Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Breaks Out Van Morrison Cover With Matt Trowbridge In Asbury Park

On Friday, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead made their third annual appearance at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The quintet welcomed guitarist Scott Metzger's RANA bandmate Matt Trowbridge to guide them on vocals through a rare cover of Van Morrison's “Caravan” during their second set.

The show in Asbury Park came in the middle of a three-show JRAD run that started on Thursday in Richmond, Virginia and concluded on Saturday in New Haven, Connecticut. Namesake drummer Joe Russo and bandmates Scott Metzger, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento and guitarist Tom Hamilton devoted the first 20 minutes of their latest visit to The Stone Pony Summer Stage to a “Fire On The Mountain” that began with an adventurous jam.

“Fire” gave way to a well-jammed “Bertha” before Metzger led the group on “Dark Hollow,” “I Need A Miracle” and “Cassidy.” The latter bled into “The Eleven,” which birthed a set closing take on The Allman Brothers Band instrumental “Hot ‘Lanta.”

JRAD rolled out “The Wheel” to get the second set underway. Teases of “Loser” and “Mountain Jam” were snuck in ahead of a transition into “Playing In The Band.” The 16-minute “Playin'” prefaced a Hamilton-sung “They Love Each Other.” Tommy also fronted the ensuing “Touch Of Grey” before trading vocals with Metzger on a wild “Jack Straw.”

Joe Russo shouted out the band’s home state of New Jersey after “Jack Straw,” and told the crowd “the beautiful part of playing a hometown show is we have friends in town.” Russo then brought out Trowbridge for JRAD’s first and only take on “Caravan” since the group debuted the Van Morrison cover on August 16, 2019 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Matt Trowbridge did a fantastic job singing the song best known for its appearance in The Band’s Last Waltz concert film.

The five-piece followed Trowbridge’s guest spot by going it alone for “Sugar Magnolia.” Joe Russo’s Almost Dead continued their “not encore” tradition by staying on stage before the “Summertime Blues” finale. Co-written and recorded by Eddie Cochran and famously covered by The Who, “Summertime Blues” had only been performed by JRAD once prior on June 21, 2024 in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead kicks off a string of June shows on June 10 at Avondale Brewing Company in Birmingham, Alabama. The quintet will then embark on a 13-show summer tour.

Livestream replays of the three-show run, including the concert in Asbury Park, are available for nugs subscribers. Scroll below for photos and Monica Hampton’s videos of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s performance at The Stone Pony Summer Stage: