – With a “Nothing Else Matters” (Metallica) Tease (TH)
^ – First Time Played by Almost Dead
& – With John Mayer on Guitar
* – With “Serpentine Fire (Earth, Wind & Fire) Teases & China Cat Teases (Band). With John Mayer on Guitar
+ – With a Marco Solo that included a Cosmic Charlie Tease. With John Mayer on Guitar
@@ – With a West LA Fadeaway Tease (MB). With John Mayer on Guitar
## – With teases / jams of Uncle John’s, “Jolene” (American Babies), Ruben & Cerise, Playin in the Band & The Wheel if not more
$$ – Not played by Almost Dead since 2016.02.14 at Higher Ground, Winooski, VT, a gap of 57 shows
%% – First Time Played by Almost Dead, with teases of “No Quarter” (Led Zeppelin), “Run Like Hell” (Pink Floyd) & something else that I can’t read from my notes :/
^^ – Donovan cover, very short, just the Chorus

[Cover photo via Andrew Blackstein]