Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Plays First Of Two At The Fillmore In Philadelphia

Last night Joe Russo’s Almost Dead pulled into the City of Brotherly Love to play their first of two sold out shows at the The Fillmore Philadelphia. The five piece act once again served up two sets of their turbo-changed take on the music the Grateful Dead at the Bill Graham-inspired venue.

Drummer Joe Russo, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton, keyboardist Marco Benevento and bassist Dave Dreiwitz began the night with a beautiful open-ended jam, which eventually found its way into a Metzger-led take on the Bob Weir solo tune “Gonesville.” The stand out take on cowboy song from Blue Mountain segued into JRAD’s second ever take on Jerry Garcia Band’s “Cats Under The Stars,” which was debuted earlier this month at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California.

Metzger once again stepped up to the mic to do his best Bobby on a “Throwing Stones” that featured a spacey and at times ethereal jam that built to a crescendo before returning back to earth as they finished off the In The Dark track. Hamilton slowed things down a bit next delivering a tender take on “Must Have Been The Roses.” Joe Russo got to show off his vocal styling as he sang lead on Phil Lesh’s ode to his father “Box Of Rain,” with a stand alone “Saint Of Circumstance” bringing the first set to a close.

The band kicked off their second set of the night with “Dancing In The Streets.” The jam in the middle of the Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Motown classic featured a bass solo from Dave Dreiwitz before the JRAD capped it with a “Dancing Reprise.” “Uncle John’s Band” followed which led into the complex Blues For Allah cut “King Solomon’s Marbles.” The winding, rhythmic jazzy instrumental track saw the quintet once again delve into interstellar territory with a psychedelic “Space” jam before returning back for a “King Solomon’s Marbles Reprise.”

The band’s first “Black Peter” in nearly two years came next as it segued into a must-hear version of “The Other One.” The acid-drenched take on the tune featured a keyboard solo from Marco Benevento and a high-energy jam. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead closed out the set with a brief jam on “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” before it plunged head first into a spirited “I Know You Rider,” with “Touch Of Grey” bringing the night to an end in the encore slot.

Watch pro and fan shot video and check out the full setlist below:

[Jam > Gonesville]

[Dancing In The Streets]

[Cats Under The Stars | Captured by monihampton]

[Throwing Stones | Captured by monihampton]

Setlist (Compiled by Peter Costello)

Set One (9:13pm – 10:31pm): Jam -> Gonesville > Cats Under The Stars > Throwing Stones, Must Have Been The Roses > Box Of Rain > Saint Of Circumstance

Set Two (11:02pm – 12:39am): Dancing In The Streets # -> Jam -> Dancing In The Streets Reprise -> Uncle John’s Band $ > King Solomon’s Marbles -> Space -> King Solomon’s Marbles Reprise -> Black Peter & -> The Other One % > GDTRFB Jam -> I Know You Rider ^

ENC: Touch Of Grey

# – With a DD Bass Solo, $ – With an Unknown Tease (TH), & – Not played since 2015-11-28 Paradise Rock Club, a gap of 76 shows (Hat Tip – Stefanie Clarke), % – With a Marco Solo, ^ – With a Morning Dew Tease (TH)