Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Brings Midwest Run To A Close In Madison

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead took their show on a road for their first multi-city tour of the year playing four shows in four nights across the Midwest. On Sunday night the five-piece band wrapped up the run with a sold-out show at the historic 1,700-capacity Orpheum Theatre in Madison, WI.

The Grateful Dead tribute act wasted no time getting things going as they dove head first into “Althea,” as guitarist Tom Hamilton led them through a fiery take on the Go To Heaven track. Scott Metzger stepped up next to deliver “Gonesville” from Bob Weir’s 2016 collection of cowboy tunes Blue Mountain. JRAD kept the Americana vibes going as the Weir solo track segued straight into “Cumberland Blues.” A soulful version “Row Jimmy” followed with Hamilton and Metzger swapping verses of “Jack Straw” next with the rollicking barroom rocker “Tennessee Jed” bringing their first frame of the night to close.

The quintet focussed the energies on a number of the Dead’s more winding and musically complex numbers for final set in the Badger State sticking to mostly songs from their mid-70s output. Metzger led the charge out of the gate with “Let It Grow.” The Wake Of The Flood tune led straight into the lyrically dense “Crazy Fingers” as Hamilton and keyboard Marco Benevento got to show off their jazzy side throughout. “Estimated Prophet” and it’s familiar funky guitar lines followed with the band next diving into the full “Terrapin Station Suite.” Joe Russo’s Almost Dead brought their set to a close with a powerful version of “Morning Dew” before finishing off the night with the Sunday staple “Samson & Delilah.”

Watch pro-shot video of the opener from each set and check out the full setlist below:

[Althea]

[Let It Grow]