Joe Russo’s Almost Dead & Alecia Chakour Team Up For ‘Georgia (On My Mind)’ & Other Cover Debuts In Atlanta

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead brought out Tedeschi Trucks Band vocalist Alecia Chakour for a pair of collaborative cover debuts and more on Saturday night in Atlanta. Chakour emerged at the end of the first set at The Eastern and returned to lead the band during the encore.

Chakour was brought onstage for the penultimate song of the first set, which was JRAD’s first time performing the Ike & Tina Turner classic, “River Deep – Mountain High.” Chakour stuck around for the subsequent “Good Lovin’” that served as the second set closer.

The encore featured another JRAD debut as Chakour helmed a premiere performance of the location-appropriate “Georgia (On My Mind).” The version of the song recorded by Ray Charles was named the official song of the state of Georgia. The night ended with Chakour helping out on the Marvin Gaye song popularized by The Band, “Baby Don’t You Do It.”

The debuts with Chakour were not the only new covers played for the first time by JRAD on Saturday night. In the middle of the second set, guitarist Scott Metzger led the band through their first public offering of ZZ Top’s “Waitin’ For The Bus.”

Earlier in the evening, the show began with Grateful Dead rarity “My Brother Esau” and the traditional “Peggy-O,” which were followed by an expansive sequence stringing together Truckin’,” “Shakedown Street” and “They Love Each Other,” ahead of Chakour’s first appearance.

The second set kicked off with jam-heavy versions of “Here Comes Sunshine,” “The Other One” and “St. Stephen.” The ZZ Top cover came next, followed by “Candyman” and “Let It Grow.” Scroll on for audience-recorded video and audio of Saturday’s JRAD concert in ATL.

Video Recorded by Joe Wiseman

Audio Taped by Jeff Travitz

Setlist (via Almost-Dead.net)

Set One: My Brother Esau, Peggy-O, Truckin’ -> Shakedown Street -> They Love Each Other -> River Deep — Mountain High [1][2] > Good Lovin’ [1]

Set Two: Here Comes Sunshine -> The Other One > St. Stephen, Waitin’ For The Bus [3]-> Candyman, Let It Grow

Encore: Georgia on My Mind [1][4] > Baby Don’t You Do It [1]

Notes:

• [1] with Alecia Chakour
• [2] debut, Ike & Tina Turner
• [3] debut, ZZ Top
• [4] debut, Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell