Joe Russo was totally stressed when he walked off an Oakland, Calif., stage at set break during the 2009 debut of Furthur, a group built around the former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. Unversed in the Dead’s massive repertoire only weeks earlier, Mr. Russo, a Brooklyn drummer, was relying heavily on a laptop for assistance in front of an audience for whom the material was uncut cultural DNA. Spotting Mr. Weir backstage, he apologized for his high anxiety and requested advice. His new boss obliged: “Maybe take some mushrooms?” Read more at The New York Times…
