Joe Russo, a metalhead from New Jersey, left a band in high school because they performed songs by the Grateful Dead. But as a vital component of the Grateful Dead universe after Jerry Garcia, he began to appreciate the music of the legendary San Francisco band in his 30's.
It all began when Bob Weir's manager, Matt Busch, called Russo to ask if he would be interested in traveling to California to perform drums. The fact that it would be an audition for Weir and Phil Lesh's project, Furthur, was not disclosed. Additionally, Russo withheld information from Weir's team.
Russo had no intention of exploring Dead music further after that fateful call or during his subsequent successful run with Furthur. However, after his band Bustle In Your Hedgerow's gig with Dean Ween fell through at the Freaks Ball at Brooklyn Bowl, he was talked into doing a tribute to the Dead, which included guitar and vocals by Tom Hamilton of American Babies. He jokingly dubbed the new band Joe Russo's Almost Dead, but they are still going strong, selling out performances and creating waves on the internet with their recordings and videos. The members of the band are Russo, Hamilton, Dave Dreiwitz on bass, Marco Benevento on keyboards and Scott Metzger on guitar and vocals.
One thing that sets JRAD apart from the likes of Dark Star Orchestra, the meticulously exact Dead tribute act, or post-Garcia ensembles with Dead members, like Dead and Company, is that it's a more contemporary, more rocking take on Dead songs..

How to hire Joe Russo's Almost Dead for an event