Video | Joe Russos Almost Dead At Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Yesterday saw the Bay Area debut of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at the final day of this year’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. JRAD, which features guitarists Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento and drummer Joe Russo, showed off their intense, high-energy tribute to the Grateful Dead with a 75-minute set that closed out the action at the Arrow Stage.

The band opened up with an “Alligator” that saw Metzger handle vocals and then moved on to an expansive “Scarlet” > “Fire” pairing. The 35-minute opening sequence was followed by a potent and exploratory “St. Stephen” that eventually wound its way into “I Know You Rider.” Joe Russo’s Almost Dead then brought their first-ever Bay Area performance to a close with a triumphant “Terrapin Station.”

JRAD’s set from HSB was broadcast live and has been captured for our viewing and listening pleasure:

Set: Alligator > Scarlet > Fire, St. Stephen > I Know You Rider, Terrapin Station

Russo, Metzger, Benevento and Dreiwitz headed to Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael to perform their Bustle In Your Hedgerow tribute to Led Zeppelin on Sunday night.