Full Show Audio: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Begins Pacific Northwest Run In Seattle

On Friday night Joe Russo’s Almost Dead began a short three-show Pacific Northwest swing at The Showbox in Seattle, Washington. The five-piece band served up two sets of their unbridled take on the music of the Grateful Dead at the historic 1,100-capacity venue.

Drummer Joe Russo, keyboardist Marco Benevento, bassist Dave Dreiwitz and guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton started their night in the Emerald City with a beautiful psychedelic-tinged jam which eventually melted into “Foolish Heart.” The latter-day Dead tune from the band’s final studio album slammed straight into a fiery Metzger-led take on “New Minglewood Blues.” JRAD then dipped into the Jerry Garcia Band catalog for “Cats Under The Stars” before reaching for the Bob Dylan deep cut “Tell Me, Mamma.” The raw and raucous tune that was exclusively played on Dylan’s 1966 World Tour saw Benevento lay down a gorgeous piano solo in its midst.

“Loser” allowed the band to play with tension and release as the Americana rocker led into a set-closing take on “Feel Like A Stranger.” Friday night’s “Stranger” featured distinctive teases of The Beatles’ “Hey Bulldog,” “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter Group and a nod to Seattle’s own Jimi Hendrix with “Voodoo Chile.”

A short “Drums” jam opened up the quintet’s second frame of the night before JRAD officially got things going with “Man Smart, Woman Smarter.” The calypso song that was originally made famous by Harry Belafonte transitioned into a pair of songs that had their roots in the Dead’s psychedelic ballroom days. First up was “China Cat Sunflower” which segued into “Viola Lee Blues.” The prison song featured some delicate deep space noodling before it was brought back to a wild high-energy peak. An open-ended “Jam” followed that found Russo & Co. nodding to their surroundings by dropping in multiple teases of Soundgarden’s “Spoonman.” The traditional folk tune “I Know Rider,” another freeform “Jam” and “Let It Grow” brought the set to a close with “Touch Of Grey” occupying the encore slot.

Listen to full show audio and watch fan-video captured by a free man in america below:

Audio | Taped by John Hermsen

[Cats Under The Stars]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATa8VyctO4s

[Feel Like A Stranger > Frankenstein Jam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZmINa-WUE4

Setlist | Compiled by Peter Costello

Set One (9:08PM – 10:27PM): Jam -> Foolish Heart -> New Minglewood Blues, Cats Under The Stars -> Tell Me Mama @ > Loser > Feel Like A Stranger #

Set Two (10:35PM – 12:24AM): Drums -> Man Smart, Woman Smarter -> China Cat Sunflower $ -> Viola Lee Blues % -> Jam ^ -> I Know You Rider -> Jam & -> Let It Grow *

Encore: Touch Of Grey

@ – With A Marco Solo, # – With a “Hey Bulldog” (The Beatles), “Frankenstein” (Edgar Winter Group) and “Voodoo Chile” (Jimi Hendrix) Jams & Teases (Band), $ – With a “Hey Bulldog” (The Beatles) Tease (Band), % – With a China Cat Sunflower Jam (Band). ^ – With a “Rock and Roll” (Led Zeppelin) Tease (JR), multiple “Spoonman” (Soundgarden) Teases (TH, JR, Band), + – With multiple “Spoonman” (Soundgarden) Teases (TH, JR, Band). & – With a Let It Grow Tease (JR), * – With “Smooth Operator” (Sade) Teases (MB & TH)