JRAD kicks off their tour with a bang with a sold out show at Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) in Durham, NC. A large indoor theater that in the past has hosted hot shows from bands like Widespread Panic, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Steely Dan, Bob Weir & the Wolf Bros & many more. JRAD may be the only "cover" band to have sold out the room that I can recall. But then again, JRAD is not your typical tribute act.
JRAD is comprised of top notch jam scene all-stars. Led by the impressive Joe Russo on drums. His Benevento Russo Duo bandmate, Marco Benevento on keys. Dave Dreiwitz from Ween on bass. Tom Hamilton of Brothers Past, Ghost Light, American Babies on guitar. Scott Metzger of LamP, American Babies, etc on guitar. This crew are some of the best improvisers on the scene and the excitement of the unknown is what draws thousands to their performances.
I asked some of my DeadHead friends to contribute a bit about their favorite part of the performance. = Lee Crumpton
"So right up front I'm going to say that JRAD is my preferred form of Grateful Dead consumption right now. Other methods have their place. Some are a fun sing along party, others try to give you a GD show experience and still others are like like the musical version of curling up with warm chocolate drink in front of a cozy fire with a good book. That's not what JRAD is all about. They bring danger to the game. The 2/12 DPAC show started with a little tuning that quickly morphed into an aggressive chaos that, on cue, smashed into Jack Straw and then ripped it to shreds. You aren't dipping your toes in the water. No, you are diving head first into the deep end of the pool. Can you swim? Is there water in the pool? It's time to find out. I'm not sure if they actually feel this way but they play as if they are angry at the songs. At points Tom Hamilton Jr is trying to rip the strings off of his guitar. They seem to take glee in making these songs scream. The show is not bound by normal Dead conventions. Dead never played that song? Too bad, we are. Oh that is supposed to be a second set song? No tonight it isn't . B always follows A? Nope. Pretty light show? Not hiding behind that. It is unpredictable, beautiful, dark, transcendent and frightening in its raw fierceness. Dave Dreiwitz just thunder bombs the stage without mercy. The unexpected is the norm. They come closer to the original concept of the entire group searching for "the sound" with barely controlled abandon. Marco Benevento goes all in mad scientist. Songs suddenly coalesce out of sheer insanity. A drum solo has the first verse of Sampson sung over it. Just Joe Russo pounding drums and Scott Metzger singing before the rest of the asylum explode into the chorus. What kind of demented minds think of that? I continue to be amazed by their seemingly unlimited capacity to totally confound me. And that's what I like." - Jeff Mc - Raleigh NC
Watch the show opener on YouTube:
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"From the opening notes of the first set, Let It Grow was hinted at. Later in the second set, the band delivered what, in my experience, was the most high-energy, take-no-prisoners version of "Let It Grow" I've ever heard. Seeing JRAD for the first time and experiencing all five locomotives merge into one headlight was truly one of the musical highlights of my life at 55. What struck me most was as Bobby would say, "Each song felt like it had its own character" -- almost as if a muse or entity was invited into the room for every tune. And yes, Bobby is now coming in to assist and was absolutely present in that redemption arc of "Let It Grow." Grow the scorch ground green indeed!! Thank you, JRAD, for an inspiring evening. I'm already looking forward to the Outer Banks this summer for what is sure to be a great yield of fun, love, anticipation, and excitement... #GD300years" - Donovan D - Roxboro, NC
"They take the Grateful Dead catalog, add a dash of mystery, a scoop of fury and a heap of awesome! I get just as much excitement and joy seeing them as I got from the Grateful Dead. You have five stone cold assassins interpreting one of the greatest catalogs of music in American history, the result is something that borders on perfection and teeters on the edge of complete chaos. I fucking LOVE JRAD!" - Chris M - Raleigh, NC
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Photos by Willa Stein
