Full Show Audio: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead With Jeff Chimenti In NOLA Night 2

Last night, Grateful Dead tribute act Joe Russo’s Almost Dead played the second of two shows at The Joy Theater in New Orleans. Once again, Dead & Company’s Jeff Chimenti filled-in for regular keyboardist Marco Benevento for the show, an audience recording of which has surfaced and can be streamed below.

After a short intro, the quintet of Chimenti, drummer Joe Russo, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton and Dave Dreiwitz playing bass, dropped into “Big Railroad Blues” followed by an extended “Let It Grow” to begin the concert. The sold-out show also included a “St. Stephen” > “I Know You Rider” > “The Eleven” sequence that then touched on a “Let It Grow” motif ahead of the first set closing “Estimated Prophet” > “Deal” pairing.

JRAD opened the second half of Saturday’s performance with “China Cat Sunflower” which transitioned into “Bertha.” Metzger then led the take on “Easy Wind” featuring teases of “Dazed & Confused” by Led Zeppelin. Plenty of group improvisation was found within renditions of Dead standards “Eyes Of The World,” “New Minglewood Blues” and “Row Jimmy,” and the second set came to an end with the fitting “One More Saturday Night.” For the encore a Hamilton-sung “Brown-Eyed Women” served as the finale in NOLA.

Audio (Taped by BonoBeats)

Setlist (Compiled by Pete Costello)

Set One: Big Railroad Blues (TH) >Let it Grow (SM), St. Stephen (All) -> I Know You Rider (All) -> The Eleven @ (TH & JR) -> Let it Grow Jam -> Estimated Prophet (SM) -> Deal (TH)

Set Two: China Cat Sunflower (TH) -> Bertha (TH), Easy Wind (SM) # > Eyes Of The World (TH) -> New Minglewood Blues (SM) > Row Jimmy (TH), One More Sat Night (SM)

Encore: Brown-Eyed Women (TH)

Notes:

• Whole show with Jeff Chimenti on Keys. No Marco – he’s on tour with Dan Auerbach & The Arcs.
• @ – With Estimated Teases (TH)
• # – With “Dazed & Confused” (Led Zeppelin) teases & a “Jeff & Joe” Jam