Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Shares Recording Of Oakland Show Featuring Bob Weir Guest Spot

On November 12 Grateful Dead tribute act Joe Russo’s Almost Dead played the Fox Theater in Oakland, where they were joined by Bob Weir for a portion of a bonus acoustic set. An official soundboard matrix recording of the entire show has surfaced thanks to the band’s Taper Tuesdays series and can be streamed below.

Drummer Joe Russo, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton, keyboardist Marco Benevento and bassist Dave Drewitz started the Oakland show with an electric first set that included a wild “Help On The Way” > “The Music Never Stopped” sequence and beautiful “The Wheel” > “Jack Straw.” The band then utilized a stripped down acoustic setup for a five-song unplugged performance. After kicking off the acoustic section with “It Must Have Been The Roses,” JRAD brought out Bob Weir for takes on “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Black Throated Wind,” “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and “Cassidy.” Almost Dead finished their visit to Oakland with a second electric set, which was highlighted by a lengthy “Eyes Of The World” and adventurous “Throwing Stones” ahead of a “One More Saturday Night” encore.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead plays the House Of Blues in Boston on Friday night.

Full Show Audio (Taped by Peter Costello/Transfered by Eric McRoberts)

Setlist

Set One (8:00PM – 10:13PM): Jam -> Good Lovin’ (SM) -> Cumberland Blues (All) -> Help On The Way (TH) @ -> Slipknot! -> Music Never Stopped (SM), He’s Gone (TH) > The Wheel # (All) > Jackstraw $ (SM & TH)

Acoustic Set ^ (No Set Break): Must Have Been The Roses % (TH), Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall + (BW), Black Throated Wind + (BW), When I Paint My Masterpiece + (BW), Cassidy + (BW) -> Let It Grow Jam + -> Cassidy + (BW)

Set Two (10:33PM – 11:59PM): King Solomon’s Marbles, Row Jimmy (TH), Estimated Prophet (SM) -> Uncle John’s Band (All), Eyes Of The World && (TH) -> Jam *-> Throwing Stones (SM) -> Deal Jam & -> Throwing Stones (SM) -> Hey Bulldog Jam ^ -> Throwing Stones (SM)

Encore: One More Saturday Night (SM)

• @ – Proceeded by an emphatic “Shakedown Street” Tease
• # – With an “Head Over Heels” (Tears for Fears) Tease (MB)
• $ – During the jam before the final “We can share the women…” lyrics, the stage was transformed seamlessly for the acoustic set. MB’s piano was moved (while he was still playing it), a small kit for Joe rolled out on a riser, mics & stools were placed for SM, TH & BW.
• ^ – All songs with MB on Upright Piano & Vocals, TH & SM on Acoustic Guitars & Vocals, DD on Upright Bass & JR on 3 piece kit – Kick, Snare & Hi Hat – & Vocals.
• % – Almost Dead only
• + – With Bob Weir on Acoustic Guitar & Vocals as indicated
• && – With a DD Bass Solo & an MB piano solo
• * – Contained elements of Throwing Stones
• & – First Time Played By Almost Dead
• ^ – Beatles cover, first Time Played By Almost Dead as an instrumental. (The full song was played on 2016.07.02.)