Chris Harford Helps Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Wrap Brooklyn Bowl Run

New York City’s Brooklyn Bowl hosted the third and final show of a three-night run by Grateful Dead tribute act Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on Saturday night. The collective once again welcomed a special guest guitarist and offered up an acoustic moment to help conclude Fall Ball II.

A jam through “Blues For Allah” set the tone for the first set, which remained all electric – unlike the previous pair of shows that had seen acoustic mini sets on a separate stage built over the venue’s bowling lanes. “Eyes Of The World” was then explored followed by other Dead staples “New Minglewood Blues,” “The Wheel,” “Ramble On Rose” and Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.” The first set drew to a close with a rendition of “Morning Dew.”

A cover of Donna Hathaway’s Jerry Garcia Band Cats Under The Stars outtake “Magnificent Sanctuary Band” came mid-way into the second set that opened with “Crazy Fingers” and “Truckin.’” A sequence of “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Estimated Prophet” followed. The group then welcomed guitarist Chris Harford to the stage. JRAD’s drummer Joe Russo, bassist Dave Dreiwitz and guitarist Scott Metzger have participated in Harford’s Band Of Changes and he joined in on a second set closing version of Neil Young’s “Hippie Dream.”

The five members of JRAD huddled together as Marco Benevento played accordion on an acoustic take on Bob Dylan’s “He Was a Friend of Mine” to start the encore. The band then plugged in for an electrified “Not Fade Away” and left the stage only to return for a take on “Bertha” to put a final frame on the run. Watch the opening “Blues For Allah” > “Eyes Of The World” and “Crazy Fingers” from Saturday’s nugs.tv webcast, followed by audience-shot footage in the videos below:

[Blues For Allah > Eyes Of The World]

[Crazy Fingers]

[He Was A Friend Of Mine | Captured by TimeZonerTV]