i just want to echo the other posters’ sentiments; this concert was awesome, great setlist and tight playing. i also wonder if someone was fortunate enough to tape the show and generous enough to share it?

OK. As expected, Warren Haynes “called out” but C. Leavell sat in, and I’m familiar with Jack Pearson from the pre-Haynes days as well as his solo work and his session work so I figured the show had some promise.

Listen, I’ve been seeing the band since the early 70’s and I’ve seen just about every configuration imaginable(I grew up in NYC, made some of the Fillmore shows…drove up from NJ for this show) – I even saw them once in Copenhagen Denmark – so I’m not prone to gush over every facial expression, and how many times Jack smiled at Derek and what brand of shoe Oteil was wearing. Honestly, they weren’t all that good in the late 70’s/early 80’s. We’ve all read the papers from back then..the drug busts, the OD’s, the Cher “thing”, so I hesitate to call this show a throw-back to the 70’s.

Since Dickey left the band I’ve been wondering if I’d ever hear E.
Reed and Jessica live again (outside of a D. Betts concert) so it was fun/intersting to hear those songs tonight. Next I’d love to hear Blue Sky.

Honestly, I think the show got off to a slow start even though I felt that there was a better “chemistry” between Derek and Jack than with Derek and Warren. Going against common opinion, I don’t think the sax player added much to the show.

The way I saw it, the show heated up during the drum/bass solos and then into Southbound and Jessica (interesting 3 solo version..Chuck, Jack and Derek). The encore of Whipping Post was pretty good and I can describe Jack’s solos as “effortless screaming rock and roll’. He’s a smooth player with a great feel for the material.

What I really enjoyed about the show was that I was sitting next to a young lady who was at her first ABB concert. I envied her enthusiasm and was jelous at the fact the she had just “discovered” a “new band”.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the ABB at the Beacon last March but I’ve heard some tapes so I know they blew the doors off the place.

I’m heading back home tomorrow, and looking forward to seeing Dickey at BB King’s in NYC Thursday night.

As an aside; Moe was the opening act. My 15 year old step-daughter is a big Moe fan so I was expecting a teeny-bopper band, but they jammed the hell out of their set. It’s really nice to see a young band working their act.

wow….were they ever smoking tonight…

the combination of extended jamming, a setlist based soley on late 60’s/early 70’s songs, a vibrant Canadain crowd, Greg’s bang on vocals, Derek taking a leadership role, the insanely tight rythym section and Jack, Ron and Chuck jamming along made this the best show out of the eight I have seen thus far…

i’d love a copy of this show if anyone has one.

It was great to have the Band back in Toronto this year. A very decent crowd and in my opinion they were very enthusiastic. A pat on the back to all the Canadian PeachHeads.

After hearing that Warren wouldn’t be playing I was a little disappointed, however after seeing the Band tonight with Jack Pearson filling in, my disappointment faded quickly. I am not going to tell you how great everyone was, because all the superlatives have been said before, but it was nice to see Derek have a chance to shine playing the lionshare of the slide tonight. The band was tight, smiles all around, they looked like they were having as good a time as the audience was. Gregg was right on tonight and sounded great.

Here are my highlights, the show was a throwback to the early 1970’s, including only songs from the first 4 studio albums up to Brothers and Sisters. We got a real surprise when during the 4th song (Liz Reed) Chuck Leavell sat down at the keyboard and pounded the ivorys for the next 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Elizabeth Reed gave everyone a chance to solo including saxaphonist Ron Holloway.
I got to hear Dimples performed live for the first time with Jack on vocals with some great guitar interplay.
I also heard Leave My Blues At Home for the first time and it included an awesome drum solo, especially near the end of the solo when, Jaimoe, Mark and Butch, seemed like they where going around the horn chasing each other. Nobody left for the concession stand during the drum solo either, as is normally the case.

Here is the set list:

One Way Out
Ain’t Wastin Time No More
Midnight Rider
Elizabeth Reed
You Don’t Love Me
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin
Stormy Monday
Dimples – Jack vocals
Stateboro Blues
Leave My Blues at Home
>Drums
>Bass
>Leave My Blues at Home
Southbound – only time Jack played slide
Jessica
Encore:
Whipping Post

came to see the site as this will be our first ABB concert …. ohhh I hope I hear Whipping Post and of course (more importantly) Jessica for Babkatt… she always hushes the room when that song comes on… and dances !! … she is an Allman Sister if I ever met one 😉