Photo by Dino Perrucci
When Joe Russo’s Almost Dead were conceived for the Freaks Ball, the annual party thrown by Google Groups community NYC-Freaks, the members of the quintet thought of it as a fun, no-pressure, one-time-only show. But, four years and just over 100 shows since their debut, JRAD have grown into one of the most sought after new acts on the jamband and festival circuits. And, in many ways, Almost Dead is the culmination of a scene that has existed since Russo (drums) first befriended Scott Metzger (guitar), Dave Dreiwitz (bass) and Tom Hamilton (guitar) and reconnected with his middle-school pal Marco Benevento (keyboards) while playing Downtown New York clubs like Wetlands, Tonic and the Knitting Factory in the early 2000s.
The five musicians’ long, intertwined musical history has also helped JRAD avoid the trappings of an average Grateful Dead cover band and bring the Dead’s storied songbook into new, high-energy, punk-rock terrain. Shortly after JRAD celebrated their 100th show during a six-night run at their home venue of Brooklyn Bowl New York, Russo discussed JRAD’s triple-digit milestone, the impact of recent guests like Stuart Bogie and Oteil Burbridge and his decision to tackle Jerry Garcia and Howard Wales’ oft-forgotten Hooteroll album at Port Chester, N.Y.’s Capitol Theatre this Friday.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead recently celebrated their 100th show by debuting a new, original song. Can you walk us through the creation of “Keeping it Simple,” and do you plan to introduce more original material into the band’s repertoire?
I actually wrote that song for Furthur to play back in 2012. I had worked up the starting drumbeat as an independent exercise—as a way to confuse my limbs. It did. After messing with some different harmonic concepts on top, it ended up where it is today. I had all of the music done, and it didn’t sound anything like other stuff I had written, so it occurred to me that it might make a good Furthur song. Mind you, this is a good while before the birth of JRAD, so it’s actually pretty neat that [at that time] I brought the music to Tom Hamilton to flesh it out, as he added the vocal melodies and lyrics. Tommy and I agreed on the idea that it would be sung by Bob [Weir]. It ended up on a Furthur rehearsal schedule a couple of times, but it fell to the side after the original material era of Furthur dried up. After years on the shelf, JRAD made slight attempts at fleshing it out, but it wasn’t until show 100 that we pulled the trigger. I thought it would be funny for our band to debut our first original material at our 100th show.
I certainly like the idea of adding more material. We’ll see what happens—probably [we’ll debut another original] next time one of us writes something that seems to work more for JRAD than any of our other projects. Or, maybe, we’ll play something new at show 200.
Almost Dead successfully made it six nights at Brooklyn Bowl without repeating a song, which is a testament to the breadth of your catalog. As you did deeper into the Dead’s repertoire, are their certain corners of the band’s songbook you hope to weave into future Almost Dead setlists?
At this point, I feel really great about the amount we’ve tackled. At first, my idea was to stick to the really early stuff like “Cream Puff War” and “Alligator.” I’ve always really loved that violent, punk-feeling energy that the Dead supplied on that stuff. It felt a little closer to where we all live, as musicians, for a starting point. As this thing has now turned into something none of us planned or expected, we’ve had to keep adding material if we were going to actually be able to play different shows.
I’ve loved seeing Scott really take hold of the Bobby material. At our first show, we didn’t really have the traditional “Jerry Guy” and “Bobby Guy.” We were just playing the songs—I actually sang “Franklin’s Tower” and “The Other One” that night. Again, this was supposed to be a one-time show. We did, however, realize, “Holy shit, Scott kind of sounds like Bobby.” Of course, as this band gained steam, we’ve become a little bit more “standardized” with Tommy handling most of the Garcia stuff and Scott handling most of the Weir and Pigpen material. Seeing Scott’s face when I would add songs like “Hell In A Bucket” to our setlist was pretty awesome. It was kind of like, “What the hell is this?” and “I get it!” Those songs are actually pretty strange when you think about it. Over time, though, we really saw Scott ingest these tunes, and now he has a full command and really “gets” where Bob was coming from.
More to your question, I’m not sure if there is any area I’m lusting to unearth at this point. There are a few more songs that I’d love to see added, but we have a pretty deep book at this point. I’d like to see how far we get into those. More than adding more Dead, I love the idea of adding more out of left field material that the Dead never played. I’m sure that will continue.
In a few days, you will revisit Jerry Garcia’s_Hooteroll_ album [which Garcia recorded with Howard Wales in 1971], at the Capitol Theatre. What have you learned about Garcia’s style by rehearsing for that show, and have you felt it change your approach to Almost Dead in any way?
Strangely, Hooteroll? is as comfortable as I could be playing any sort of Garcia-involved material. I lived in an instrumental, improvisational world for so long before my Dead connection. Really, the things that people actually love about JRAD are more based in that influence than a traditional take on the Grateful Dead. That “style” of playing is the thing that makes JRAD sound the way we do. Most of us come from that world, so when we go off on our explorations, I’d say it’s actually way more Hooteroll? -like than Dead-like.
You threw in a few creative covers during Almost Dead’s Bowl run, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” and “Summer Nights” from Grease . How did those two unexpected songs enter the repertoire?
“Born To Run” wasn’t on the setlist until the day of that show. We were soundchecking, and our friend Stuart Bogie was joining us as a special guest. Tommy just looked over to me and was like, “Um, we have a sax? Soooo, ‘Born To Run’?” We were just like, “OK!” We had played it for an encore one time a couple of years ago, but with Dave. Poor Oteil [Burbridge] was like, “We’re playing what now?” Being the absolute professional and incredible badass that he is, he gave it a quick listen, sketched out a little cheat sheet and we played it that night.
As far as “Summer Nights,” that was just a goofy little thing that happened onstage. Most of these “teases” aren’t planned. We’re all just up there, listening to each other and not being too serious about anything. If something sounds like a Duo tune, then we might end up getting into that Duo tune. If it sounds like Zeppelin, then odds are we will mess around with it for a minute. If it sounds like “Summer Nights,” then God damn it, we’re gonna play “Summer Nights.” I’d say 95% of these other songs we find ourselves in are just in-the-moment blips that make us laugh.
As you mentioned, Allman Brothers/Dead & Co. bassist Oteil Burbridge subbed for Dave during the second weekend of Almost Dead’s recent Bowl run. Though both very accomplished players with ties to the Dead world, they also have very different styles. How did Oteil’s playing change Almost Dead’s rhythmic feel during that second weekend?
I’ve been so lucky to play with so many incredible bass players in my life, and getting to play with Dave Dreiwitz and Oteil Burbridge in the same week, with the same band, was a great gift. Dave and I have been playing together for over 15 years, so there’s a deep, unspoken connection that we have that is only built out of playing together that long. We’ve been a rhythm section in so many different situations, so we really know how each other plays. With Dave, I can really go more nuts. He has this old-school R&B feel that stays more to a traditional “bass player” world. He gets out there for sure, but you can always count on him to be giving you the meat and potatoes that a band like JRAD needs to keep us from spinning out of reason. He’s the dependable rock that we all rely on.
When you throw someone like Oteil in, you’re getting a whole other side of the instrument. His super deep understanding of harmony and rhythm lends itself to a more “featured” role in any band he joins. While he is an absolutely tremendous bass player in the classic sense, he is also able and eager to explore the outer realms of his instrument in nontraditional ways. There were plenty of moments during his weekend where I would just stop playing so I could sit there and listen to him speak. I also loved that he was willing to split his time between his six-string bass and my vintage Gibson four string with flat wounds. He was so cool about giving that a try, as he knew I was really into those tones. Of course, he absolutely killed it on both. I personally love to be put in less-than-optimal situations with equipment. Having some limitation from what I’m normally used to has always brought out new and different things in my playing. Aside from the beloved vintage bass tones, I was secretly really excited to hear what he would do on an instrument with a couple less options built in. He was incredible, and it felt really special when he would go to the six string on some songs. It really made a sonic statement and gave a feeling of even more options over the course of the three-day run.
Oteil came to Almost Dead on heels of two extended tours with Dead & Co. Did you notice any specific variances in his approach to the songs that you feel were informed by his experience playing with that band?
At first, I think he may have felt like he had to play some parts, but it didn’t take long for him to get comfortable with the “play whatever the hell you want” ethos we live by. It made me so happy to look over and see him with his eyes closed, dancing like a maniac. It was full-on kid in a candy store, for sure.
Stuart, who is known for his work with Antibalas, Superhuman Happiness and Arcade Fire, was another unexpected guest during last week’s Bowl run. You have a long, deep history playing music with Stuart. How did you first connect, and how familiar was he with the Dead’s music when you first brought him into the Almost Dead fold last year?
Not only is Stuart one of the most amazing musicians I’ve ever met, but he’s one of the most fascinating and wonderful people I’ve met. I’m not even quite sure when he and I officially connected. He’s one of those guys it just feels like I’ve known and have been playing with my entire life. Much like the rest of us in this band, he wasn’t very versed in the ways of the Dead. The first few times he joined us, he was part of a full horn section [consisting of other members of the Antibalas and Daptone families]. He would write horn arrangements for these songs that never had horns on them previously, and it was just so exciting. Our goal is always to find as many different ways of playing these songs as possible, and having Stuart and the rest of the horns with us certainly scratches that itch. We also had Stuart hop in with us when we played in Connecticut last year, as he was living there at the time. I just said, “Hop in anytime you hear something you like.” I’m sure at least 85% of the songs we played that night, he had never heard. But that’s the point. You don’t have to “know” everything to be able to play and communicate. As I was writing lists for the six Bowl nights, I realized none of the sets jumped out to me as especially horn-section friendly, so I just asked Stuart to come out and, essentially, do what he did with us in Connecticut. It’s always so great to hear new information on this stuff. It makes us play differently. It makes us listen differently too, so it was really cool to have Stuart and Oteil that first night. I think it lent itself to a great “gettin’ to know ya” feeling with Oteil and provided a lot of inspiring moments for us as a band.
When you announced JRAD’s 100th show, the tagline was “99 More Shows than we thought.” Was there a specific show or moment when you realized this band should be a long term project?
I think maybe the second time we played at the Capitol Theatre [in 2014]. It was sold out, and there just seemed to be this sparkling of energy throughout the room that made it feel like the people out there were really enjoying what we were doing. I will say, it was a weird and funny feeling for all of us to sit down to reflect and verbalize the idea of us going out and playing shows as a Grateful Dead cover band, though. As I’ve said a thousand times before, this was not any of our goals. We have played in so many different settings, together and apart, in every possible mathematic combination five guys could have. I think that’s why this is what it is. We weren’t looking to do this. We just happened to seemingly touch a nerve in this community and in ourselves—“No need fighting it. We’re having a blast.” We still all make so much different music that fulfills us in every other way, outside of this band, but in JRAD, we get to play in a way that we can’t anywhere else. It’s an absolute gift.
You’ve worked a few Duo, Wolf! and Ween songs into the Almost Dead songbook during the past few years. What is the party line on which songs from the individual member’s solo projects feel right for a JRAD show?
Aside from Ween’s “So Long Jerry,” every other [American] Babies, Duo, Wolf! and other [solo project] song has been just improvisation that led us there. If you were to look at our setlists, then you can pretty much see that anything not on there just happened when it happened.
The Duo recently reunited for three shows. What were your highlights from that reunion, and did the experience of revisiting those songs make you realize anything new about your musical shorthand with Marco?
Marco and I shared a lot of life together in that band. We experienced so many things and began to grow over those years into the men and musicians we are today. There was definitely a loving feeling playing that stuff again. I know I teared up a couple of times during the shows. It’s overwhelming when you have that much history and you touch upon these moments again. It’s more than music; it’s a severe reminder of who you are and who you were back then. We’ve both changed so much since then. We’re both now fathers and husbands living lives of different responsibilities and comforts. It was really great to feel like we were living in our old shoes again. I hope one day we get to apply all of the life lived since the Duo days into new material. I think we both had a really great time playing the shows that we did, but I’d be surprised if we play very often without new material.
Speaking of upcoming projects, you play with Craig Finn on his new album and will back him during his upcoming City Winery release party. How did you and Craig first connect, and do you see your mutual appreciation for the Dead’s music as a connector while playing his original music?
Craig and I met a few years back when we were working on this Dylan in the 80s compilation. Scott, Dave and I backed him up on “Sweetheart Like You.” It wasn’t until maybe a couple years later when I got a call from my friend Josh Kaufman, who was producing Craig’s next solo album, Faith In The Future, to come up to Woodstock to start getting some songs together. [Kaufman was a member of Yellowbirds, produced Weir’s Blue Mountain and was a key part of Day of the Dead .] I feel so lucky to have been a part of these two records. Craig has become one of my favorite lyricists ever, and I’m always so psyched when I get to perform or record with him. As I’m writing this, I’m actually listening to the songs we will be performing Monday night on Late Night with Seth Meyers. It’s been so great to experience things like that with Craig. I love playing the way I get to play with that band. Much like my comments about how I get to play with JRAD, it’s a totally different and immensely fulfilling beast. That’s my goal in life: Play as many different parts of my musical identity with as many people as possible. I don’t think there’s one gig out there that satisfies all of it. It’s a sum of its parts that makes me feel complete.
MMW and JRAD will share a bill at Red Rocks this spring. The show will be something of a full circle moment, since you and Marco first reconnected outside a Medeski show years ago. Can you recount how that original re-connection took place?
If I remember correctly, I was playing an improv show at a place called Lanky Lounge, and Marco was across the street going to see Club d’Elf with John Medeski at Tonic. I think the story goes, he was waiting in line and went across the street to use the bathroom and ran into a bunch of guys he had gone to Berklee with and then, he realized his old pal Joe was playing drums. I can still picture it, actually. You can say it was a moment that changed our lives.
When we were offered to play at Red Rocks with JRAD, I said I really didn’t want to do it unless we were going to bring something special that night. I didn’t want some random band to be on the bill with us or some kind of standard-jamband festival pairing. The only band I could truly think of that made me feel like we were doing this right was MMW. I’m still shocked they said yes! We couldn’t be more honored to have them with us. They are some of the most humble and inspiring musicians I know—complete effortless interplay. They were meant to play music together, and I’m greatly looking forward to feeling that inspiration when we take the stage that night.
