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Joey is definitely part robot. That dude can play things that no normal human would even think of. But for all of his technical ability, he always breaks it down and plays the song. That's the highest compliment I can give a drummer. He's not playing some pre-rehearsed beat with hot, flashy fills. He's playing a song, and we can all tell the difference. -Scott Metzger |
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Photo by: Jay Blakesberg
 Joe Russo by Sam Friedman |
Benevento added, "[Working on other projects is] really good for inspiration. Joe has been inspired by playing with Tommy and Scott Metzger in American Babies and he's learning about music in a different way, doing other stuff and interacting with other folks. And it's the same thing with me. I'm playing with different drummers and bass players, writing different music, going on tour and experimenting. The other day we went to rehearsal and talked about what we wanted to do with all of the song ideas that have been brewing. Anything Joe picked up from American Babies, he's going to take that into our rehearsal space, just like I'm bringing in more experimental stuff, like the toys and samples and loops. We're combining our inspirations [and] it definitely shows."
As Russo sipped on his coffee, talking about the negative repercussions that came from being affiliated with Phish, Marc Friedman, bassist for The Slip and Mr. Davis, knocked on the glass window to let Joe know it was time for his sound check. Before he left, a post-performance interview was arranged. "I don't want to end this on such a sour note," he said.
From backstage, while Davis rocked a sold out house, Russo's narrative took a strikingly more positive tone than our previous conversation.
"The vibe with me and Marco now is so on-the-same-page," he says. "It took a while to get back there, but we're so happy to be back there, [to where] it's effortless and fun. We had a four-man crew for a band with two guys and so much bullshit. Now, it's just me and Marco in the van, loading our own shit and enjoying it. No tour manager. We got rid of everything. We're in control of what we want to do. We've got a booking agent who helps us out, but other than that we deal with all the dumb, day-to-day shit. But, we know it's getting done. We are fully involved and happy to do it."
The more Russo talked about where The Duo is today, the more apparent it became that their time off will effect where they take things in the future.
 Russo & Benevento by Sam Friedman |
"American Babies was like my away time," Russo says. "It was a cleansing of the palette. I learned a lot from that gig. I'd always played a certain type of music a certain type of way. I would say years ago [my playing was] extremely bombastic, a little naive, and a little overwhelming at times. [What I discovered] playing with guys like Chris Hartford, Tommy and Aaron [Freeman] [aka Gene Ween] is that the ego gets removed from the drumming. You're there to support the singer and the song, and I've found such a wonderful bliss through that. I feel whole now. I can go out with Marco and do this crazy thing, or I can play with Aaron or Tommy and I can sit there and play something so simple it makes a song beautiful."
Scott Metzger (guitar) of American Babies, as well as RANA fame, spoke of Russo's newfound sense of instrumental modesty.
"Besides that weird carnival freak, arms behind the back stretch that he does, what sets him apart from other drummers I've played with is the taste factor," says Metzger. "Joey is definitely part robot. That dude can play things that no normal human would even think of. But for all of his technical ability, he always breaks it down and plays the song. That's the highest compliment I can give a drummer. He's not playing some pre-rehearsed beat with hot, flashy fills. He's playing a song, and we can all tell the difference."
The lessons learned by Russo range well beyond the stage, too.
 Joe Russo by Josh Miller |
"If I'm bitching that I have a bill to pay, I try to be thankful [about the fact] that I have a place to live. Just bringing it down to the simplest thing, and on top, I have this gravy of being able to play music for a living. It's like I'm a complete asshole if I'm bitching about anything," Russo says.
Looking forward, Russo says 2009 will see the return of the Benevento/Russo Duo in a big way. Both halves of The Duo have been working on material for a third album, and Russo said they're hoping not to do any outside gigs in March and "just write for the whole month, and come back to this Duo thing with a new attitude."
As for the change in attitude, the adjustments couldn't be clearer.
"The last four years, I feel like I've grown up a lot in every way - personally, emotionally, spiritually and musically. I've tried to be more positive, which is something I need to credit Marco with. That guy always has a smile on his face, and it's infectious if you want it to be. And for a long time I fought it, and now I'm in a place where it can be that easy. Everything is simple," offers Russo reflectively. "As long as you've got your family, your health and the gift to play music - which I took very much for granted - I realize I'm the luckiest guy in the world, and I try to acknowledge that every day and not let any of the bullshit get in the way."
Joe Russo will perform with his Quartet on 2/13 at NYC's Sullivan Hall and with A Big Yes... and a small no on 2/20 at Union Hall. Also look for him on tour with Gene Ween Band starting this week. Complete Russo tour dates available here.
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