If you took a poll of which venue Joe Russo’s Almost Dead fans wanted the band to revisit, Gerald Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Co would have been at the top of the list (or very close). After a pair of majestic 2022 shows in one of the most beautiful and underrated venues in the U.S., JRAD fans have been patiently waiting to spend a little more time on the Colorado mountain.
The wait came to a happy end with JRAD’s 2024 Colorado run of Vail May 31st and Red Rocks on June 1st. Vail, and all its natural beauty, lived up to the hype while setting the stage for an explosive show with jazz legend Branford Marsalis the next night at Red Rocks.
There was a curious vibe to night one as fans welcomed each song the band played. At the same time, knowing anything they heard in Vail, would have no chance of being played with Marsalis at Red Rocks the following night. With six shows in May under their belt, the band needed no time to warm up, kicking the evening off with a “Jrad-ly” reworked Viola Lee Blues jam and first verse. The rest of the night was as effortless as driving down the Colorado mountains. No need to accelerate, just keep your foot on the brake in case things get a little too wild.
Highlights from opening night were plentiful. Scott Metzger took another crack at Link Wray’s Fire and Brimstone. The band continued to stretch and twist Brown Eyed Women and Ramble on Rose like a hall of fame clown balloon artist. JRAD wrapped up the second set with an intertwined Truckin–Other One combo that left no doubt their annual trip to Rad Rocks the next night was going to be special.
The next evening, as fans anxiously waited to get into Red Rocks, the possibilities of what lay ahead were unlimited. Will a band member’s spouse or child sit in? Will they debut another extended Pink Floyd tune? Which songs from Marsalis’s legendary sit-ins with the Grateful Dead would the band tackle?
JRAD kicked off the night sans Marsalis for an opening Help on the Way – Slipknot-Mama Tried trio. Once Marsalis stepped on stage and joined the band for a repeat of 2023’s Newport Jazz Festival collaboration, everything changed. Russo cranked out a quick drum solo leading into Samson and Delilah, and it was time to find something to hold on to. Tom Hamilton went right after Marsalis goading him into several back and forth lead exchanges. Marsalis’s impact was immediate as evidenced by an intro into West LA Fadeaway from an angle JRAD has never attempted. A glorious Reuben and Cherise and Throwing Stones with inspired licks from a “Buck(y) Owens” Cowboy clad Marco Benevento closed out the first set.
There were no breakouts or sit ins for the second set. They weren’t necessary. With Marsalis by their side, the band ventured into deep depths of multiple genres of jazz. A fusion filled Kings Solomon’s Marbles started the exploration. The band spent the set bouncing around multiple jazz styles like a pinball machine. Funk, fusion, blues, contemporary, and more filled the mountain air as JRAD and Marsalis completely synched up. Whether adding polish to the band’s jamming or opening new avenues for them to explore, his presence was perfectly immediate. The high standards everyone set for the evening were easily surpassed.
After a Morning Dew encore that melted whatever was left of the audience’s mind, there was no doubt, the second rendezvous between JRAD and Marsalis will not be the last. The band heads to Bonnaroo in a couple of weeks with several dates announced in June and July.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
Vail May 31- (Set one) Viola Lee Blues, Not Fade Away, Brown Eyed Women, Feels Like a Stranger, Shakedown St., Fire and Brimstone, Eyes of the World
Set 2- It Hurts Me Too, Fire on the Mountain, Promised Land, Estimated Prophet, Ramble on Rose, Truckin, The Other One E: The Golden Road
Red Rocks June 1st– (Set one) Help on the Way, Slipknot, Mama Tried, Samson and Delilah, West L.A. Fadeaway, Reuben and Cherise, Throwing Stones
Set 2- Kings Solomons Marbles, Birdsong, Let it Grow, Wharf Rat, Cassidy, Playing in the Band E: Morning Dew