Joe Russo's Almost Dead at Frost Amphitheater

Grateful Dead’s music is alive and well, and it’s thanks to fantastic tribute bands like Joe Russo’s Almost Dead that fans can still experience the legendary jam band's legacy live on stage. The band emerged from Brooklyn, New York, in 2013. Joe Russo, who has done exemplary work with Furthur and the illustrious jazz/rock tandem Benevento/Russo, formed the band with Ween’s bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento, guitarist Scott Metzger, and vocalist and guitarist Tom Hamilton. The band performed their first gig at the Brooklyn Bowl in January 2013, followed by a second gig at the Freaks Bal XIII.

By 2014, the band started to score gigs in major summer festivals, such as the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in California and Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut. The band also joined the String Cheese Incident’s annual Halloween gathering, the Hulaween Festival. During their New Year’s even run that year, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead was joined by Grateful Dead’s bassist Phil Lesh. He filled in for ten shows that year upon Dreiwitz’s absence.

The following year, Deadheads already regarded Joe Russo’s Almost Dead as one of the must-see tribute bands. This is also thanks to Phil Lesh’s blessing, bringing unprecedented word-of-mouth hype to the band. In the following years, the band’s schedule is packed with incredible gigs, such as the High Sierra Music Festival, Mountain Jam, Electric Forest, and All Good Festival. They also made an appearance at the Jam Cruise, supported Umphrey McGee at the Red Rocks, and completed a three-night run at the Brooklyn Bowl, where they performed their first-ever gig.

In 2018 the band sold out three nights at the Capitol Theatre in New York. The also embarked on a massive spring tour with guest performer Nicole Atkins. That same year, the band made an appearance at the Peach Festival, which was praised by fans and critics. Rolling Stone’s writer described the performance as the “Best Scene-Stealer” and that “Joe Russo’s Almost Dead takes improvisational jam rock to the nth degree.”

Over the years, the band had some iconic musicians who joined them on stage. Some of these outstanding performers include Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Dead and Company’s John Mayer and Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Ben Perowsky, and more.

Catch Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at the Frost Amphitheater on Friday, 13th October 2023, by scoring your tickets now!