Guest Book

Hey now! :wave: Like Libby, I'm still buzzin' (metaphorically speaking) from Tuesday's Knoxville show. Maybe the town was still in a festive mood because of the Vols' big win Monday night...or maybe it was because the band had an extra day off due to the unfortunate cancelling of the Houston show...or maybe it was because Jack Pearson was in the house...whatever it was, everyone was in agreement that something special was in the air. Nicole and I love our little road trips, and this one was no exception. The drive from Louisville to Knoxville (about four hours) is wonderfully scenic, especially the stretch on I-75 between Lexington and Knoxville. Love that southern countryside! And of course, we got in our traditional breakfast at Cracker Barrel...no road trip would be complete without it. We checked into our hotel and got settled and then visited with Krishna and her husband Scott, who would be our party buddies for the rest of the evening. We also drove around downtown Knoxville a bit so we could get a look at the venue and also scout out where our pre-show gathering would take place. Downtown Knoxville was very nice...nothing like I remember it from my childhood--my family and I lived there for two years, back in the mid-70's. Nice to briefly meet Sarge and TP and also to get some rap in with Origapeach at the Downtown Grill & Brewery. We made a brief stop back at the hotel for some last minute tuning up and then hopped in a cab for the short ride to the Civic Auditorium. The cab was Krishna's idea, and I was glad she put it on the table. Driving back to the hotel later would be "one less thing to worry about," as Forest Gump likes to say. We grabbed a cocktail and found our seats. The Civic Auditorium is really small, so I'm sure that there aren't any bad seats, but...we totally lucked out with ours. Sixth row, dead center, on the aisle, no less!! I'm a big fan of the lawn at shed shows, as y'all know, but there definitely is something to be said for being that close. Duh! Felt like I could reach out and touch 'em. Even before the lights went down Butch came out and treated us to several minutes of solo chops, and we knew it was just about... ...showtime! I'm with Libby...somehow, when the band opens with "Don't Want You No More" > "It's Not My Cross To Bear," you just KNOW it is going to be a kick ass night with the Brothers. And then directly into "You Don't Love Me?" Are you kidding?!? Fifteen minutes of pure, uninterrupted Allman Joy. "Midnight Rider" was next, and it pumped up the already enthusiastic crowd even further. Like I said, Knoxville seemd to be in a very festive mood! "Woman Across The River" was next. Someone mentioned here recently that they've tired a bit of this song. I can totally respect that sentiment, as there have been Allmans tunes that I've become burned out on. However, "Woman Across The River" is NOT one of them! I think it is the perfect vehicle for this lineup, and man did they nail it!! Holy cow. Warren and Derek were standing at the center of the stage handing off licks to each other at the end, and the locomotive rhythm section was pumping furiously away behind them. A real highlight for me. "Come And Go Blues" was next, and at this point I realized why Warren and Derek switched places. It appears that Warren gives Gregg vocal cues at certain spots where Gregg might sometimes get turned around on the lyrics. Hey, it happens, right? I mean no disrespect to Gregg by bringing this up. But at the spot in the song after the first guitar solo, when Gregg comes back in with "People say, you're no good..." I noticed Warren turning and looking right at him and mouthing the words. I could be totally wrong about this, of course. Just a theory. The other result of the front line shuffle seems to be that Derek is much more assertive, and much more demonstrative physically than I've ever seen him. Overall, I think the switch works well for all involved. "Every Hungry Woman" was next, one of Nicole's favorites. Some epic call-and-response jamming at the end. "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" isn't one of my favorites, but hey, you've got to make a cocktail run and head call at some point, right? I made it back just in time for the first set closer "Egypt." This song had REALLY come along. Warren pretty much went insane during his solo. In a good way. Ironically, what was for me the highlight of the evening up to that point seemed to kind of lose much of the crowd. I don't how in the world anyone could sit for "Egypt," and yet most of the folks around us did just that. No matter...we just danced like nobody was watching, as the saying goes. Sometimes you've just got to say what the f*ck. The second half opened with "Melissa," a real crowd pleaser. And yes, Gregg did indeed look very sporty in his orange Harley Davidson football jersey. It was fun to see Jack Pearson play bass on "Statesboro Blues," although I really couldn't hear him at all. But he strapped on the guitar for "The Same Thing," and the three-headed monster brought the thunder for the rest of the night. You could really tell that Jack had spent some time with the band this summer. In particular, he had some amazing moments locked in with Derek and Oteil. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Jack Pearson is as good a guitarist as I've ever heard. I've always clung to the belief that the band is still having fun playing. Somehow, that makes it much more enjoyable for me...knowing that they're up there gettin' into it as much as I am. Well, during "The Same Thing," you could really tell that a good time was had by all. Jaimoe and Marc switched places, and there was little Jack, right in the middle of all of it. Everyone was had those goofy grins, like a bunch of school boys that had just heard a dirty joke. Those sorts of moments make it all worthwhile for me. "Dimples" was a treat, and then the set closed with a stellar "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed." I always thought Jack owned this song, and tonight was no exception. His solo built and built and built, and just when you thought it couldn't get any more intense...it did! Wow. The drum trio was particulary satisfying, and I realized that Jaimoe mostly drives the bus for this segment. There was an unusually long stretch where the dynamic was very subtle...Jaimoe laying the jazzy groundwork, Marc adding the texture, and Butch, eyes closed and head nodding, filling in the spatial dimensions on the tympani. What can I say about the drummers that hasn't already been said? I would be being less than honest if I didn't say that I was hoping for something other than "Southbound" for the encore, but with Jack in the house I figured that was what we would get. Don't get me wrong, the song is a total rocker, but with plenty of time left before curfew (the band wound up leaving about ten minutes on the table), I wanted a "Whipping Post" or a "Jessica," pretty much the only two songs I didn't hear this summer. But "Southbound" didn't disappoint, and I thought it was a nice gesture to Jack to have him onstage for the encore. The crescendo at the end was glorious, ear-splitting bliss. On the whole, it was an amazing night of music...THIS is why I travel to see this band do its thing! No other musical entity has ever taken me to that special place like The Allman Brothers Band. You know the place...the place where everything else falls away, and it feels like they're playing just for you. The place where you feel like there isn't ANYTHING else you would rather be doing in that moment. The place where you can't imagine having more fun or feeling more alive. I love that place! Friends, that's the place I was in for most of the night. For fifteen years, the greatest damn band in the land has been taking me there, and for that I am so very grateful. And lastly, I'm also grateful for this site and for the people that I've met here. Sorry to have missed Ellen and Libby, but there is always next time. But we had the pleasure of hangin' with Krishna and Scott for the whole afternoon and evening, and two finer cats you would be hard-pressed to meet. It felt like we had seen dozens of shows together. Nicole remarked at the end of the evening that even though she chides me for my little internet obsession, she sure has loved meeting so many great folks. Thanks to everyone involved for making this community what it is. Y'all are a great bunch! 😀