This was the first Beacon show I ever attended! Many more after this! Thanks for posting!
Thanks Allmansrvvegas. Always fun to relive these shows. I always parked on Central Park West, Dakota karma always got me a spot even though sometimes I would walk 7-10 blocks to get a spot. Never stopped me. So Im leaving the beacon on the side street after the show. I see somebody to my right behind the blue police barriers. It's Gregg. So What do you say? Nobody around, I say "That show had some heart and soul". Gregg laughs that laugh. "Thanks man. " He knew I wasn't going to ask him to stop or sign, We kept pace. I went to my car. He went to his bus.
Thank you for sharing this. I just watched that High Cost of Low Living. What a tune.
That was a great time to be an Allman Brothers Band fan.. Their new album was released that month. I was in year 5 of my 10 consecutive Beacon trips. I think I was there for a later weekend that month....will have to check ticket stubs. The fan pre-show parties were in full swing at that time....Gary Wonwayout had his big pre-show party at the Gin Mill and I attended that year. The Sweeties/Suite-ees were hosting and the Westcoast crew (Scotty/Brent) & Big men had their Beacon parties rolling at the Beacon Hotel...depending on your weekend. NYC hotels/flights etc were still very reasonable after travel to the big city depressed after 9/11. I was buying a front row lower balc ticket (above the loge) for $59 + about $10 in TM fees. Best ticket deal possibly ever. I was sitting in the loge for maybe $85 all-in in 2003.
The immediate shock of Dickey no longer being in the band had warn off and the band was tight! The band had evolved into different setlists every night and had great new tunes, with warhorses brought back to the setlist (Mtn Jam), cool guests at the Beacon, & some different classic covers in rotation. They made some late night TV talk show performances like they used in the early / mid '90s. They had proven they were a viable and current band with those seven.
And fans were making connections here, on the Listserv, and at the pre-show gatherings....with much love & credit to Lana & Rowland (Lana was a Listserv original before they founded this website).
So thanks for letting me get a little nostalgic after watching that. Y'all a great bunch.
@hotlantatim I never got over the shock of Dickey no longer being in the band. Nobody could play those old songs like Dickey on guitar. His style of playing a guitar solo WAS the Allman Brothers Band for decades. From the beginning as was Gregg's singing.
But hey I had trouble adjusting to the band after Duane and Berry split. That faded a little over time but still missed them.
Joe Biden says " Today's Republican party is not your father's Republican party with the right wing Mega folks in the party".
That is how I felt about the last lineup of the Allman Brothers and recent lineups of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Not your father's Allman Brothers Band.
I actually dumped LS years before because of that Confederate flag waving crap. But I did see them twice in the 2000s because of a lady friend who wanted to go. Except for Gary Rossington a different lineup and sound.
Warren singing Blue Sky was disappointing and the guitar solos too as it was Dickey. When Dickey was having a good night, nobody could touch him on Blue Sky and Derek Trucks also said that.
Around the time Hitting The Note came out Butch Trucks said as soon as they wrote some new instrumentals ALL of Dickey's songs were getting dumped. And Ramblin' Man was already gone and the band with NEVER play that thing again as long as Butch is in the band. Also wrote he should have stood up and blocked that song in 1973 but Butch thought it was a demo for Merle Haggard and when it was on the album, Butch said the guitar jam at the end did sound kinda like the Allman Brothers so he didn't say anything.
And I saw a couple of shows about 2006 or 7 and not one Dickey song. I like it better like that. I could enjoy Warren, Derek and Otiel without missing Dickey and Duane and Berry too a little.
But they eventually brought some of Dickey's songs back and at one show around 2012 I attended ( I would see the last lineup a couple times a year) Otiel sang Seven Turns!!
In 2009 Butch did an interview and said everyone living who ever played with Duane Allman would be invited to the Beacon to play with the band except Dickey. Said there is no way he would ever get on stage with that guy ever again.
Butch must have been voted down over Dickey's songs and an invite to the 40th anniversary because Dickey DID get an invite. But he chose not to go. I can understand younger fans who never saw the original lineup or Dickey in the band being fine with different style players and new material. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and All Along The Watchtower and High Cost Of Low Living were okay and played very well. I enjoyed those with the last lineup.
The band didn't avoid all of Dickey's songs after the split, just the ones he was strongly associated with like "Blue Sky" and "Jessica". They were still playing Dickey's "No One to Run With", "Elizabeth Reed", "Southbound" and "Revival" during the first few Derek/Warren tours in 2001-2003. In 2004 they reintroduced "Blue Sky" with Gregg singing it. I think "Jessica" made its way back into the rotation by 2005. "Ramblin' Man" however never made it back into the rotation, last played May 6 2000.
@porkchopbob Okay but there were some "no Dickey songs shows" because I was at one or two.
And Butch did inform us on his blog "As soon as we write some new instrumentals, all of Dickey's songs will be dropped".And " Everyone who ever played with Duane Allman will be invited to the Beacon for the 40th except for Dickey. There is no way I'll ever get on stage with that guy again."
But as you pointed out, Dickey's songs never left. More were eventually brought back. And Dickey DID get an invitation to the 40th at the Beacon.
You think Butch changed his mind or was out voted?
