Allman Brothers Beacon 40th Anniversary

"The road goes on forever." If you look at all the current incarnations of The Allman Brothers Band and where they are at today, it has becomes apparent that their music has grown to become a community and a cultural institution. It is more than whoever is in the band at the time, it is about some of the greatest blues musicians in the world getting together and making the very best music they can produce together with no compromises. It was a rainy night in New York City and the band was all business, determined to give a near flawless show that would go down in history.

March 26, 2009 was the official 40th anniversary of the Allman Brothers and the 20th anniversary of their first show at the Beacon. 40 years to the day from the first jam session with the original Allman Brothers lineup that sounded so good Duane was quoted as saying "no one gets out here alive!" Since then the band continues to evolve and stay contemporary, through hard work, dedication and ingenuity. Everyone knew this day was going to be special, and the band brought it "Back to Where It All Begins," by celebrating the music of Duane Allman (I'll only quote a song once more). While decades have passed, the band was able to create their original, youthful sound, performing their first two albums in their entirety.

This show was all about The Allman Brothers and there were "no special guests," as was announced by drummer Butch Trucks. Trucks wears many hats and is also a Rhodes scholar, intellectual and internet entrepreneur/fan liaison. There were rumors Dickey was invited, but when the curtain rose and he wasn't there I was pretty sure it wouldn't happen. Though disappointed, I was so absorbed in the music I did not give it a second thought. A fan can always hope for an onstage reunion somewhere down the road, but personal issues mean personal. The group seemed to be freed up to play by not having to tend to a special guest. This current lineup, is one of the tightest and talented versions of the Allman Brothers, and having just them here giving 110% made it a legendary night.

While the Duane Allman penned tune `Little Martha' was the opener for the majority of the Beacon run, the band started the show a little after 8:00 with "Don't Want You No More" and followed it up with "Not My Cross to Bear" (the first two songs off their first album The Allman Brothers Band). Next was "Black Hearted Women" which included an "Other one Tease," and had Derek Trucks already channeling Duane, hitting his licks note for note. Up next came "Trouble No More," followed by "Every Hungry Women" which had Warren teasing "Foxy Lady" on his signature Gibson reissue of Duane's Hot Lanta Guitar. Derek maintained a dominant lead position on these songs, strongly representing the next generation's voice of this band. His leadership and talent proved that the Allmans are not only something that happened, but continue to innovate with rocks youngest legendary guitar players.

"Dreams" and "Whipping Post" were the two songs everyone was waiting for and really brought back the original Allman Brothers atmosphere. "Dreams" had Warren and Derek trading solos back and forth, playing phrases right off the original album. They played "Whipping Post" with the same dark attitude that made the song such a groundbreaking rock piece, and brought back the classic At Fillmore East sound. Gregg's voice was incredibly youthful, with some of his most soulful Hammond B3 playing yet. He appeared slightly more pale then usual at times, though this was likely due to the strenuous demand of a 15 night run, of full tilt rock shows.

Intermission was taken and there were some advertisements on the big screen promoting various aspects of the Allman Brothers empire, one thing is for sure, the Allman Brothers Band runs like a well oiled machine, and they do what it takes to keep it functioning at "peak" performance. Their business is one with ethics that gives many people a decent, satisfying living, this kind of alternative, fair capitalism is obviously good for the economy and it's time may have come.

The second set began with "Revival" the first song off of their second album and included a "Mountain Jam" tease by Derek. Oteil Burbridge's Bass lines were really holding it down, keeping it to the original songs and giving room for the guitars to go off and explore new territory. Butch Trucks was thoroughly enjoying himself, motivating and steady, Jaimoe was giving all his energy and meant business while Marc Quiñones was tightly focused. After a very funky Duane inspired "Don't Keep me Wonderin,'" Gregg and Warren sang a sweet duet of "Midnight Rider." This was followed with "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" one of the many Dickey Betts originals, written in memorandum of a name on a gravestone Betts used to sit down and make out with his girlfriend by. Though there was no mention of Dickey the whole run, I felt that Warren was paying homage to him by quoting some of his verses in his guitar playing. On "Liz Reed" Oteil broke out his six string bass, and the rest of the band stepped back as he took the lead. He broke out his Oteil and The Peacemakers act and started scatting and playing the bass like a jazz guitarist. Burbridge mixed into this unique solo, hypnotic and surreal noises on the bass's deep end, creating a voice all his own. Burbridge then hopped on a drum kit and played his heart out with the power trio of Jaimoe, Quiñones and Trucks, seeing a collaboration of four drummers each on a full kit is not something at all ordinary and proved that The Allmans are at their very best with just the band.

"Liz Reed" went straight into "Hoochie Coochie" man the only cover song on the Idlewild South album. The band then played an emotional "Please Call Home," a great but underplayed song, this impressive, rare performance alone made the show a historic moment for the band. The last song of the Album "Leave my Blues at Home" ended at around 11:30, leaving the band just enough time for the encore "Statesboro Blues."
"Statesboro" had some minor mistakes with certain verses that were audible only to the diehard fans, but the band was able to laugh it off. This imperfection shows the human nature of a superhuman sounding band, adding a layer of depth. At the end of the song, Gregg said "thank you so much, come back tomorrow night and we'll have more mistakes for you," a really funny moment, Warren then went over and hugged him and the lights dimmed, revealing the massive number of seated and standing guests backstage, a separate audience of middle aged people, dressed mostly in suits and ties, with a few kids running around. This reflected a more formal looking version of the greater audience, which was mostly middle aged men, some who had brought their kids. There is a strict no drugs/drinking rule backstage at Allman Brothers shows, which creates a healthy, family friendly environment throughout the venue. On the contrary the energy was not uptight, but a clean, earthy, high that the Allman Brothers have become a symbol for.

One may come to wonder why this rural southern rock band draped with symbols of Peaches and Mushrooms has such a close tie to New York City, the story is long but can be summed up with the fact that New Yorkers have high standards and like good music, this synergy between southern comfort and big city living is what brought the band to the heights they are at today. Growing up in the greater NYC area, I have witnessed many different personalities embracing the Allman Brothers, once we hit high school it was like a rite of passage into musical appreciation, even the jocks used to sell Beacon tickets at fundraisers. This band has had a significant impact on every generation since the late 60's, due to their tenacious spirit to stay on top of their game and not become a nostalgia act. From the Swedish travelers who waited twenty years to finally see the group live at the Beacon to the biker security guard who schooled me to some Allman Brothers history, it was evident how much this music meant to so many people.

The recognition that Warren Haynes and now Derek trucks have received in popular music creates a link to the new generation, allowing young people to experience this level of the blues which celebrates the best melodic, flat-picking and slide guitar collaborations. Though the flat-picking influence has been phased out with the loss of Dickey Betts, he still continues the ABB tradition by playing his songs in Dickey Betts and Great Southern. This is just an example of The ABB's motivation to do whatever it takes to keep their music (and brand) alive and strong.

After the show let out, I collected my cool 3/16/09 commemorative poster, and spilled out onto the streets of Manhattan with the rest of the crowd. I took a trip downtown to check out some of Eric Krasno and Chapter 2 at Sullivan Hall. The after party was billed as having "very special guests" and word was that Derek would show up, I caught a couple funky songs then moved on as that would not have gone down until well into the A.M.
Though this Beacon run was dedicated to Duane Allman, the show was just as much about his brother Gregg - the band patriarch. It was well know by the cancellation of last years' Beacon Run that Gregg was battling Hepatitis C. and to see him come back after treatment so strong was very special. The power and soul behind Gregg's voice was truly "hittin' the note," almost to the point where he looked divinely inspired. Only on this night of the show was Gregg's long hair down, looking like the days when two blonde, brothers from the south, were some of the first to play in an integrated band, bringing two worlds together in music. I appreciated seeing Gregg at his best more than anything else. He is truly reaching new depths in his singing, and we are lucky that he is touring this year to share it. He is a living legend, carrying on his bands legacy of tolerance, quality blues music and long honest work.