Photo Credit: Dino Perrucci

On January 18, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead retook the stage at The Capitol Theatre. The ensemble’s final appearance in a string of three concerts, which were each marked by the guest arrivals of longtime band contributors and key compositions that delineated the importance of the late Bobby Weir’s pen and performance, saw Sunday’s finale get underway with a classic pairing of Weir/ John Perry Barlow’s sister songs, “Lost Sailor” > “Saint of Circumstance.” Later, during the evening’s encore, they revealed a Richard Thompson rarity, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.”

Sunday’s stand continued with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo” after the maritime song pairing. Like a river in spring, the aforementioned number ran over into a pursuit down the spiritual highway on “Estimated Prophet.” Without pause, the group–Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Tom Hamilton Jr., Dave Dreiwitz, and Scott Metzger–followed the current into “Eyes of the World,” before capping the first frame with Noah Lewis’ “New Minglewood Blues,” a song synonymous with Weir’s roaring delivery.

Set two got underway with the Chuck Berry original and a longtime feature of the Grateful Dead live show, “Promised Land,” before opening up into the Ace favorite, “Black Throated Wind.” Continuing with pieces of the songbook with ties to Weir, the band performed “Jack Straw” before ultimately launching into the “Terrapin Suite” and picking up “The Other One” thereafter.

Before closing out the frame and moving gracefully into the concert’s encore, the group of sage artists played a hair-raising Bonnie Dobson original, turned Dead standard, “Morning Dew.” Rather than take a collective bow, they proceeded into a single-song delivery and busted out Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” Notably, Sunday’s encore represented the band’s second-ever take on the borrowed ballad after initially playing it for a live audience on August 11, 2023.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead 

The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, N.Y.

Jan. 18, 2026 

Set I: Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance, Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodleloo > Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World > New Minglewood Blues

Set II: Promised Land > Black Throated Wind > Jack Straw > Terrapin Suite > The Other One > Morning Dew

Enc.: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning

Setlist via almost-dead.net.