The 2017 installment of Dominican Holidaze came to a close on Monday at Now Onyx and Breathless Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Among the acts that performed on the final day of action were Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, STS9 and The Disco Biscuits.

Jamtronica pioneers the Disco Biscuits played a sunset set on the Main Stage and opened with a tribute to Frank Zappa, who died 24 years to the day prior, with a cover of “Pygmy Twylyte.” The quartet then worked “Tempest” into the end of “Bernstein & Chasnoff.” A lengthy “Spacebirdmatingcall” was followed by a bust out as tDB dusted off “Rivers” for the first time since September 7, 2010 – a span of 226 shows. After linking “Stone” and “The Devil’s Waltz,” the Biscuits said farewell with “Mulberry’s Dream”.

STS9 had the plum slots of the evening with two prime time sets on the Main Stage. Tribe delivered a career-spanning collection of material including such fan favorites as “Get Loud,” “Circus,” “Ramone & Emiglio” and “ARTiFACT.” A run of “Out Of The World” > “Rent” brought the band’s second of two Monday sets to a close.

Grateful Dead tribute act Joe Russo’s Almost Dead closed out Dominican Holidaze with the longest set in the band’s near five-year history. The three-hour performance came after the five-piece held a public soundcheck that saw instrument switching, a cover of the surf-rock classic “Wipeout” and an “Estimated Prophet” > “Eyes Of The World” sequence. JRAD’s proper set started with what sounded like “Throwing Stones,” but the quintet instead zagged into “Feel Like A Stranger.” Up next was “Bertha” and again band members toyed with “Throwing Stones.”

The “Bertha” led into “I Need A Miracle” which in turn gave way to “Playing In The Band” complete with a Marco/Joe jam that evolved into Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Positzos’ version of “Aqui Como Alla.” JRAD’s seamless segment continued with “Tennesse Jed” and then the band broke through the song’s normal boundaries ahead of a move towards “Bird Song.” The band didn’t stop at any point throughout the rest of a set that included such Dead classics as “Reuben & Cerise,” “Cumberland Blues,” “New Minglewood Blues,” “Here Comes Sunshine” and “Touch Of Grey” as well as a take on Bob Dylan’s “Tell Me Momma.” For the encore, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton engaged in a jam before the rest of the band joined in for “Jack Straw.

Setlists

Disco Biscuits (via PT Bisco)

Set: Pygmy Twylyte> Tempest> Bernstein And Chasnoff1, Spacebirdmatingcall, Rivers2, Stone> The Devil’s Waltz, Mulberry’s Dream

1 – ending only, 2 – last played 9/7/10 (226 shows)

STS9 (via The Church Of STS9)

Set One: F. Word, Totem, Hidden Hand, Hidden Fist, Rise Above, Get Loud, ARTiFACT > Native End > ReEmergence, Poseidon

Set Two: Peoples, Circus, MOD, Ramone & Emiglio, Worry No More, Out of This World > Rent, [Zach]

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (via Peter Costello)

Public Sndck (12:50pm – 1:25pm): Jazz Jam (MB On Drums, DD & SM, JR on Keys, w/o TH), Wipeout (MB On Drums, DD & SM, w/o TH & JR), Estimated -> Eyes -> Dave Solo ##

Set (11:01pm – 2:01am): Throwin’ Stones Jam -> Feel Like A Stranger, Bertha @> I Need A Miracle -> Playing In The Band # -> Tennessee Jed -> Jam $ -> Bird Song % -> Reuben & Cerise -> Tell Me Mama ^ -> Cumberland Blues & -> Jam -> Here Come Sunshine * -> New Minglewood Blues + > Touch of Grey > St. Stephen Jam -> GDTRFB -> WBYGN (Instrumental)

Encore: Jam @@ -> Jack Straw

• ## – With a “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (Traditional) Tease
• @ – With Throwin’ Stones Teases (TH then Band)
• # – With a short Duo Jam that evolved into a “Aquí Como Allá” (Arsenio Rodríguez) Jam (From the Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos album “The Prosthetic Cubans”)
• $ – With Stella Blue Teases (TH)
• % – With Playin Teases (TH), unfinished
• ^ – With Radar Love (Golden Earing) Teases and Throwin’ Stones Teases (Band)
• & – With Here Comes Sunshine & Good Lovin’ Teases (TH) & a China Cat Jam
• * – With Cats Under The Stars Teases (TH & JR)
• + – With Throwin’ Stones (TH & JR) and Easy Wind Teases (TH) & a Hey Bulldog (The Beatles) Jam
• @@ – Just SM & TH