Vermont was greeted with an extraordinary assembly of musicians last Saturday night, December 12th, before a sold out crowd at the Rusty Nail in Stowe.  Zach Nugent and Colin Lenox, the guitarists for Dead Set, were joined by Vinnie Amico, of moe., on drums, Luke Smith and Erik Glockler of Strangefolk, on drums and bass respectively, and Richard James of Pink Talking Fish on keys. Dead Set is an ever revolving cast of musicians, with Nugent being the sole player who’s been a part of every show the group has performed. This particular lineup came together for rehearsal just one day prior, and they nailed it. The musicians were familiar with each other, but never had the opportunity to all play together before. They did not disappoint. 

The evening got off to a solid start with “Jack Straw.” No time was wasted taking off with this delightful tune before cruising into “Bird Song.” This melody created a calm vibe to a packed house. Nugent provided soothing lyrics before easing into an upbeat “Playin’ in the Band.”  The early part of the set already had an incredible vibe of getting down and dirty. The band took listeners on a musical voyage packed with psychedelic nuggets and chunks of easy flowing tones that danced magically together. “Loser” cooled things down as this slow and steady song took it’s time winding through the first set.

“Dancin’ In The Streets” brought the crowd to a dancing frenzy. This tune was non-stop electricity and loaded with that boppy guitar sound that Jerry Garcia was famously known for throwing out. “Peggy-O” presented an impressive symbiotic performance that included hefty guitar riffs by Nugent and Lenox during this gorgeous song. The heat inside was about to blow the roof off as Nugent led the pack as they flowed into “Help on the Way.” Though it was cold outside, the venue was on fire. Fans were dancing up a storm during this energetic tune. They took the jam on a spirited high throughout. The vibe was tossed into a basket that was mixed with wicked vigor only to create an endless jam sandwich full of delicious energy. “Slipknot!” followed “Help on the Way,” creating a double whammy of musical goodness that brought set one to a close. 

Set two got off to a blistering start with “Althea.” An incredible energy between the band and audience just didn’t let up as this tune wound up second set. An unforgettable performance unfolded that evening to a crowd of about 700 in an intimate, tucked away venue in Vermont. “Estimated Prophet” pounded its way onto the set before flowing into an easy “Row Jimmy.” This jam created serene vibes throughout as the notes tenderly played along for this melody before picking up with a crowd favorite, “Terrapin Station.” The band took an unhurried trip through this tune before rolling into “Crazy Fingers.” “Throwing Stones” wrapped up second set with Josh Dobbs, of Cats Under the Stars, joining in on keys. 

The encore for this astounding performance included “Casey Jones,” followed by “Fire On the Mountain,” which featured Dobbs joining in, once again, on keys.  Overall, this was an incredible performance that will be remembered for years to come by all who witnessed this amazing spectacle of unimaginable musical proportions. The group was super tight and the crowd would never had guessed they barely had time together to practice the set list.  The vibe between all members was simply magical.  For fans of the jam band scene, we can only hope this fantastic line-up occurs again for all to enjoy. 

Listen to the full show below, courtesy of taper Scott Medeiros:

Setlist: Dead Set at Rusty Nail, Stowe, VT – 12/12/15

Set One: Jack Straw, Bird Song, Playing in the Band, Loser, Dancin’ In the Streets, Peggy-O, Help On the way>Slipknot>Franklins Tower

Set Two: Althea, Scarlet Begonias, Estimated Prophet, Row Jimmy, Terrapin Station, Crazy Fingers, *Throwing Stones

Encore: Casey Jones, *Fire on the Mountain

*Josh Dobbs joined in on keys

Words by Sarah Bourque.  Follow on Twitter. 

Photos by Andrew Francke Photography, full gallery below: