Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Releases More Official Audio From 2018 Brooklyn Bowl Run

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead shared a bonus Taper Thursdays installment today, as now recordings of all three of the band’s March 2018 Brooklyn Bowl shows have been unveiled. The latest official audio release features JRAD’s March 9 performance at the New York City venue where it all started for the quintet.

Keyboardist Marco Benevento, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton, bassist Dave Dreiwitz and drummer Joe Russo fit three debuts into the middle night of their most recent visit to Brooklyn Bowl. The first came at the end of the opening stanza, when Metzger channeled Ron “Pigpen” McKernan on Junior Parker’s “Next Time You See Me.”

Later in the night, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead finally performed “Peggy-O.” Tom Hamilton did a fantastic job of singing the traditional song. JRAD’s encore on March 9 consisted of their debut version of Bobby & Shirley Womack’s “It’s All Over Now.” Hamilton also handled vocals on the tune Bob Weir fronted during Grateful Dead performances.

The debuts were just one of the elements that made the concert so special. Almost Dead opened with an adventurous “Jam” > “Eyes Of The World” > “Dancing In The Street” segment that spanned over 45 minutes, while the band’s second set on March 9 featured the return of “Iko Iko” for the first time in 123 shows. Another highlight was a stretched out “Playing In The Band” that evolved into a keyboard solo from Marco in which Benevento inserted portions of Madonna’s “Borderline.”

Listen to the official recording of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s March 9, 2018 show at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City thanks to Peter Costello and Eric McRoberts:

Setlist (Compiled by Peter Costello)

Set One (9:27PM – 10:43PM): Jam -> Eyes Of The World @ -> Dancing In The Streets # > The Music Never Stopped > Tennessee Jed > Next Time You See Me $

Set Two (11:24PM – 1:00AM): Iko Iko %, Jam $$ -> Black Throated Wind -> Bertha > Feel Like A Stranger ^, Peggy – O &, Jam * -> Playing in The Band + -> Marco Solo @@

Encore: It’s All Over Now##

• @ – With a “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye) Tease (SM), a Marco Solo which evolved into a Marco / Tommy Duo & a DD Bass Solo
• # – With numerous “Becky” (Benevento Russo Duo) Teases & Jams (MB & JR, then Band)
• $ – Junior Parker cover (Sung by Pigpen when it was a part of the GD’s repertoire), First Time Played by Almost Dead, sung by SM
• % – Not Played by Almost Dead since 2015-02-16 Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO a gap of 123 shows. Preceded by a “Wild Thing” (Tone Loc) Tease (JR)
• $$ – With “Theme From A Symphony” (Ornette Coleman) Teases (DD)
• ^ – With “Sledgehammer” (Peter Gabriel) Teases (Band) and “Poison” (Bell Biv DeVoe) teases (JR)
• & – First Time Played by Almost Dead, sung by TH
• * – With a Dancing In The Streets Tease (Band) & maybe Dark Star Teases as well?
• + – With Terrapin Suite Teases (TH, MB & JR)
• @@ – With a “Borderline” (Madonna) Jam
• ## – Bobby Womack and Shirley Womack/Rolling Stones Cover, (Sung by Bob Weir when it was a part of the GD’s repertoire) First Time Played by Almost Dead, sung by TH, with a Cumberland Blues Tease (MB)