Joe Russo’s Almost Dead will livestream its three-night homecoming to The Capitol Theatre this weekend. The shows on Friday, January 16th; Saturday, January 17th; and Sunday, January 18th, will air live on nugs.
These concerts will mark the Grateful Dead tribute act’s first shows of 2026, and the latest in a years-long tradition of Capitol Theatre runs. With last year’s trio of shows, The Cap overtook Brooklyn Bowl as JRAD’s most-played venue. By the end of this weekend, the band will have logged 35 concerts at The Capitol Theatre.
This run also comes on the heels of Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir‘s death last week at the age of 78. In addition to performing Weir’s music, members of the band forged personal connections with the jam band godfather.
Related: The Many Faces Of The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir [Feature]
“I came into Bob and Phil’s orbit not knowing much about the Grateful Dead,” drummer Joe Russo, who played between Bob and Phil Lesh in Furthur, shared after Weir passed. “What I thought I knew, through casual high school hearsay, was that Bob was some sort of weak link in a band led by Jerry Garcia and Phil. That he was some young hippie just along for the ride. What I quickly realized was that he was an absolute genius and a master of his craft. He played guitar and interpreted rhythm and chord structure in a way nobody else ever has. The way he found space between Jerry and Phil was a thing of beauty. The moment I realized that, I was awestruck. It was like hearing someone speak a language you’ve never heard before with absolute fluency and beauty.”
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and Bob Weir had a few memorable collaborations over the years. Perhaps the most iconic was Weir’s “sit-in” with JRAD at LOCKN’, when the festival’s trademark rotating stage revealed Bobby on the other side, lounging on a couch and reading. Weir also surprised the band in 2023 during its tenth birthday party at Brooklyn Bowl, the room where JRAD began.
“Later on, having him join us with JRAD, rather than being his hired gun, really meant everything to me,” Russo continued. “His generosity of time, his wry and whimsical spirit, playing with us, laughing about how fast and loud we were, always being such a good sport about it… it was incredible. The way he immediately jumped right in, with literally ZERO hesitation. …He didn’t need to do any of that. It was like getting an ‘I love you’ from a parent who had never quite said it before. Him being there, celebrating what we were doing, with HIS music will always mean so much. I think it filled a hole in my heart and a space in our relationship that I didn’t even realize was there.”
Livestream Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at The Capitol Theatre this weekend on nugs. Not subscribed yet? Start streaming here. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]
For those looking to brave the cold and catch the shows in person, JRAD partnered with CashorTrade to drop a small number of face-value tickets. Check for tickets here.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead — “Eyes Of The World” — LOCKN’ — 8/22/2019
[Video: monihampton]