Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Blows the Roof Off 1stBank Center

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), however, only required one evening at 1stBank Center to make its presence known and bring the house down with music!

JRAD is the brainchild of drummer Joe Russo, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento and guitarists Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger who combine fierce extemporaneity with The Grateful Dead’s emotionally sublime songwriting to form this group of friends.

Psychedelic funk rock

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is not your average Grateful Dead cover band: their five-piece lineup consists of drummer Russo, bassist Dave Dreiwitz from Ween, Benevento/Russo Duo keyboardist Marco Benevento and guitarists Tom Hamilton from Brothers Past, Ghost Light and American Babies — reinventing Dead classics with an unexpected take.

After performing a thrilling set, including their cover of “People Get Ready,” JRAD moved seamlessly into an exquisite version of The Dead’s “Bertha.” Though shorter than some of their other sets, this jam allowed each member to showcase their talent while lightning flashed across the sky behind the venue during one song – causing slight concern from band members but they managed to go ahead with their performance nonetheless, closing with “Tell Me Momma,” leaving everyone eagerly awaiting set two.

Grateful Dead cover band

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), one of the premier Grateful Dead cover bands, gave an unforgettable one-nighter. Comprised of drummer Joe Russo, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento and guitarists Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger; JRAD performed intricate yet emotional songwriting of Grateful Dead with precision and flair.

The second set opened with dueling vocals on “Jack Straw,” an instrumental experiment which transcended stylistic boundaries. Following that, the band ramped things up with an energetic version of “Help on the Way” and an explosion of musical ideas on “Throwing Stones.”

JRAD created an unforgettable evening for their sold-out audience at The Space Theatre with their impeccable musical chemistry and captivating musical alchemy. A sea of tie dyed T-shirts was taken aback as their spellbinding display mesmerised them all.

The Anthem

Anthems are patriotic musical compositions – often songs – which celebrate and memorialize the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or people. Anthems may be officially recognized by constitution or law or simply accepted into tradition as national anthems; international organizations also often adopt them such as UNICEF’s Lullaby or Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” the melody from Symphony No 9.

The Anthem is a cutting-edge venue, convention center and event space located along Washington DC’s stunning waterfront. It hosts marquee concerts by internationally-acclaimed artists as well as lavish charity galas.

The band custom tailors their show to your event needs. Whether that be a 70’s Disco Party, Retro 80’s Bash, Classic Rock Show or some combination thereof; their aim is always to have people singing, dancing and fist pumping! Additionally, all PA/lighting equipment is included as standard in their standard fee.

Mark Raker

Mark Raker is an award-winning cinematographer whose work can be seen both in museums and on film. His cinematographic projects have appeared in museums worldwide as well as on large-screen media like ESPN, National Geographic TV and History Channel networks. Furthermore, his expertise can also be seen on several independent films like Peabody Award winner A Letter to Elia.

Michael has also directed and produced two short movies. Black & White celebrates black-and-white photography and has been shown at film festivals around the country and featured as a Kodak feature project.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead was established in 2013 to perform Grateful Dead covers. Composed of Furthur drummer Joe Russo, Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz, Benevento/Russo Duo keyboardist Marco Benevento, Benevento/Russo Duo keyboardist Marco Benevento as well as Tom Hamilton from Brothers Past Ghost Light American Babies on guitar and vocals; their inaugural performance took place at Brooklyn Bowl on January 26, 2013.