Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Sets Up Camp With Two Debuts On First Of Three Nights In New Jersey [Video/Audio]

Drummer extraordinaire, Joe Russo, brought his five-piece band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, to The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ last night for the first of three shows. With each member’s standalone talents, JRAD is, inarguably, the best band to perform live Grateful Dead music in the modern time. JRAD performed in its traditional style with expansive jams and meandering segues that filled out the evening. The setlist appears short on paper but the music went well into the night due to the band’s style of opening and developing each tune.

The quintet consists of drummer Joe Russo, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboard virtuoso Marco Benevento, and Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton sharing guitar duties. Every member of the band contributes to the vocal harmonies but the two guitarists carry the bulk of the work.

Digging through Grateful Dead’s archives, JRAD opened the show with the Jerry Garcia composition, “Reuben and Cherise” for the first time in the band’s history. To follow, the group loaded a round of “Deep Elem Blues”—not played since 10/5/17, a 153 show bust-out—and fired off warnings to hold onto your money in a town of loose women and crooked cops. A long-winded run through “Playing in the Band” was highlighted by crisp chemistry between the group while Russo pushed the microphone away to hammer out a powerful percussive breakdown.

Next, JRAD plunged into the murky depths of legendary songwriter and member of The Highwaymen, Kris Kristofferson, to debut “Me & Bobby McGee”. The passionately sung lyrics reminded the audience that “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” After a lengthy instrumental introduction, the band climbed down into the mines of “Cumberland Blues” before closing out the first set with a festive rendition of “Shakedown Street”.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – “Me & Bobby McGee” (Kris Kristofferson) – 9/29/22

[Video: monihampton]

After set break gave patrons time to hit the bathrooms tucked away on the second floor and grab a refill, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead came back to open the second set with Chuck Berry’s “Around and Around”. The Grateful Dead first covered the song in 1970 and played it over 400 times by the time of Jerry Garcia’s tragic passing and subsequent dissolution of the band. “That’s It For the Other One” followed with “The Other One” bleeding into “Cryptical Envelopment” before washing ashore on an instrumental “Dark Star.”

The black hole concluded with the force of a supernova and in the ensuing silence, the slow and steady introduction of “Loser” surged like changing tides before a “China Cat Sunflower”-inspired transition skipped directly into “I Know You Rider”. The rhythm barreled down the tracks like a northbound train until dissolving into the jaunty, upbeat melody of “Sugar Magnolia” to close the second set.

JRAD returned to the stage for the final time of the evening for a lone encore debut of “I Shall Be Released”, the band’s falsetto harmonies replicating The Band’s rendition of the Bob Dylan-penned composition.

With two more nights ahead over the weekend, this band performs a show that is cannot miss for loyal local Deadheads. True to the sound and its art, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead captures a feeling that many fear to be gone—especially in the days following Dead & Company’s announcement of their upcoming 2023 Final Tour. Be there or be square.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – The Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ – 9/29/22

Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | The Wellmont Theater | Montclair, NJ | 9/29/22

Set One (8:15PM – 9:39PM): Jam @ -> Ruben & Cherise -> Deep Elem Blues #, Playing In The Band, Me & Bobby Mcgee $, Cumberland Blues % -> Shakedown Street ^

Set Two (10:10PM – 11:31PM): Around & Around & -> The Other One * -> Cryptical Envelopment + -> Dark Star Jam -> Loser > I Know You Rider > Sugar Magnolia > Sunshine Daydream

Encore: I Shall Be Released @@

@ – With a “Radiohead Feel”
# – Not Played by Almost Dead since 2017-10-05 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY, a gap of 153 shows, TH lead Vox, instead of traded verses like they had done prior, with a “Fat Mama” (Herbie Hancock) Tease (MB)
$ – First time played by Almost Dead, Kris Kristofferson Cover, SM lead Vocal
% – With a “Shortnin’ Bread” (James Whitcomb Riley) Teases (MB)
^ – With a Feel Like A Stranger Tease (TH) and a “Bathtub Gin” Esque (Phish) Jam
& – With a Here Comes Sunshine Tease (Band)
* – With an “Aqualung” (Jethro Tull) Tease (TH), and a MB/TH Duo
+ – Part Two only, Not Played by Almost Dead since 2019-03-16 Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland, OH, a gap of 86 shows
@@ – First time played by Almost Dead, Bob Dylan Cover, TH lead Vocal
Pre Show Music & Set Break Music: Costello’s Early Springsteen Playlist
Walk Out Music: “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio