Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Offers Jam-Heavy Start To Philly Run [Videos]

Following the Thanksgiving break, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead kicked off a two-night stand at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last night, with the group returning to the renowned venue again tonight. The beloved act led by Joe Russo offered up one of their characteristic high-octane performance re-imagining the tunes of the Grateful Dead, with last night’s show focusing heavily on showing off the group’s immense improvisational talents.

The show opened with a rumbling opening jam that eventually made its way into the Bob Weir tune “Gonesville”, which was debuted by the band earlier in April, and then into the Jerry Garcia Band beloved title track “Cats Under The Stars”. Perhaps riffing off of Dead & Company’s performance of “Throwing Stones” on Wednesday night in Washington D.C., the band then offered up a stellar rendition of another Bob Weir tune “Throwing Stones” to close out the non-stop sequence that opened set one. To close out the set, the band offered up yet another non-stop sequence, this time opening with the slower “Must Have Been The Roses” ahead of “Box of Rain” and “Saint Of Circumstance”.

Jam > “Gonesville”

“Cats Under The Stars”

[Video: monihampton]

“Throwing Stones”

[Video: monihampton]

For set two, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead returned with “Dancing In The Streets”, marking a particularly spirited and jam-oriented start to the set, which heavily showcased Dave Dreiwitz on bass. From there, the group segued into “Uncle John’s Band” and then “King Solomon’s Marbles”, the latter containing a particularly exploratory “Space” section ahead of the song’s reprise. Without missing a step, the band next offered “Black Peter”, a tune which Joe Russo’s Almost Dead hadn’t performed since Thanksgiving weekend in 2015—marking a gap of 76 shows. Accelerating to the finish line, the group offered up “The Other One” housing a “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” jam, which eventually landed into “I Know You Rider”. To close out the night in full, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead offered up the classic “Touch Of Grey”.

“Dancing In The Streets”

Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | The Fillmore | Philadelphia, PA | 11/24/2017

Set One: Jam -> Gonesville > Cats Under The Stars > Throwing Stones, Must Have Been The Roses > Box Of Rain > Saint Of Circumstance