Photos by Marc Millman
Last night, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead returned to Brooklyn Bowl in New York City for the first time since a 2019 benefit to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The band played their first show at the same venue on Jan. 26, 2013, as part of the Freak’s Ball and in celebration of the milestone, the Grateful Dead cover band was surprised by Bob Weir during the first set.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead kicked off their celebration of 10 years as a band–though they’ve been making music with one another for much longer–with a jam of “Tennessee Jed” and “Till the Morning Comes.” Then to the surprise of everyone on stage and in the crowd, Weir stepped out to shred and sing on “Jack Straw” and “The Music Never Stopped.” They closed the frame with “Let It Grow.”
After a short break and what was sheer backstage elation, Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Scott Metzger and Dave Dreiwitz returned and cut into a funk-fueled “Shakedown Street.” They continued with a pairing of “Truckin’” > Cannon’s Jug Stompers’ “Viola Lee Blues.” Then, they played yet another pristine Grateful Dead cover, this time of “Althea.” To further separate the show from the rest, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead shared the debut of Led Zeppelin’s “Ten Years Gone,” a song appropriate not only because of its title and lyrics but also the night before their first show together all those days ago the ensemble performed the first night of the Freak’s Ball with their Led Zeppelin cover project, Bustle in Your Hedgerow.
The frame was rounded out with a jam of “The Other One,” during which Russo’s friend and collaborator Stuart Bogie stepped on stage to add his masterful saxophone on a bust out of Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times,” which was last played in 2019. Without pause, the ensemble, with the help of Bogie, flowed into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” Before they closed the set by melding the Pink Floyd classic with one more favorite from the Grateful Dead’s songbook, “Terrapin Station.”
After taking it all in, Russo spoke to the crowd, expressing his thanks. He said, “Two weeks ago today 10 years ago, was people trying to convince me to play Grateful Dead songs with these guys at a party at the Freaks Ball. I thought it was a terrible idea. Aaron Stein and Pete Costello said, ‘just take Bustle and play Grateful Dead.’ That’s now how it works! We came up with a dumb name, and here we are,” Russo concluded before thanking all the people who made Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s first 10 years a reality before encoring with Bob Dylan’s classic “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.”
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead will continue the celebration of their 10 years together with a run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. Enjoy the shows from home with Fans.Live here.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
The Brooklyn Bowl – New York City
Jan. 26, 2023
Set I: Tennessee Jed, Till the Morning Comes, Jack Straw (with Bob Weir), The Music Never Stopped (with Bob Weir), Let It Grow
Set II: Shakedown Street, Truckin’ > Viola Lee Blues, Althea, Ten Years Gone, The Other One > How Many More Times (with Stuart Bogie) > Breathe (with Stuart Bogie) > Terrapin Station (with Stuart Bogie)
Enc.: Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
