Joe Russo’s Almost Dead performed at the Westville Music Bowl on July 30 and 31, welcoming guest Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats and bringing their total pandemic-era Westville shows to eight, with zero song repeats at the venue.

July 30 opened with a freeform jam that bled into a one-two punch of “Friend of the Devil” and “Jack A Roe.”

Later in the first frame, Johnson emerged to play acoustic guitar and add some extra vocals on “Wharf Rat.”

Johnson appeared again in the second set of July 30, closing out the show with “China Doll” and “Box of Rain.” (This also marked JRAD’s first “China Doll” since October 2017).

Then, Johnson stuck around for the encore, playing on Three Dog Night favorite “Never Been To Spain as well as Fruit Bats’ own “When You Love Somebody.” Interestingly, JRAD had previously covered “When You Love Somebody” in the encore slot at NorCals Greek Theatre on 8/16/2019.

Moving on, July 31 provided JRAD amply opportunity to jam, as they played a five-song first set (“Stagger Lee”> “Stuck Inside of Mobile”—> “West LA Fadeaway”> “I Need A Miracle” —> “Bird Song”), followed by a five-song second set (“Broken Arrow”, “Throwing Stones” —> “Ship of Fools” —> “Dark Star” —> “Terrapin Suite”).

The band encored with a rollicking “Sugar Magnolia.”

Check out each evening’s setlist and clips of the set openers below:

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
July 30, 2021
Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, Conn.

Set I: Jam -> Friend Of The Devil -> Jack A Roe, Jam -> Black Throated Wind ->Jack Straw > Wharf Rat # -> King Solomon’s Marbles

Set II: MB Solo -> Yazoo St Scandal -> Jam-> Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion, Althea> Lost Sailor>, Saint Of Circumstance, China Doll#%, Box Of Rain#

Enc: Never Been To Spain#, When You Love Somebody#^

Notes:
#With Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats) on Acoustic Guitar and Vocals
% LTP 10/13/2017
^ Fruit Bats Cover, LTP 8/16/2019

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
July 31, 2021
Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, Conn.

Set I: Stagger Lee > Stuck Inside of Mobile—> West LA Fadeaway> I Need A Miracle —> Bird Song

Set II: Broken Arrow, Throwing Stones —> Ship of Fools —> Dark Star —> Terrapin Suite

Enc: Sugar Magnolia