Summer concert season kicked off this month at Baltimore's Pier Six Pavilion. On May 16, 2024, the air hummed with anticipation as Joe Russo's Almost Dead, affectionately known as JRAD, stepped onto the stage of the DMV's most scenic venues. Pier Six was the perfect setting for the evening, with the sunset reflecting off the harbor and casting a golden light across the crowd for much of the first set. 

Composed of Joe Russo (drums and vocals), Tom Hamilton (guitar and vocals), Marco Benevento (keys), Dave Driewitz (bass), and Scott Metzger (guitar and vocals), JRAD is the premier Grateful Dead tribute act touring today. However, they are not just a cover band; they use the Dead's catalog as a springboard for their own brand of improvisation—a fusion of psychedelic rock and jazz. Their style breathes new life into the Dead's music, bringing controlled chaos and energy not seen in their catalog since the late 1960s.

Like most JRAD shows, the band opened with an improvisational jam, an intricate dance of sound, and a promise of what was to come. From this labyrinth of notes emerged "I Second That Emotion," a Smokey Robinson gem reborn in their hands through the lens of the Jerry Garcia Band. The audience was instantly hooked, swaying in unison for the next hour and fifteen minutes.

"Cats Under the Stars" followed by "Slipknot" teases threaded throughout the set, a whisper of the familiar within the new. A Scott Metzger-led cover of "Dark Hollow" brought everyone back to the roots of American music, a nod to tradition and the Grateful Dead's bluegrass influence. Then, "Feel Like a Stranger" took the helm, the pavilion pulsating with energy, each note a step further into the unknown depths of its exploratory jam. The band closed the first set with "Bertha," and the crowd, already buzzing, sang along, their voices carrying out over the sunset-drenched Baltimore Harbor. 

Set two began with another exploratory jam, a prelude to a Grateful Dead deep cut, "My Brother Esau." The storytelling continued, rich and vivid. "Tennessee Jed" rolled in, a narrative unfolding with every verse. "I Need a Miracle" was a plea and a powerful ode to Bob Weir's love of large women. "Estimated Prophet" floated in next, ethereal and profound, the pavilion awash in its otherworldly glow.

"Loose Lucy" shifted the vibe to playful and engaging, with Tom Hamilton leading an incredible tease of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" that added a layer of surreal beauty and drew cheers from the crowd, and Marco Benevento and Joe Russo traded organ and drum solos. "Mission in the Rain" turned the set introspective, a moment of reflection amidst the organized chaos of psychedelic improvisation. The set closed with "Good Lovin'," an explosion of joy and energy, the crowd dancing, the pavilion alive with movement.

The encore, "U.S. Blues," was a triumphant finale that once again had the crowd belting the lyrics back at the band. The night ended as it began, a tapestry of sound, memory, and emotion. Joe Russo's Almost Dead didn't just play; they conjured, transported, and transformed the Grateful Dead's music into something new yet familiar. 

Joe Russo's Almost Dead is playing shows across the country during the second half of the year. Click here to hop on the bus and join them on tour. If you want to relive their performance at Pier Six Pavilion, click here to stream a recording on Archive.org.