Joe Russo’s Almost Dead headed down to New Orleans this weekend for two shows at Mardi Gras World during the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the band delivered a slew of Grateful Dead favorites over the course of four sets on Friday and Saturday nights, including a surprise sit in from Dead & Company keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

Chimenti emerged near the end of the first set on Friday evening, joining JRAD keys man Marco Benevento at his rig for “Lost Sailor” and the set-closing “Saint of Circumstance.” After Friday’s second set offered Dead staples like “Shakedown Street” and “Estimated Prophet,” the group once again welcomed out Chimenti for the final tune of the set, “Not Fade Away,” which saw Benevento depart the show halfway through so he could get to his solo-band gig at the Blue Nile. Chimenti also took over keys for the encore of “U.S. Blues.”

Saturday’s round two didn’t feature any surprise guests, but gave Russo and company room to stretch their improvisatory skills, opening each set with a jam segment and playing favorites like “Good Lovin’,” “St. Stephen,” “China Cat Sunflower,” “I Know You Rider,” “Viola Lee Blues,” “Ruben & Cherise” and “Stella Blue,” plus an encore that featured only the second-ever JRAD cover of Spacehog’s “In the Meantime,” followed of course by the obligatory Saturday-night rendition of “One More Saturday Night.”

See both full setlists below, along with video of some set openers, courtesy of the nugs.tv stream.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
Mardi Gras World – New Orleans, LA

Saturday:

Set I: Jam> Good Lovin’, St Stephen> China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider

Set II: Jam> Here Comes Sunshine> Blues Jam> Viola Lee Blues> Throwing Stones, Ruben & Cherise> Feel Like A Stranger, Stella Blue

Enc: In The Meantime*, One More Saturday Night

Notes: * Spacehog cover; second time played (first since 7/19/18)

Friday:

Set I: Marco Solo> Not Fade Away Jam> Cats Under The Stars> Me & My Uncle> The Wheel> He’s Gone> Lost Sailor*> Saint Of Circumstance*

Set II: Shakedown Street> Crazy Fingers> Estimated Prophet> Weather Report Prelude/Part One^> Let It Grow> Not Fade Away+

Enc: US Blues#

Notes: * w/ Jeff Chimenti on Piano
^ Instrumental
+ w/ Jeff Chimenti on Organ and Vocals (Marco Benevento left mid-song to get to his show at Blue Nile)
# w/ Jeff Chimenti on keys (without Marco)

Source: facebook.com/JRAlmostDead