It is largely acknowledged that Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is one the most exciting Grateful Dead ensembles on the scene currently. The group led by Joe Russo has been providing some of the most refreshing takes on the catalog of the Dead, with the ensemble not shying away from putting their own twists on the music and even crafting their own originals. Yesterday, for the 41st installation of Taper Tuesday’s, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead shared the soundboard of a very special show from December 28th, 2016, where the group performed an intimate acoustic set at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn, New York under the alias “Data Models” (which is an anagram for “Almost Dead”).
The acoustic “Data Models” show was the 92nd show by Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and the performance was free and open to the public. The show’s notes speculate that while the performance area at Threes Brewing holds around sixty people, “there were probably 75 or so there.” Those who did make it to the intimate “secret” show were certainly in for a treat. The Data Models performance was unique both in set-up and in format. For the entire show, Marco Benevento performed on an upright piano, while Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger played on acoustic guitars through amps. Dave Dreiwitz was featured on the upright bass, and Joe Russo had a stripped down kit with only a kick, snare, high-hat, and one cymbal.
To start off the performance, each member of the band requested one song for the group to play moving from stage right to stage left — Marco requested “I Know You Rider,” Tommy requested “Loser,” Scott requested “Casey Jones,” Dave requested “Viola Lee Blues,” and Joe requested “Estimated Prophet.” From there, “Estimated Prophet” segued into a string of songs including “Reuben and Cherise,” “Let It Grow” (which saw the group alternate and weave between “Terrapin” and the former), and “Ramble on Rose.” With the performance ringing in at upwards of two-and-a-half hours, the latter part of the set was jammed through to the end without breaks, with the opening jam (opening with Benevento solo on the keys and teasing Wham’s “Careless Whisper” among others) morphing through an “Uncle John’s Band” jam before landing in “The Wheel.” The group finally settled into a full vocal “Uncle John’s Band” following “The Wheel,” moving through “Crazy Fingers” and “Truckin'” ahead of the closing “Born Cross Eyed” jam.
It’s certainly a treat to listen to this special Almost Dead/Data Models “secret” performance, which shows the group playing just for kicks. The acoustic format is rarely heard on the road, with this show housing the acoustic debuts of pretty much the entire setlist minus “Uncle John’s Band” (which the show’s notes state was played in an acoustic format two months prior to the performance on October 6th). You can listen to the show for yourself below, courtesy of Peter Costello and Eric McRoberts, and keep your fingers crossed for a Data Models comeback in the future!
Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (Data Models acoustic set) | Threes Brewing | Brooklyn, NY | 12/28/2016
One Set (~8:15PM – ~10:45PM?): I Know You Rider @ (All – requested by MB), Loser (TH – requested by TH), Casey Jones (TH – requested by SM), Viola Lee Blues (All – requested by DD), Estimated Prophet # (SM – requested by JR) -> Ruben & Cherise (TH) -> Let It Grow $ (SM) -> Jam % -> “Let Terrapin Grow” Jam ^ ->Let It Grow Reprise & (SM) -> Ramble On Rose (TH), Jam * -> Uncle John’s Band Jam +! -> The Wheel ! (All) -> Uncle John’s Band ! (All) -> Crazy Fingers (TH) -> Truckin’ @@ (SM) -> Born Cross Eyed Jam
Encore: Brown Eyed Women
Notes:
@ – With an “LA Woman” (The Doors) Tease (MB)
# – With Terrapin Station & Ruben & Cherise Teases (Band)
$ – With a “Becky” (Benevento Russo Duo) Tease (JR)
% – With multiple teases/themes, including “Careless Whisper” (Wham) & On The Road Again from Marco, Terrapin Station & Let It Grow Teases (Band)
^ – Basically the band weaved the 2 songs together & went back & forth between them
& – Not played since North Coast Festival 2015-9-4, a gap of 48 shows, with a Terrapin Tease (TH)
* – With a tease of an American Babies Tune from their first album – will ask TH the title
+ – First Time Played by Almost Dead
! – This was basically a mash up of the 2 songs, sometimes with the band playing both tunes simultaneously, if that makes sense
@@ – Contained multiple Other One Teases & Jams (Band)