Aside from the obvious (1971) I am partial to 1973, 1994 and 1996. There was some amazing jamming in 96

73-75 & 79, 89-91

Skipping the 69-72 years as obvious.

My next favorite would be 1989 as I once again got to see The Allman Brothers Band touring and meet the guys.

1992 thru 1995 - I think the Dickey/Warren combo was at it's peak. Warren was still climbing and Dickey was on fire.

1996 - Warren was in a zone. Dickey was starting to show some signs of fatigue. There are some nights where BWIAB is an absolute Warren Monster (Still miss it) tune and then when it is Dickey's turn he cuts his solo very short. Almost as if saying "Fuck it I can't come close to that.".

The events that followed were proof that there was tension. Warren and Woody gone and I thought I would never see another golden ABB moment. Then Jack Pearson shows up and what a tour that was.

The following tour was lackluster for me. Derek joined and was good but not what he would later become. Dickey was fading a bit more. I thought that maybe the golden moments had passed.

Then Derek and Jimmy go off the charts and here we go again. That was when Derek started to rise above his former work. Jimmy was so much energy and got Derek fired up.

How could it possibly get better? It couldn't possibly happen.

Then Govt Mule and the Allman tours meet up in Toronto. Warren, Woody and Matt sit sit with The Allmans for the first time in a few years and the emotions and the playing were completely off the charts. I turned to my friend and said "Warren's back.". It was what the ABB needed and it was obvious to all.

Bitter sweet as the following night was the last time that I saw the original Govt Mule as Woody passed shortly after. When I knew that night that Warren was going to be back with the ABB. I never thought that Woody's death would be part of the reason.

So I guess I like all the years. LOL

Shows in 70 and especially 71 were amazing and spiritually it was like going to a Jimmy Swaggart tent revival.

The later lineups didn't match 70 and 71 for me but they had peak years where it was close and real good.

1973, 1979, 1990 (except Johnny Neal seemed often out of sync with the rest of band which was very tight
), 1991, 92, 94, 95, 96 ( Dickey shaky at a couple shows in 96. Truncated solos on Where It All Begins, Whipping Post etc)), Jack, Otiel shows as hot as 91 and 92 in 1997. Raleigh in 1997 Dickey was in 1971 form and Jack just as good.Saw three hot shows with Derek in 1999. Derek said in interview that growing up he wore out copies of Fillmore East and Eat A Peach and Duane Allman was his biggest influence and to play those old songs with Dickey was just surreal. Thought last lineup was hottest from 2005 to 2009. I could often hear Derek and Warren throwing in Duane and Dickey licks on the old stuff. Really liked their take on All Along The Watchtower and all the instrumentals, old and new such as Bag End, were extremely good.

I didn't like them playing Blue Sky and Seven Turns but I don't want to get that started again.

Someone I knew in the 70s with Capricorn records shot me an Email saying that supposedly Otiel got permission from Dickey to do Seven Turns. And that Derek, Warren and Otiel were they ones trying to get Dickey to play with the band again especially at the 40th Beacon shows. Butch was very opposed and that is why Butch told the press they were inviting all these players who played with Duane except Dickey and suddenly Dickey was invited after all. Warren and Derek convinced Gregg that Butch was wrong. It would look ridiculous to invite Eric Clapton and others because they played with Duane and not invite the one that played in the band with Duane. Said Dickey didnt show the several times including 2014 because he wanted a phone call from Gregg which I already knew but Gregg wasn't ready. Oddly soon after 2014, Gregg and Dickey did start talking on the phone which continued until Gregg died and Gregg would credit Dickey by name when Gregg played Southbound and said he wanted to leave a place on his new album for Dickey to play s solo. So apparently Gregg and Dickey were brothers again but Butch remained estranged from Dickey. Has anyone heard that Gregg wanted Dickey to play on a track on his new album but because of Gregg's failing health it never happened?

Dickey apparently isn't in good enough shape today to play, sing or fly. He was brought to an Allman Betts Band show last fall but sat in a chair to the side and never played. Hope he gets better.

[Edited on 3/8/2020 by blackey]

Johnny Neal seemed often out of sync with the rest of band which was very tight

I would agree with this, never really feeling that Johnny was a good fit

We'll always be nostalgic over the "original" years, but how many of us actually saw that line-up?

The greatness of the music and line-ups can be debated. Having grown up in Atlanta with slightly older siblings and a grandfather who lived across the street from Piedmont Park, I certainly have affinity for those days.

Favorite years? There was a camaraderie among fans and followers during the 2000's that existed thanks to no small part of this website. Lot's of pre-show meetings in bars, restaurants, parking lots and even in the homes of individuals. Maybe I'm getting sentimental in my senior days, but those were really good times! I can always cue up the music (original releases, Instant Lives and even fan recordings), but I made great friendships with a lot of like-minded fans during this period.

I’d have to say 1997-98, when Jack & Oteil joined - as great as Warren & Woody were, I liked the sound of the band even better in those years
Agree w 89-91, disagree that Johnny Neel didn’t fit

Each post Duane-BO lineup brought something to the table that kept me as a fan the whole way through

The Warren and Allen Woody years are my second favorite line-up, just like 69-71 will always be my first.

We'll always be nostalgic over the "original" years, but how many of us actually saw that line-up?

The greatness of the music and line-ups can be debated. Having grown up in Atlanta with slightly older siblings and a grandfather who lived across the street from Piedmont Park, I certainly have affinity for those days.

Favorite years? There was a camaraderie among fans and followers during the 2000's that existed thanks to no small part of this website. Lot's of pre-show meetings in bars, restaurants, parking lots and even in the homes of individuals. Maybe I'm getting sentimental in my senior days, but those were really good times! I can always cue up the music (original releases, Instant Lives and even fan recordings), but I made great friendships with a lot of like-minded fans during this period.

Spot on regarding your third paragraph. I was late to the ABB party as you can tell by my join date but those were fun times fan wise. This was my favorite place to hangout on the net. Made more friends and acquaintances here than other websites I participated in. Even made donations to causes and people I never met but they were part of the ABB family. The late TanDan told me once that there is always some kind of a connection when you meet another Allman Brothers fan, more so than other musical acts and bands. He was right.

Thanks for the good times everyone. To many more. The road goes on forever...

1969-71 - nothing more can be written.

1972-76 - gradual erosion but periods of brilliance especially in 1973.

1979-82 - started off well but the Arista years were a disaster.

1992 - some great shows, particularly in September.

1993 - unveiling new material. Liked Little Martha in acoustic sets.

1994 - well played shows but repetitive set lists.

1995 - introduced some marginal material like "Cant Get to Heaven on a $10 bill"

1996 - peak year for Warren/Woody. The spring shows are spectacular including run in Chicago. Some improvisational magic on True Gravity and some new tunes.

1998 - solid Beacon Run and run at Fox in September

1999 - not a lot of highlight and some questionable material towards the end (Georgia on a Fast Train?). Still Derek's solo on Blue Sky at the Birmingham show foreshadowed what was to come.

2000 - Beacon and spring shows led to questions about viability. Steven Seagal sit in had to be a low point. Jimmy reinvigorated the summer especially after show at Star Lake in Pittsburgh. Terrific cover of Loan me A Dime.

2001 - Warren back and new material

2003 - last shows of the summer were among the best (Scranton, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh). The Charlotte Mtn Jam was likely the best of the last line up.

2005 - some terrific shows

2009 - the last consistent run of shows

2013 - solid Beacon run but shows stagnated in the summer.

1989 - 1994. Great time of my life to get to see a reformed band kick ass

For me it would have to be 1994 just because it was my re-introduction to the band. They headlined The HORDE Festival that year, it was at Shoreline Amphitheatre, and if I said I was blown away by them that would be an understatement. Although it had been 5 years I was not even aware that the band was back together. I went with low expectations. I had seen them just once before way back in 1975 at The Forum in L.A. That of course was the Chuck Leavell/Lamar Williams era. They were great, a mostly instrumental show. I saw them again at Shoreline in 1995 and it was a jaw-dropping performance, even better than '94.

All that being said, for me personally I caught 20 shows the during final 25 year run from 1989-2014. Every one I was at was a strong show. When they solidified the Trucks/Haynes/Burbridge/Quinones lineup from 2000-2014, for me anyway, that band simply could do NO wrong during those last 15 years. They were really, really ON FIRE. I caught two Beacon shows in 2002. To the best of my knowledge, Gregg stopped using smack right around '99 or 2000 and that contributed greatly to how great the band sounded those last 15 years. And nobody else around had a twin guitar attack anything close to Trucks/Haynes.

[Edited on 3/9/2020 by robslob]

2004 and 2005 were kind of peak years for me. And the 2007 Beacon run was my favorite.

This being "favorite" and not "best", I'm going to go with 1994. Where It All Begins is their most joyous new material, they were everywhere that year (TV, radio, Woodstock '94) after a shaky 1993. 2004 and 2009 were beastly years for the band as well.

Gonna say that for me was 1994, 1996 and 1997.

I loved last two shows I saw 10/27/2014 and year later Sept 2015 Les Brers standing in 3rd or 4 th row.
2014 was not may favorite year but the "Brothers" went out playing fantastic in the last Beacon run.

Well, obviously the Allman Brothers in their original form were completely unique and transcendental in every way, a bit like Hendrix, nothing like them had existed before and they happened to be virtuoso musicians with unwavering focus on music.
But for me 2003 and 2004 just unbelievable performances, all members focused, wise, yet still youthful, at their musical peaks? My first show was July 7th 2003 South Bend IN., (tuff to find in database, due to a 1 day postponement) it was an absolute freakin smoker, 19 songs!!! 2 full instrumentals!!! Dead center front row, after show, Butch gave us a stick and as we sat there stunned 10 minutes later, Warren comes back out and asks us what was goin on here and did we need anything!!!!

On July 13th 2004 Indy, I saw the most powerful show I have seen the ABB deliver, and they knew exactly they was doin it!!! Brutal thunderstorm prior to the general admission outdoor show, I stayed right in line many folks, including my wife took shelter under some walkways and stuff, so we are 15 feet back dead center, anyway rain clears, beautiful skies, New Earth Mud does an opening set, Brothers come on, DWYNM/ NMCTB. Rain blowing off the tarps, Gregg gets a ball cap, pulls it down tight and I mean these boys let loose with with about 2 hours and 15 min of the hardest southern blues ever heard, the drum trio was insane the band was fully efficient, on ALL cylanders, show ends and 20 seconds later, thunderstorm again!!! Crystal clear audience recordings of this show do float around, please, please, please, FIND ONE...............Peace.........joe

hmmmmm....been thinking about this.

1994 was pretty great. Where It all Begins came out and Dickey was back in the fold (we thought it might be all over in the second half of 1993). The Brothers were playing on the radio with new music. I went with a big crew to the see the ABB at Lakewood Amp to see the ABB for my 5th summer in a row.. We were watching a band on it's game.

2003 was great too. I was well connected into the ABB listserv & HTW crowd. Attended the Beacon, went to Gary Wonwayout's pre-show party at the Gine Mill and the Beacon hotel suitees pre-show party, saw the ABB at Lakewood. Hittin the Note came out. Again, the ABB were riding high when we thought I might have been all over a few years before.

2007 was also pretty amazing. Went to the Beacon (saw 3 nights), went to Wanee / Helen's Hilton and saw the band in Atlanta. Saw Derek Trucks Band, with Susan opening, at the Fox for NYE. A few of us hosted a pre-show party at the Ga Terrace. ABB family and great tunes were in big supply.

So hard to name just one for me!

Though a fan for years earlier, the 1st time you attend a band's show is always special, so I'll start with '81 due to the Round-up popping my cherry.

'86 had the Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman solo bands touring with The Band and one special night at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ the Band arrived late and the crowd got an extended set by both Dickey and Greggs Bands, Absolutely Stellar.

'90 had the Allman Brothers tearing down Madison Square Garden, What a vibrant night it was nice Toy stopped in for Southbound, The Seven Turns Album had these guys in a special place and the new music invigorated these shows.

The '89/'90 Dickey and Warren days were the best and when Johnny Neel was up front for the mini acoustic sets it made the best a lil' better. Gregg and Dickey's vocals were strong and sweet.

The whole DB/WH '89/'00 Era was great, I never had a bad night.

Just a couple glimpses that don't do the experiences justice, but a glimpse none the yet.

Colorado, '91

Miami, Fla '91 (Great show that has Little Feat coming out for Southbound @ 36 min mark and the acoustic set with Gregg, Dickey, Warren, & Allen at the 58 min mark)

Conan O'Brien

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[Edited on 3/19/2020 by Fretsman]

2004 and 2005 were kind of peak years for me. And the 2007 Beacon run was my favorite.

Right on Nebish! 2005 was the first time I saw the band live.