Joe Russo's Almost Dead Jams With Stuart Bogie, Busts Out Rolling Stones Cover During Northeast Run [Photos/Audio]

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead headed out for the East Coast for a three-night, three-state run through Baltimore, MD; Asbury Park, NJ; and New Haven, CT over the weekend. Among the highlights were an extensive sit-in by saxophonist Stuart Bogie and a five-year bust-out of a Rolling Stones classic.

The weekend started early on Thursday when Joe Russo’s Almost Dead docked at the Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore, MD. Hot off its traditional three-night run in New Orleans during Jazz Fest earlier this month, the men of JRAD were primed and ready to go from the rollicking opening jam which turned into Jerry Garcia Band-favorite Smokey Robinson soul classic “I Second That Emotion”. The extensive “Cats Down Under the Stars” that followed established a Jerry-heavy setlist, a theme that would continue in the second set with a repentant “Mission in the Rain”. Other highlights from the starting gun of a show in Baltimore included a fittingly strange “Feel Like A Stranger” and an “Estimated Prophet” that caught a light reggae wake off the neighboring Patapsco river in the second set.

On Friday night, JRAD headed up the Jersey shore for an outdoor concert at the Stony Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park. This was a home-state show for 4/5 of the band, with titular drummer Joe Russo giving Philadelphia-born guitarist Tom Hamilton a friendly ribbing for being the odd man out of the Garden State heritage. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead put on for its birthplace, with Friday’s first set dominated by a nearly 45-minute movement of “Fire on the Mountain” > “Eyes of the World” > “Dancing in the Streets”, assisted by frequent Russo collaborator (and fellow non-Jersey native) Stuart Bogie who popped in throughout the show.

Armed with an expanded arsenal of musicians, JRAD cruised through a second set highlighted by a boogying “Music Never Stopped” and grouping of “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “St. Stephen”. Bogie’s presence was especially felt on a particularly ethereal “The Wheel” and an “Uncle John’s Band” that fluctuated wildly from atmospheric to triumphant to close the second set. Though not a native, Hamilton surely earned some Jersey street cred during the encore when he belted out a double dose of Bruce Springsteen on “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Born to Run” to close out the show.

Finally, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead finished its weekend run with a return to its home away from home at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. The band played a nine-show residency at the converted tennis stadium in 2021, since rounding that number out to an even 12 lifetime shows following Saturday’s concert. JRAD still had plenty of gas in the tank for the run closer and not even intermittent rain showers could dampen its or its fans’ spirits, igniting the show with a non-stop “Hell in a Bucket” > “Cream Puff War” > “Catfish John” movement. The pinnacle of the first set, however, was a roaring 22-minute “Truckin'”.

For the final set of the weekend, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead fittingly dusted off The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” as the clock wound down on the three-night run. Per Almost Dead.net, the band had not performed the 1965 single since September 26th, 2019, with Saturday marking only its third-ever performance. Elsewhere in the second set, the band kept up a continuous stream of consciousness as “Loser”, “The Other One”, “Shakedown Street”, The Beatles‘ “Hey Bulldog”, and “Playing in the Band” all flowed one into the next. Finally, JRAD put a cap on the weekend with an encore of “Brown Eyed Women” and “Jack Straw”.

Next up for Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is a trip to Colorado for shows in Vail (5/31) and at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (6/1). Find tickets and a full list of tour dates here. Check out photos from the weekend run courtesy of photographer Andrew Blackstein along with setlists and full-show audio.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead — Pier Six Pavilion — Baltimore, MD — 5/16/24 — Full Audio

[Video: Travitz12]

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead — Stony Pony Summer Stage — Asbury Park, NJ — 5/17/24 — Full Audio

[Video: Travitz12]

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead — Westville Music Bowl — New Haven, CT — 5/18/24 — Full Audio

[Audio: ckeough]

Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Pier Six Pavilion | Baltimore, MD | 5/16/24

Set One: Jam > I Second That Emotion (Smokey Robinson) > Cats Down Under the Stars (Jerry Garcia) > Dark Hollow (Bill Browning) > Feel Like A Stranger (Grateful Dead), Bertha (Grateful Dead)

Set Two: My Brother Esau (Grateful Dead), Tennessee Jed (Grateful Dead), I Need A Miracle (Grateful Dead) > Estimated Prophet (Grateful Dead) > Loose Lucy (Grateful Dead), Mission in the Rain (Jerry Garcia) > Good Lovin’ (The Olympics)

Encore: U.S. Blues (Grateful Dead)

Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Stony Pony Summer Stage | Asbury Park, NJ | 5/17/24

Set One: Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Sonny Boy Williamson), Touch of Grey (Grateful Dead), Silvio (Bob Dylan), Fire On The Mountain (Grateful Dead), Eyes of the World (Grateful Dead) > Dancing in the Street (Martha Reeves and the Vandellas)

Set Two: Dancing in the Streets Reprise > The Music Never Stopped (Grateful Dead), Help on the Way (Grateful Dad) > Slipknot! (Grateful Dead) > St. Stephen (Grateful Dead), Althea (Grateful Dead) > The Wheel (Jerry Garcia) > He’s Gone (Grateful Dead) > Uncle John’s Band (Grateful Dead)

Encore: Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Bruce Springsteen), Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)

Notes: Stuart Bogie on sax throughout the show

Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Westville Music Bowl | New Haven, CT | 5/18/24

Set One: Hell In A Bucket (Grateful Dead) > Cream Puff War (Grateful Dead) > Catfish John (Bob McDill), Truckin’ (Grateful Dead), Scarlet Begonias (Grateful Dead) > Lazy Lightning (Kingfish) > I Know You Rider (Traditional)

Set Two: Foolish Heart (Grateful Dead) > The Last Time (The Rolling Stones) [1] Loser (Jerry Garcia) > The Other One (Grateful Dead) > Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead) > Hey Bulldog (The Beatles) > Playing In The Band (Grateful Dead)

Encore: Brown Eyed Women (Grateful Dead) > Jack Straw (Grateful Dead)

[1] LTP 9/26/19