Joe Russo’s Almost Dead returned to Red Rocks Amphitheatre over the weekend for the band’s annual run, where the Grateful Dead tribute act mined its classic rock influences for covers of The Who and Pink Floyd. The first night also saw the band bring in some outside help from Katie Jacoby, the accomplished violinist who serves as a touring member of The Who in addition to the bride of JRAD guitarist Scott Metzger.
The sit-in arrived at the tail end of night one’s second set, as Jacoby took the stage for a standalone “I Know You Rider”. The traditional American folk song went without its usual “China Cat Sunflower” preamble, with JRAD instead ramping up the energy to a frenzy as the band launched into the tail-end of “Baba O’Riley”.
Picking up during perhaps the most famous violin solo in all of classic rock, Jacoby commanded the stage for her moment in the spotlight as she does on a regular basis with the song’s authors. Making the most of Jacoby’s sit-in, the band utilized her violin to its full potential as her husband Metzger led the band through its debut of the British-Irish folk-rock band The Waterboys‘ “We Will Not Be Lovers” to end the set.
Coming back for the band’s second of two nights at Red Rocks, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead once again saved its biggest surprise for the final moments of the show. Following a fairly straight-ahead show running through Grateful Dead favorites like the opening “Truckin’”, “Eyes of the World”, “Bertha”, and “Playing in the Band”, JRAD found itself in the midst of a chaotic “The Other One” late in the second set.
Coming out of the musical cacophony, the unmistakable singular guitar notes of Pink Floyd‘s “Hey You” emerged from the debris. Guitarist Tom Hamilton took lead vocals for JRAD’s first-ever run through The Wall classic. Looking back on the two-night run, it now becomes clear that the band had tipped its hand as to the impending “Hey You” debut by including an “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” jam on night one during “Cats Under the Stars”.
Related: Syd Barrett Documentary ‘Have You Got It Yet?’ Shares Trailer [Watch]
Check out image galleries from Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on Saturday and Sunday courtesy of photographers Andrew Rios and Kit Tincher respectively. Full-show audio is also available from Travitz12 along with a mix of pro and fan-shot videos. Up next for JRAD is a weekend of festival dates with stops at Summerfest in Milwaukee (6/30) and The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA (7/2). For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit the band’s website.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – “Jam”, “The Wheel” [Pro-Shot] – 6/4/23
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – 6/4/23 – Full Audio
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – 6/4/23 – Full Audio
Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 6/3/23
Set One: Jam, The Wheel, Uncle John’s Band, Alabama Getaway, Man Smart, Woman Smarter, Crazy Fingers, Lost Sailor, Saint of Circumstance
Set Two: Cats Under the Stars, Minglewood Blues, Estimated Prophet, St. Stephen, I Know You Rider [1], Baba O’Riley [1] [2], We Will Not Be Lovers [1] [3]
Encore: Stella Blue
[1] w/ Katie Jacoby
[2] FTP, ending only. The Who
[3] FTP, The Waterboys
Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 6/4/23
Set One: Truckin’, Born Cross-Eyed [1], Shakedown Street, Me and My Uncle, Eyes of the World, Feel Like a Stranger, Deal
Set Two: Black-Throated Wind, Cream Puff War, Bertha, Playing in the Band, New Speedway Boogie, The Other One, Hey You [2], Terrapin Station
Encore: Sugar Magnolia
[1] w/ “The Eleven” tease
[2] FTP, Pink Floyd
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