Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) will make their Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) debut on Thursday, August 25.
The Grateful Dead tribute band has been performing since January 2013, when guitarist Scott Metzger, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento and guitarist Tom Hamilton joined forces with drummer Joe Russo at Freak’s Ball, held at Brooklyn Bowl. The result was a band that has toured the country and amassed a dedicated following thanks to their improv-heavy interpretations of the Grateful Dead catalog, in addition to unique covers.
Tickets for all three concerts go on sale to the general public this Friday, March 18 at 10 a.m. ET. Passwords for a band presale, which Tuesday, March 15 at 12 p.m. ET, and can be found posted on JRAD’s Facebook Page.
Lawn tickets have just gone on sale as of July 19, with a special offer on lawn tickets for just $20.00 plus fees while supplies last. Tickets are available at livenation.com or through Ticketmaster.
An upcoming Grateful Dead live release is set to feature six previously unreleased shows from the early ’80s at The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden. In And Out Of The Garden will contain two shows each from Dead runs at MSG in 1981, 1982 and 1983, totaling 17 CDs in all. It captures a period of time after the band’s 1980 release Go To Heaven, while songs for 1987’s In The Dark like “Hell In A Bucket” and “West L.A. Fadeaway” were very much still works in progress.
In addition to six classic Dead shows from MSG, the box set will also feature customized art work by Dave Van Patten on the cover and detailed liner notes from award-winning music journalist David Fricke who explores the band’s storied connection to the city.
The Dead’s affinity for New York City…was instant and arguably their most profound with any city aside from San Francisco
– David Fricke
The early ’80s period of Grateful Dead history is such a vibrant one, with the recent introduction of Brent Mydland as the new keyboardist into the mix. Mydland’s vocals and effervescent energy behind the piano energized the band at this point their storied career, invigorating older material like “The Wheel,” and “Eyes of The World.” He also gave the band more musical flexibility, which encouraged them to dust off treasures like “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Crazy Fingers” from the proverbial shelves.
This vintage celebration of Dead history at MSG is numbered and limited to an edition of 12,500. The release is set to drop on September 23, but is available for pre-order right now from Dead.net for a price of $179.98.
A digital download option for In And Out Of The Garden is also available.
The Dead didn’t play the Garden until 1979, almost the midpoint of their performing career. but once they got rolling, they made it a home away from home, playing 10 shows in the next 15 years. These performances from 1981, 1982, and 1983 are six of the best the Dead played at the Garden, any of which could have been released on their own
– Grateful Dead Archivist David Lemieux
The six Grateful Dead MSG shows that are featured on this release include:
1981: Madison Square Garden March 9th & 10th
1982: Madison Square Garden September 20th & 21st
1983: Madison Square Garden October 11th & 12th
If the near 30-minute “Help” > “Slipknot” >”Franklin’s” sequence from the 10/12/83 show as seen below is any indication, this is one Deadheads and beyond are going to love.
Phishâs summer tour opening run at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts was a heater to get the band on the road again after a month or so off. The former “Great Woods” has seen many Phish shows – 19 as of Friday, July 15 – and drew a New England crowd and many more to get summer started.
On Thursday, Phish dove in right away with “Ghost” and a “Set Your Soul Free” wedged in between before playing “The Wedge.” The second set opened with an unfinished “Chalkdust Torture” that segued into “Plasma” and “Weekpaug Groove,” which made Friday night interesting when they opened the second set with “Mike’s Song.” A deep trio of “Prince Caspian” > “Backwards Down the Number Line” > “Bug” provided quality jams, with a big “Sand” to end the set.
Friday night, the band was on fire out of the gate with “46 Days,” a big “Everything’s Alright” moving into “Rift” and a “Maze” > “Bathtub Gin” > “Rock n Roll” segue that was a powerful end to the first frame. Set 2 started with “Mike’s Song” but when they finished up “I Am Hydrogen,” Trey Anastasio quickly moved into a heavy “Carini” which slowly gave birth to “Blaze On.” The non-stop segues continued with “Golden Age” > “The Howling” > “A Wave of Hope” > “Harry Hood” provided an equally energetic ending as Set 1. A three-song encore of “Bouncing Around the Room,” “NICU” and “Slave to the Traffic Light” closed the night as everyone headed north to Bangor, Maine for the next show.
Phish – The Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA – Thursday July 14
Soundcheck: Jam -> Plasma
Set 1: Ghost -> Set Your Soul Free -> Ghost, The Wedge, Mound, Mountains in the Mist, Back on the Train > Ruby Waves, I Been Around, Tube > About to Run
Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture[1] -> Plasma -> Weekapaug Groove -> Saw It Again -> Prince Caspian > Backwards Down the Number Line > Bug > Sand
Encore: Punch You in the Eye > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
[1] Unfinished; Chalk Dust Torture was unfinished. Trey teased Tweezer Reprise in Weekapaug.
Phish – The Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA – Friday, July 15
Soundcheck: Jam
Set 1: 46 Days, Water in the Sky, Everything’s Right -> Rift, Wolfman’s Brother, Maze > Bathtub Gin > Rock and Roll
Set 2: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Carini -> Blaze On -> Golden Age > The Howling > A Wave of Hope > Harry Hood
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, NICU > Slave to the Traffic Light
Returning in 2022 to the south shore of Long Island was the Great South Bay Music Festival, featuring four days of artists on multiple stages. Attending on Saturday, July 9, artists included Aqueous, Galactic, Joe Russoâs Almost Dead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, moe. and Escaper, among many others over the long weekend.
Saturday kicked off with Aqueous on the main stage, who are taking a light 2022 to focus on family time, something well deserved for the Buffalo band. Brooklyn’s Escaper played an incredible set at the Clamshell Bandshell featuring Lespecial bassist Luke Bemand. With boats around the shore and some making their way to hear the music via kayak, the New Orleans sound of Galactic proved to be funky as always.
moe. played an outstanding set of music giving way to an evening sunset, on the heels of shows in Albany, Buffalo and at Levitate Music Festival. Joined by Suke Cerulo on guitar and Nate Wilson on keys (both in place of a recovering Chuck Garvey), the band shared their honed sound, including an ode to the Allman Brothers in a set closing “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Listen to the show here.
moe. Setlist: Plane Crash, LL3, Mar De Ma-> Jam->Tailspin, NYC, Skrunk > In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
JRAD closed up the night with a firey, jam filled set. Russo and his bandmates are back in New York in late August at SPAC, with many more fall tour dates planned in the Northeast.
Great South Bay Music Festival has become a staple of summers in Long Island for the past decade. We look forward to the 2023 installment and all the music in store.
Seeing the Grateful Dead on a hot summer night is a quintessential live music experience. That not being an option these days, seeing a founding member construct a crack team of musicians to recreate their music on a hot summer night will have to suffice. And at 82 years young, Phil Lesh is still trucking along doing just that.
Seeing a big summer show plopped right in the middle of an apple orchard might not be a quintessential live music experience, but for Central New Yorkers it is quickly becoming one. Beak and Skiff Orchards, booked by Dan Smalls Presents, is a hot destination for some of the areas biggest shows this summer and on this night, Phil Lesh and his Friends, among them his son Grahame Lesh, Stu Allen, Jason Crosby, Cody Dickinson and Amy Helm, brought their lowercase-f friends to the orchard to join in the communion of live Grateful Dead music. The apple trees immediately bordering the concert field were well fumigated at this show. Keep an eye out for a special THC-infused apple variety this fall.
It wasn’t even seven o’clock and the crowd was deep and grooving to “Reuben and Cherise” while the band was showing the tightness of a group that had been together for decades, not days. All 5 members were improvising at a high level and then reined it back in for a tight and tidy finish.
Amy Helm came on from her watching perch just behind the stage a few songs in to lead the band on Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” She was a splash of color breaking through the grays and dark blues, slinking about among the statuesque guitarists. Such a beautiful voice, the only regret from the evening was that she was not utilized more fully. There was a great mix of vocals throughout the night with Stu, Phil, Grahame, Phil, and Amy all taking leads. Still, a bit more from Amy would have been welcome.
After a solid warmup set, the band came out of the gates for part two with a magnificent “Playing in the Band.” All five musicians playing circles in and around each other, listening and reacting, as they carried it through multiple distinct sections, rocking, groovy, spacey. Through it all, a highlight machine emerged from the back, Cody Dickinson on drums. Not typically seen anchoring such free form improvisation, he was a constant flurry of activity, holding the pieces together while maintaining a long leash with which to flourish himself.
“Cassidy” followed and was also an unexpected highlight, going where “Cassidy” is not typically known to go. Crosby moved to the electric piano which got it grooving with some late-70’s Dead energy and behind more stellar drumming and playing from everyone, it just launched into the stratosphere for one hell of a jam.
“Mountains of the Moon” similarly went atypically off the beaten path. Phil and Grahame had a nice father and son catch, passing the ball back and forth, guitar and bass lines playing off each other. Crosby grabbed his fiddle to mix it up further and the whole thing eventually dove into a deep oozing rumble. Phil hit on a nice dub groove and just sat with it for a few minutes and things got pretty groovy and interesting before fizzling right into a fun and bright “China Cat Sunflower”>”I Know You Rider” that had all the Friends on vocals, and friends too, in a big old singalong.
Prior to the “Eyes of the World”, “Brokedown Palace” encore that would send everyone back home with huge smiles, Phil came out to encourage everyone to become organ donors, as he’s been doing for 24 years. 24 extra years we’ve all had to enjoy his incredible music. “You give us the hope and the heart, and we give you the music,” he said.
Phil and Friends – Beak and Skiff, Lafayette, NY – July 8, 2022
Set 1: Dupree’s Diamond Blues, Rubin and Cherise, Minglewood Blues, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Dire Wolf, Casey Jones, Ripple
Set 2: Playing in the Band, Cassidy, St. Stephen > Born Cross-Eyed, Mountains of the Moon, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
New York jam icons moe. continued their recent revival on Thursday, July 7 with a headlining gig in their old hometown of Buffalo. As part of the Seneca Casinos Outer Harbor Concert Series, moe. played at the Lakeside Event Lawn in the outer harbor. With founding member Chuck Garvey still on the sidelines, Suke Cerulo filled in on guitar while Nate Wilson was also added on keys for this tour.
moe. kept it fairly old school this evening, in the community in which it grew up as a band. A “Kyle’s Song” > “Seat Of My Pants” got the evening started off right. The first set also offered up the newer composition “Prestige Worldwide” before “Time Ed” later closed out the set.
An even older tune “Johnny Lineup” opened up the second set, followed close behind by other legendary moe. tunes like “Timmy Tucker” and “Sensory Depravation Bank.” A powerhouse combination of “Recreational Chemistry” > “Meat” to close out the set preceded the all too fitting “Skitchin’ Buffalo” encore.
moe. Outer Harbor Drive – Buffalo, NY 7/7/22
Set 1: Kyle’s Song > Seat Of My Pants, Haze, Prestige Worldwide > Rickey Marten > Time Ed
Set 2: Johnny Lineup > Timmy Tucker, Sensory Depravation Bank, Meat > Recreational Chemistry > Meat
The 30th annual Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg is back with over 80 performers on five stages during July 21-24 at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds.
The festival is held at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds in Trumansburg which is located about 10 miles north of Ithaca on the west side of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York. Since the birth of the festival, the guiding quote has always been “to create joy in the midst of crisis is a powerful thing and brings magic to the table.”
Grassroots was founded by Donna the Buffalo, and is a mission-based organization that focuses on nurturing local artists and talent while reaching around the globe to bring world music and culture to new audiences to inspire creativity and foster community building. Four days before the festival there is a Culture Camp, which helps community building by having attendees going to four days of music and dance workshops led by regional and national artists.
Grandstand of Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.
Over July 8 and 9, Dave Matthews Band (DMB) played two hot shows at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Sold out crowds packed the parking lot and Saratoga Spa State Park each day before heading into the show.
The city of Saratoga Springs welcomed back DMB fans with open arms, as the economic infusion from the fan base is undeniable. Jambase noted the Friday performance was the 41st show for DMB to headline at SPAC, and thus opened the show with “#41.” Additionally, the band also began their encore on Saturday with “Pay For What You Get,” which had not been performed in nearly seven years, last performed on August 1, 2015.
Dave Matthews Band – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Saratoga Springs, NY – July 8, 2022
Setlist: #41, Seven, #27, Grey Street, Funny The Way It Is, Don’t Drink the Water, Typical Situation, The Only Thing, Dancing Nancies, Fool In The Rain, So Right, Madman’s Eyes, Improv Intro*, You and Me, Say Goodbye, Everyday, So Damn Lucky, Drive In Drive Out, Two Step
Encore: Some Devil*, The Maker, Shake Me Like a Monkey * Dave Solo
Dave Matthews Band – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs, NY – July 9, 2022
Setlist: Bartender, Cant Stop, Proudest Monkey, Satellite, Louisiana Bayou, Sweet, Recently, Warehouse, Walk Around The Moon, Break Free, Seek Up, Sledgehammer, Come On Come On, Minarets, Lie In Our Graves, Crush, Rooftop, Ants Marching
Encore: Pay For What You Get, Too Much (Fake), Halloween
For the first night of their two-night run, Conor McMahon was on hand to photograph the band in action.
The festival is a one-day celebration of music featuring folk, psychedelic, experimental, jazz, and indie music, with local artists and more.
From The Ground Brewery is a New York State Farm Brewery that is committed to using New York State grown ingredients. It will be a beautiful backdrop for the day of music.
The lineup features a lot local and national artists. There are also a wide variety of genres going to be played during the day. Dominick & the Family Band will bring their country rock music to the stage while Joseph Allred will have a blend of soulful bluegrass and fingerpicked folk songs.
Artists like Elkhorn will play deep psychedelic folk anthems, and Ashley Paul brings a mix of free jazz and shoegaze. The show will find Chris Forsyth pairing in a one-time trio with percussionist and perennial collaborator Ryan Jewell, and experimental luminary Bill Nace.
To end the show, Wet Tuna brings their dubstep tunes contrasted with Jeffrey Alexander and The Heavy Lidders’ wiry psychedelic Americana and experimental blues. The legendary Laraaji will bring the show to a close with a sunset set.
For more information about the Deep In The Valley Festival and to buy tickets, go here.
Making the most of an unfortunate and potentially volatile situation, a free moe. concert at the Empire State Plaza in Albany was music to the ears of disappointed Deadheads and plenty of moe.rons on Wednesday, July 6. With many fans already on the road when late afternoon news broke that Dead and Company had suddenly cancelled their show at SPAC, live music lovers didn’t have to look very far to find their fix.
With beloved Buffalo improv icons moe. already scheduled to kick off Albany’s ‘Summer at the Plaza’ concert series on the same night, what was once thought to be tough choice for the competing fanbase suddenly seemed like a blessing a disguise. For the moe.rons, there was never a debate on where to be, but to the dedicated Deadheads still hoping to dance, turning the bus around and detouring it to the Empire State Plaza became an obvious no-brainer.
“I can remember the warm summer nights, drinking cold Gennys, yeah we’d get so tight.” – Lyrics from “Blue Jeans Pizza”
Set in the shadows of the state capitol building and in a sea of tie dye t-shirts, it was more than just the hippies who showed up on this picture-perfect summer evening. Instead, a pleasantly diverse crowd of all ages, genders, colors, hair styles and musical aptitudes packed into the plaza shortly after happy hour. There were kids running around with cotton candy and snow cones, old friends catching up while waiting in the massive beer line, people playing frisbee and walking their dogs, local artists hustling for a buck. All of it helping to create a family friendly, carnival-like vibe bustling with energy and as word got around that moe. was in town, the crowd only seemed to grow larger as the evening went on.
Dead and Company fans flocked from SPAC to the Empire State Plaza after the bands surprise cancellation.
The entire performance felt drenched in nostalgia. While it was a beautiful and surreal scene come showtime, the road to getting there has been long and full of curveballs. You see, while moe is largely considered a “Buffalo band,” die-hard Albany fans still like to consider the guys “homegrown.” Playing some of their earliest shows at legendary local dives like the former Valentine’s off New Scotland Ave, some members of the band even lived in Albany before truckin’ up to Buffalo. Their impact on local culture over the years so significant, that back in 2018 Albany’s mayor, Kathy Sheehan, officially declared February 24th as “moe. Day” in the city. While little has been made of that fact since then, judging by the amount of people who packed into the plaza for this rare (and free) moe. show, it’s clear that the local love has never wavered. Seeing core members Rob Derhak (bass), Al Schnier (guitar), Vinny Amicio (drums), and Jim Loughlin (percussion) sharing smiles together while taking it all in, you couldn’t help but feel proud of the “happy hour heroes” on stage.
From the thought-provoking summer anthem “Blue Jeans Pizza” opener, to a jammed out 16 minute version of “The Road,” to old-school moe. staples like “Head,” 2001’s “So Long” and an always appreciated “Mexico” set closer, much of the talk during intermission wasn’t about the guys playing on stage, but rather who wasn’t on stage. The conversation was all about Chuck and how much he is missed. For many in attendance, it was their first time seeing the band without moe.’s founding guitarist, virtuoso Chuck Garvey, who has been on the sidelines recovering from a serious stroke since in November of last year. In a truly sentimental moment towards the end of the show, Al read a “get well soon” note from a fan named Nicole, then lead the entire crowd in a “Chuck, Chuck, Chuck” chant.
moe. performing with Suke Cerulo and Nate Wilson at the Empire State Plaza 7/6/22
Stepping up to the plate in Garvey’s absence, the band has enlisted not one, but two world-class players; Suke Cerulo of Schleigho on guitar and keyboard/multi instrumentalist Nate Wilson from Percy Hill. While guitarist Al Schnier handled most of the heavy lifting and soloing during the first set, the improvisation during the second set went long and deep and really allowed Cerulo and Wilson to show what they’re made of. While Cerulo’s headless guitar will take some getting used to, he’s seems to be a natural fit, while Wilson on the other hand, adds a completely new dynamic and versatility to the moe. sound, complete with funk infused keyboards and a flute that plays incredibly well off Jim Loughlin’s xylophone sounds.
Coming out of the gates for the second set with a near 20 minute version of Lazarus, the band would effortlessly segue into a particularly funky 18 minute rendition of “George.” After a brief pause, the band would launch into a massive “McBain” sandwich that saw them jam into a “Starship Troopers”>”Tubing the River Styx” and eventually find their way back into “The Pit.” The true highlight and easily the long jam of the name night came next with the set closing 26 minute moe classic “Brent Black” which brough everyone at the Empire State Plaza to their feet in a standing ovation. With the hard curfew now rapidly approaching, the band would return to the stage for fan favorite “Bear Song” as an encore.
If you liked the setlist of this show, you can thank a kind man by the name of John King. If you didn’t like it, well, blame cancer. Based on King’s generous donation to the American Caner Society, the band gave him the unique opportunity to write the setlist. Considering many of the people who were there went into the night expecting to hear Dead and Company, I think it’s safe to say Mr. King knocked it out of the park in a big way. Before exiting the stage, bass player Rob Derhak addressed the crowd one final time saying, “We had an awesome time, we hope you guys did as well. Thank you so much for coming out. Seriously though, we really do love Albany. We have are own day here in February, it’s moe. day, so you can’t beat that, thank you. Me and some of the guys are gonna be down at The Hollow tonight with Blue Star Radiation, so shameless plug. Goodnight.”
Moe. | July 6, 2022 | Albany, NY | Empire State Plaza (Free Show)
Set 1: Blue Jeans Pizza, The Road, Head, So Long, Mexico
Set 2: Lazarus > George , McBain> Starship Troop Jam > Tubing the Rive Styx* > The Pit> Brent Black
Encore: Al.nouements, Chuck Chant, Bear Song * with Nate Wilson on flute
Pulling double duty, the fun wasn’t over yet this evening. Directly following moe.’s performance, fans in the know headed further downtown to The Hollow where Guthrie/Bell Productions was hosting an evening with Blue Star Radiation, the side-project which also features moe. drummer Vinnie Amico and bassist Rob Derhak, plus keyboard/multi instrumentalist Nate Wilson and virtuoso guitarist Tim Palmieri of Kung Fu, The Breakfast and most recently Lotus fame.
As you might expect with the pedigree of the players involved, this show was quite the party. A veritable “all-star” band of improvisational, jam band musicians that all share an affinity for classic rock, the show saw everything from highly danceable funk grooves, to tasteful blues-based crooning, to bombastic, over-the-top soloing. It was perhaps no surprise that guitarist Tim Palmieri stole the show however, as he was the only member of Blue Star Radiation that was completely fresh having not played at the Plaza earlier in the night.
Always the consummate showman, Palmieri’s incendiary shredding was on full display from the beginning, almost daring his bandmates to try and keep up. Derhak, who could be seen grinning ear to ear most of the show, was up to the challenge, and even would go head-to-head with Palmieri in an instrumental duel that would send the Hollow howling.
While there appeared to be no formal setlist, obvious highlights included covers of moe. classics like “Opium” and “Mar De Ma” as well as “Biblical Proportions” and an exquisite rendition of the Jethro Tull classic “Locomotive Breath.” Sensing there was something special going on here, about half way through the night, promoter Greg Bell casually worked his way through the crowd to the front of the stage to ask the guys how they felt about playing a second set. Derhak would leave it up the audience, holding his arms out and asking “What do you folks think?” After the resounding cheer, Blue Star Radiation would go on to play all the way till about 1am. While this project is still relatively new, BSR shows are quickly becoming “can’t miss” affairs.
New Yorkers will get their next chance to see the band soon, as Blue Star Radiation makes their NYC debut at the Cutting Room on Friday, July 22. As for moe.’s next New York engagement, the band is set return to beautiful Lake George the first weekend of September for two headlining nights at the Adirondack Independence Music Festival.
Blue Star Radiation | July 6, 2022 | Albany, NY | The Hollow
