Such great memories, from the 1st Beacon Run, September 1989 thru 2014, such amazing moments. From hearing Dickey play "Back Where it All Begins" for the first time and listening to his guitar just soar, in 2006 the 35 anniversary of the Fillmore where they played the whole album start to finish before intermission and then Chuck came out in the second half and "Jessica" blew the roof off. Seeing Frampton and Gary Rossington doing guest spots on the same show with Frampton sitting in on the encore of "Southbound". Also great pre show at the Dublin House drinking and getting Blondies to deliver wings from across the street. It was a hell of a run. I will remember these shows till the day I die....
On this day in Beacon lore.....
3/6/96 5th show on run!
You Don't Love Me, Good Clean Fun, Blue Sky, Worried Down With The Blues, Tombstone Eyes, Stand Back, End Of The Line, Change My Way of Living, Jessica
Set II
Hoochie Coochie Man, Dreams I'll Never See, Back Where It All Begins, I Know I Will Leave Here, One Way Out, E: True Gravity, Whipping Post
The True Gravity from this show is one of the best performances by this lineup. The beginning is a little sloppy but Warren's straight lead really hits it and from then on out you can hear and really feel them all just locking in on the zone together as one. Check out how Dickey begins his solo. So loose yet right on it. There is a lot inspiration in the beginning of that solo. Very nice True Gravity.
Update: found it 3/11/06
I remember Frampton playing with them in '07, but don't remember w/ Rossington - what year was that?
Seeing Frampton and Gary Rossington doing guest spots on the same show with Frampton sitting in on the encore of "Southbound".
[Edited on 3/7/2017 by mikesolo]
Hey Mike.....March 11 2006, ABB played "Simple Man" with Gary Rossington Warren on lead vocal, Frampton played on "Born Under a Bad Sign" and joined in on the encore of "Southbound" his solo was epic...
Haven't posted in a long time but could not resist this thread. The wife and i went in 1998 for the first time at the Beacon. We were sitting in the last row in the orchestra when a gentleman came up and explained that he had won 2nd row seats in a contest but it was too loud for his 10 yer old son and would we mind switching seats. We said sure as it would not have been the first time we would go deaf at an ABB concert! The next night we were in our room at the Beacon on the side by the theater and could hear the show. We made a vow that from then on we would never go to just a single show. After that we always tried to go the weekend of the sweeties party, To all that were there THANK YOU for the wonderful times. Saw our last shows there in 2009 with the Clapton shows. One last note, I still have the shirt with the twin towers and wear it for special occasions a couple of times a year.
Just posting some memories as they float by - many many good ones over the years. They really changed the whole vibe of the neighborhood for the better part of a month - 1/12 of the year. Not just the shows, but the people it brought into the hood, the sights, the smells 😉 it was awesome. One of the later years me and the Mrs were strolling around and figured hey let's grab a coffee - and there is Derek friendly as can be. Walk around a bit with the coffee after chatting with Derek, and hey let's grab a slice - look, it's Oteil, also super friendly. The shows were fantastic, with some of course better than others, but for a UWS resident and really everyone who went, it was so much more than just the shows.
So many great memories. Cant' really think of em all but here's few as I'm totally missing the beacon today.
April fools 94. First time I heard all the BWIAB material. That show stands out as totally over the top to me. First time I heard the Mountain jam tease in Jessica also. Allen Woody handed me a Fender Heavy Pic from the stage afterward.
96 - St Pats weekend. Friday I was up close and it was the show I think of a lot when people talk of the "old" beacon. I remember turning around to look at the crowd during Blue Sky and seeing bedlam. Girls on guys shoulders while double fisting beers etc.. So much fun. Gregg was in rough shape early in the run but he seemed ok by St. Patricks. Dickey was blowing the roof off.
97- Went to the last Woody/Warren show. 3/26. Didn't know it at the time. I had an audience tape of it and you can hear Warren and Woody leaving it all on the field so to speak.
98. Went to the first Jack Pearson/Otiel beacon show after seeing the first show they did at Great Woods and then Jones Beach that summer. Dickey seemed a little off but I went to the closer on a Sunday night. Literally the last row. What a night. Me and my friends kept shouting " LAST SHOW !! LAST ROW " !!! It seemed to go on forever. I have a fond memory of Gregg helping Jaimoe down off the riser after the encore and house lights were up.
99 - Only hit one show. Kind of one of those out of control beacon nights. Way too many standing room tickets sold. Anyone remember when they sold standing room tics? One of Jacks last shows.
00 - . The shows I recall were better than they seem on peakin at the beacon except St Paddys day, Dickey was all over the place from celebrating. I really recall DTB and Otiel at after hours jams at places like the wetlands and Izzy Bar. lots of people recall wetland but Izzy bar had Otiel with Soul Live on a Sunday night after the last show. Incredible. Fun time and I was young so what to do the next day ? Hit Mets opening day Shea of course to see them win walk off style. They'd make the series that year to lose to the Yanks.
01 - first night back with Warren. How's this gonna work ? I don't know but it works !
St Pats day. Only time I had a legit front row seat. Had my beer by Otiel's bare feat. Derek and Warren breaking strings during whipping post. This may not be Warren just helping out, i think they're a real band...
02 - wow ! new songs and guest jams. Went to a lot of shows this run. Hazy memories though.
03 - Same deal. Recall some of the Otis tunes they did with Warren singing and spot light on Jaimoe. Loved that. Return of Come and Go Blues.
04 - only hit one mid week show and it was alright. The recording I had of the closing night was great though.
05 - went 1 night. BIG HOUSE SHOW !! Great Great night !
06. Back to going multiple nights. Great memory of Cornell Dupree, Derek, Mike Mattison, Bernard Purdie and Jerry Jermont hanging the old P&G bar after the show. Mid week. Once 12 o'clock rolled around it was mostly empty and nobody bothered them. Cornell was the coolest. His wife looked like Tina Turner in the 70s . Gregg seemed the most animated I'd seen him on stage when introducing them.
07. Took my wife to her first beacon show. Warren had the flu and Susan T sat in. Decent show. My wife had fun but still doesn't get the insanity the music drives me too.
09 -. 1 show. 3/26 !! Nuff said. Tried the Clapton 2nd night. No dice.
10 - UP. Wasn't bad and I liked hanging in the heights since it was so much cheaper than the UWS. Presidente Beer Buckets ! Couldn't help to think they lost some momentum gained fro m the triumph of 09 though.
11. 2 shows. Don't recall much but had a good time. This was around the time the UWS was really changing.
12 - went to the closer. No Gregg. An interesting show to listen to. Liked the trumpet player Maurice Brown and all the guests. Greggs voice on the recordings of the other nights are too hard to listen to. They should of cancelled that run IMO.
13- the band seemed to be staging a come back. Saw 2nd set that my friend called space ship beacon. 1983 by Hendrix showed up in Mt Jam or another tune and it was lift off !
14 went to a march night w juke horns . Good time. 14 went second to last night and it was the best I heard them since 3/26/09.
Man do I miss the ABB
Great stuff tommars! I always enjoyed your insights and notes. I didn't get there until 1999 (less than 2 years after finding this site) so i love hearing about the 1990s Beacon runs!
