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If we mess up, we just laugh and talk shit about each other. Nobody dies if you fuck up, so we're not afraid of trying things even if the end result is fucking up.
-Joe Russo
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G.R.A.B. SOME!
G.R.A.B. :: 06.17.06 :: Bonnaroo by Jeff Kravitz |
The Duo's new collaboration with Phish's Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio (commonly referred to by the acronym G.R.A.B. for their last names) was the stuff of irrational legend before they'd played a note. That's part of being sucked into the gravitational pull of the Phish thing, something they're both thankful and wary of. The freshly minted quartet does find The Duo putting a youthful cattle prod to their Phish elders, playing not like subordinates, but like equals.
"Marco and I are so excited to have the opportunity that we have. We don't want to let it go or fuck it up," offers Russo. "So when we go out there, we're gonna play a little bit harder than we normally do. The whole situation is making us all go out there and bleed a bit, coming with the full rock attack!"
Benevento/Russo Duo by Dino Perrucci |
"I think everyone was expecting us to sound like Phish Jr., playing Phish songs without Page and Fish, which would be ridiculous," continues Russo. "After Bonnaroo people realized we're trying to have our own identity. You have two guys from Phish in it and they're not going to change the way they play, so there are going to be aspects of Phish. As it goes on, people will realize we're not trying to be Phish."
Russo explains another factor that's helped to differentiate things, "The Duo is doing a set every night, opening up for a half hour. There's going to be a little bit of separation where everybody's identity is spoken for on this tour. We're already playing in dangerous waters where we might be labeled as 'The guys who played with Mike and Trey.' Once the opening set was added, it was fine. In the end, The Duo is our main priority. That's the music we love writing and performing. We're glad we get to show that to audiences every night."
Russo, Benevento, Gordon :: 12.29.04 by Robert Loud |
All of this attention is very sudden and happened from out of nowhere, Russo explains, "Me and Mike and Marco have been doing our thing. Trey was recording his new album in Brooklyn and invited us out to record a couple songs. We went in and it went from doing two tunes to recording at least an album's worth of material, whether improvising or trying out tunes, just hopping all over the place. In the end, we have four songs on the record as the quartet, and I play on two others. From that night, we started talking about doing secret shows at small places in New York. Then we got a call a week or two later, and this tour [with Phil Lesh & Friends] came out of nowhere."
One part of G.R.A.B.'s Bonnaroo debut that many commented on was the Phil Lesh guest spot. Russo says, "I met him once at the Jammys last year and then again just before we went on stage at Bonnaroo, and I was thinking, 'Man, that's a big dude' [laughs]. He definitely comes with that bigger-than-life presence. I was never really into the Grateful Dead, so it was weird playing these legendary songs. It was fun as hell, but I didn't know the endings to any of these songs! Since they're Dead songs, everyone assumes you know them. I'm going 'Oh fuck' and looking at Marco wondering how does this end! He told me after the show he didn't know what I was saying!"
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Joe Russo by Kevin Quinn |
Though they've practically copyrighted the word 'Duo' in only a few short years, Russo isn't entirely happy with the situation.
"It sucks, man. For so long I'd say, 'Never call us The Duo! It's the Benevento-Russo Duo,' though I fucking hate that name anyway. For the longest time, I'd insist we're A duo, not THE duo. But I think we're kind of stuck with it now," sighs Russo. "We were even talking about getting a real band name before this record came out. Eventually we said 'Fuck it, we're stuck with this piece of shit.' It's all because we never went through any of those early band-planning stages because we never thought we'd be a band. It was a matter of taking our last names and putting another word after them."
What about qualifying adjectives before the name?
"I've heard the Ambiguously Gay Duo. And, of course, I've now heard the Ambiguously TREY Duo. That's pretty fuckin' funny! We've had people go with dynamic," says Russo. I suggest if they go with the Batman reference on Halloween some year, they need the appropriate props. "Oh, I will not step on stage without a utility belt! I swear to you," laughs Russo. "It'd have a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, small bottles of alcohol."
When asked for some of the names they've considered besides 'The Duo' Russo says, "Nothing good ever came up. And if we're going to change our name at this point, it'd have to be to something fucking cool. At least we have the Italian thing going with our names!"
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