Joe Russo’s Almost Dead put on a show for the ages last night, as they brought 2016 to a close with an epic New Year’s Eve performance at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. The band filled the three-set show with a large helping of classic Grateful Dead material, impressive improvisation, and a few fun surprises that made for a truly special evening.

Almost Dead started things off with a New Orleans-style march, as a horn section marched to the stage through the crowd. The New Orleans March led right into “Reuben & Cherise”, and that really got things going, with Tom Hamilton expertly leading the band through the Jerry Garcia-penned tune.

Watch “New Orleans March” into “Reuben & Cherise”, courtesy of nugs.tv.

After a few minutes of jamming, the band moved swiftly into the beloved Buddy Holly classic “Not Fade Away”. After some interesting improvisation, the band kept it moving with one of the most exciting pairings in the Grateful Dead catalog, “Help On The Way” and “Slipknot!”. The band eventually moved into a cover of The Band‘s “Life Is A Carnival”, after which the band took their first breather of the evening following an exciting opening hour of music.

After a short break, Almost Dead picked things back up with a touching take on Phil Lesh‘s “Box Of Rain”. After finishing the emotional number, the band launched into a jam that eventually wound its way into one of their best songs, “The Music Never Stopped”, during which Nicole Atkins emerged. This song has been a standout for the band nearly every time they’ve played it, and they delivered another top-notch version on this night.

Watch the jam in “The Music Never Stopped”, courtesy of nugs.tv.

Another favorite followed as the band jammed into a stunning version of “Eyes Of The World”, which eventually moved into “Dancing In The Streets”, which saw Atkins return to the stage. The band was surely on fire during “Dancing In The Streets”, harnessing the energy in the room brilliantly and providing a huge dance party for all at The Cap. The band took a quick time-out before turning in a remarkable “Truckin'” into that rocked The Cap to its core one more time before set two came to a close.

To kick off the third set, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead started off with a “Drums” segment that featured special guest Sunny Jain. The percussion segment then flowed into a feature for the Masada Horns. The horns led the band towards midnight, at which tons of balloons dropped and the band kicked right into a feel-good version of “Good Lovin'”. The band brought things to another level with their spot-on performance of the “Terrapin Suite”, a fitting way to start the new year. A heartfelt “Wharf Rat” followed, eventually flowing into a high-octane version of “Loose Lucy”. The band completed the third frame with a run through the beautiful “Sugar Magnolia” / “Sunshine Daydream” pairing.

For the encore, the band briefly took off their Grateful Dead hats and put on their Led Zeppelin hats, making a surprise appearance as their Bustle In Your Hedgerow counterparts with a lights-out performance of “Kashmir”, which once again saw Nicole Atkins join the band on vocals. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead then finished the show with a fun take on “One More Saturday Night”.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead take two weeks off before hitting the road for a quick run through the South in mid-January.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 12/31/2016

Set 1: New Orleans March > Reuben & Cherise > Not Fade Away > Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Life Is A Carnival

Set 2: Box of Rain > The Music Never Stopped* > Eyes Of The World > Dancing In The Streets*, Truckin

Set 3: Drums > Midnight Countdown > Good Lovin’ > Terrapin Suite, Wharf Rat > Loose Lucy, Sugar Magnolia/Sunshine Daydream

Encore: Kashmir*, One More Saturday Night

*With Nicole Atkins