Benevento Russo Duo Make Brooklyn Bowl Debut – Photos, Video & Setlist

Images by: Adam McCullough

Last night drummer Joe Russo and keyboardist Marco Benevento made their Benevento/Russo Duo debut at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City. The Freaks Ball XVII show also included an opening set by WOLF! featuring Scott Metzger, marking the guitarist’s 15th straight Freaks Ball appearance.

The Duo followed WOLF! with a main set filled with their instrumental originals. “Best Reason To Buy The Sun” off their 2006 LP Play Pause Stop opened the set, followed by “Sunny’s Song” off their 2005 album Best Reason To Buy The Sun. A couple songs later, Russo picked up a guitar to bust out a performance of the Play Pause Stop track “Powder,” which the pair purportedly last played in 2006.

Marco worked in teases of “25 Or 6 To 4” by Chicago during “Becky” and he incorporated elements of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” within “Scratchitti.” The set concluded with “Hate Frame” and “My Pet Goat,” and for the encore Joe and Marco returned for a take on “Play Pause Stop” bringing the Freaks Ball to an end. Official video footage of “Best Reason To Buy The Sun” via nugs.tv is below, followed by a gallery of photos by Adam McCullough:

Setlist (compiled by Pete Costello)

Set: Best Reason To Buy The Sun, Sunny’s Song, 9X9, Soba, Powder @, Walking, Running, Viking, Welcome Red, Becky #, Scratchitti $ > Something For Rockets, Hate Frame, My Pet Goat

Encore: Play, Pause, Stop

Notes:

• @ – First Time Played since Fall 2006, Joe on Guitar
• #- With a “25 or 6 to 4” (Chicago) Tease (MB)
• $ – With a “Tom Sawyer” (Rush) Tease (MB)