For many years, I'd planned to see the ABB at the Beacon, but I kept putting it off. I saw them in Alabama and Louisiana multiple times over the years (and missed a 1971 show with Duane in Birmingham, AL...still kick myself for missing that show). This summer I received an email offering to let me order tickets for the Oct 27 and 28 shows. My wife had just had surgery, I asked would she be healed in time to take a late October trip to NYC to see the ABB. She said hell yes. So I ordered two tickets to the Monday, Oct 27 show. Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. I think and I was logged in, ready to go. I chose the Monday show, because I thought tickets would be easier to get, plus at the time I thought I needed to be back for family plans on Tuesday (what was I thinking). I tried to order floor seats. No way, not available. So I asked for best available and got two seats in the lower section of the balcony. I didn't even try to order tickets for the last night, which I now regret.

About a month ago, my wife's surgeon told her NOT to take the trip. My wife demanded that I go, she'd stay with her aunt. I said okay. So I sold her ticket on ebay (broke even, not trying to make a killing), scheduled a Delta flight from Atlanta with Skymiles, reserved a room at the Belleclaire three blocks from the Beacon and waited.

The day of the show, I got up early in east Alabama, drove to Atlanta, flew to NYC, took the bus to the Belleclaire, went and found the Beacon, then walked around the Upper West Side, ate/drank at the Amsterdam Ale House them went to the Beacon around 7.

Good seats, row E seat 42. I don't think there is a terrible seat in the lower balcony. The place is like a 2/3 scale version of Atlanta's Fox Theater. I sat next to the guy who bought my ticket (nice guy from Stony Brook).

The show started and well, it was great, to me anyway. Gregg's still got it. Derek and Warren were on fire. Oteil, JJJ, Butch and Marc were awesome. I enjoyed seeing Oteil play drums. The atmosphere of the show was part concert, part revival meeting, lots of excitement in the air. Two big sets and an encore and I wanted more. As I left, I realized I wanted to stay one more day and try to see to see the final show. I didn't, responsibilities, poverty, etc.

Anyway, that was my 30-something hour ABB adventure.

I suppose I'll download the last two shows from abblive.

I guess I should ask, for those of you who attended all six shows, which were your favorites?