Joe Russo’s Almost Dead brought in some outside help to close out its weekend run in Atlanta, inviting Tedeschi Trucks Band vocalist Alecia Chakour to sit in throughout the show. The band’s second of two concerts at The Eastern polished off a three-night swing through the Southeast that began on Thursday in Charlotte.
Drummer Joe Russo, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton, keyboardist Marco Benevento, and bassist Dave Dreiwitz started Saturday’s two-setter unassisted with an opening jam that ultimately turned into Bob Weir‘s ’80s chestnut “My Brother Esau”. One of the many factors that separates JRAD from the legions of other Grateful Dead tribute bands is the group’s willingness to dive deep into the band’s catalog and invigorate often-overlooked selections, reintroducing fans to the songs in a whole new way.
The set rolled on with “Peggy-O” and a “Truckin’” that developed into the lengthiest jam of the evening. Following “They Love Each Other” the band welcomed Chakour for the first of two sit-ins throughout the evening. Chakour helped the band debut a cover of Ike & Tina Turner‘s “River Deep – Mountain High”, the first of three debuts of the night. Without breaking stride, the band smoothly transitioned into “Good Lovin’” with Chakour to close out the first frame.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – “My Brother Esau” (Grateful Dead) > “Peggy-O” (Traditional) [Pro-Shot] – 2/10/24
Returning for the fourth and final set of the weekend in Atlanta, JRAD took another opening jam into the serene “Here Comes Sunshine”. Tom Hamilton handled the vocals dutifully before some brief improvisation developed into a jam around “Throwin’ Stones”. The band did not fully commit to the song, however, instead hopping on the bus for an unexpected detour through “The Other One”. A classic ’60s Dead pairing of “The Other One” and “St. Stephen” ate up a good half-hour before the band traveled further south for some Texas blues courtesy of ZZ Top.
Taking a pair of winners from the band’s excellent 1973 album Tres Hombres, Metzger led JRAD through its debut of “Waitin’ For The Bus” followed by a short instrumental run through “Jesus Just Left Chicago”. Circling back to the Grateful Dead songbook, an eerie “Candyman” led to a spacey jam that burst out the other side as a “Let It Grow” set two closer.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead still had a few tricks up its sleeve when it returned for the encore with Chakour once again in tow. The guest vocalist took the band through a sublime and relevant debut of the Ray Charles favorite “Georgia On My Mind” before the entire band brought the house down with a rowdy take on The Band‘s “Don’t Do It” to cap off the show and the weekend run.
Check out a gallery of images from Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and Alecia Chakour in Atlanta courtesy of photographer Christian Stewart. The band is off until April 8th when JRAD will perform at the Texas Eclipse Festival in Burnet, TX. Visit the band’s website for tickets and a full list of tour dates.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – The Eastern – Atlanta, GA – 2/10/24 – Full Video
[Video: Joe Wiseman]
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – The Eastern – Atlanta, GA – 2/10/24 – Full Audio
Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | The Eastern | Atlanta, GA | 2/10/24
Set One: Jam > My Brother Esau (Grateful Dead), Peggy-O (Traditional), Truckin’ (Grateful Dead) > Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead), They Love Each Other (Jerry Garcia) > River Deep – Mountain High (Ike & Tina Turner) [1] [2] > Good Lovin’ (The Rascals) [1]
Set Two: Jam > Here Comes Sunshine (Grateful Dead) > Throwin’ Stones Jam (Grateful Dead) The Other One (Grateful Dead) > St. Stephen (Grateful Dead) > Waitin’ For The Bus (ZZ Top) [2] > Jesus Just Left Chicago Jam (ZZ Top) > Candyman (Grateful Dead), Jam > Let It Grow (Grateful Dead)
Encore: Georgia On My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael) [1] [2] > Don’t Do It (Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland) [1]
[1] w/ Alicia Chakour on vocals and percussion
[2] FTP
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