Wow! That is some line-up..How much of it do you remember!!!!??????

I don't remember much of the music to be honest with you. Too much recreational fun going on. I certainly do remember Keith Emerson going up in the air and spinning around on his piano. The brothers came on after ELP which was after 11 PM. I was pretty much spent by then. I remember more the experience of being in the crowd and things that happened in the crowd.

I made it to the August Jam with some friends. We were there over night and it was wild with drugs and booze everywhere. Then as afternoon began, many people took off their clothes and were naked. But by late afternoon it was so crowded that the concessions closed and people were trading drugs for water to drink. One guy I knew died there of an OD. But the music got people in the mood to boogie. Marshall Tucker was on during the daylight hours and that was my first time seeing them and noticing Toy Caldwell used only a thumb pick. Wolfman Jack was the MC for much of the evening but he left after introducing Black Oak. They smashed two Gibson Les Paul's at the end of their set as they swung them toward each other and they splintered and completely fell apart which I took to mean they were actually fake guitars. Foghat was good but I got tired of so much slide guitar playing. I remember the player had a Gibson SG. Emerson, Lake and Palmer was next to last and I remember Keith Emerson spinning around turning completely upside down with his organ. Palmer had way more drums than Butch and Jaimoe did combined. In 1974 they had sets with just one mounted tom. Can't remember how many floor toms.

The ABB was last and it was late into the evening and the ABB was apparently tired or not that interested. Jaimoe, Chuck and Lamar played with conviction though and Butch was good but he was off the stage some and joined in on one song in the middle with Jaimoe playing alone. Gregg and Dickey didn't seem to be into it. Gregg said next to nothing and looked jaded and during one song someone made their way up to the stage from the audience, I saw him climbing up, and he sat down next to Gregg on his organ stool and Gregg got up and left the stage in the middle of the song. I think it was Southbound and they did it then like it is on Brothers and Sisters so it turned into an instrumental. Dickey did a very short solo on Ramblin' Man which stuck out to me because the last time I saw the band, his Ramblin' Man solo was very long and extended. Dickey did shine on Blue Sky and I remember him saying on the mic after the song; "I'm glad you got into it". Dickey was playing a sunburst Les Paul with zebra pickups and I'm sure he must have had a back up guitar but he never switched as far as I can remember and he must of had trouble staying in tune as he was messing with his guitar often then looked to be angry about something and pretty much stopped playing, retreated back between the drummers and eventually was up behind them and Chuck seemed to play most of the solos to the end of the show as I remember. It's been 41 years ago but I seem to remember Dickey just playing rhythm guitar for the most part during about the last third of the show. So it wasn't a good night for Dickey or Gregg as Gregg didn't talk much or any at all and his performance was way too laid back and jaded for this kind of show. I remember us saying the next day it wasn't a good performance for our favorite band and all the energy and playing was coming from Jaimoe, Chuck and Lamar.

They came back to Charlotte the next year for the Win, Loose or Draw tour and they were really on fire. Dickey had a new gold top Les Paul which he seem to stay with as his main ax until 1994. About 20 years. I thought the sunburst with the zebra pickups was a beautiful guitar and I ask the soundman during their break if he knew why Dickey switched to another guitar and he said he was told the Paul with the zebra pickups wouldn't stay in tune especially when they played outside. This was a fine and stellar ABB performace with the Chuck, Lamar lineup firing on all cylinders. Gregg was still a bit laid back but he sang strong and played some smooth organ solos. But someone kept setting off firecrackers and it finally angered Dickey and he grabbed the mic and said "This God D*** bombing better stop!". He didn't stop playing this time but did retreat to the back of the drummers again and at the end of Whipping Post handed his guitar to someone and kicked a box or equipment carrying case hard and it went flying across the stage and he disappeared. But up to that point, Dickey was not only playing very, very well but was clearly in command of the ABB counting songs off and giving hand and facial signals during songs and once I noticed when his Sweet Mama solo was coming to an end he held up his hand a waved it in a circle and they extended his solo one more time through. Gregg waved some at the crowd at the end of the show and Chuck came to the end of the stage and shook some hands. This was 1975.

that was my first time seeing them and noticing Toy Caldwell used only a thumb pick.

No pick, just thumb.