Brooklyn Comes Alive announced its massive artist lineup last week, with over 100 artists slated to perform 35+ sets across two days in the heart of Williamsburg. This year, the event is expanding to two days, September 23 & 24, and will take over three of Brooklyn’s premier venues—Brooklyn Bowl, The Hall at MP, and Music Hall of Williamsburg—all within a 10-minute walking radius. While figuring out which musicians will team up for one of the festival’s signature one-off sets has become one of the most fun parts of the Brooklyn Comes Alive experience, we’re ready to roll out some of the surprises. Brooklyn Comes Alive is proud to announce the first of many sets at this year’s event, a star-studded tribute set entitled “The Road Goes On Forever: Celebrating The Music Of The Allman Brothers Band.”
The Road Goes On Forever will bring together members of some of the biggest bands in improvisational music to pay homage to the earth-shattering impact of the music of the Allman Brothers Band. Joel Cummins and Kris Myers of Umphrey’s McGee will team up with Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe., Nate Werth from Snarky Puppy, and a pair of musicians from Gregg Allman Band–bassist Brett Bass, and guitarist, vocalist, and musical director Scott Sharrard–to perform some beloved tunes from the Allman Brothers Band catalog.
Special guests are also slated to appear throughout the set, including New York guitar prodigy and School of Rock The Musical star Brandon “Taz” Niederauer–who was mentored by both late greats Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks from an early age.
When asked what the Allman Brothers mean to him, moe.’s Al Schnier stated:
The Allman Brothers “At Fillmore East” changed the landscape of live rock music, & particularly the place of the guitar in an improvisational ensemble forever more. They somehow blended these very American elements of Jazz, Blues, & Soul into something uniquely theirs, yet timeless all the same. And that album, their sound became part of my DNA at an early age. To this day, the twin guitar combo in moe. would not be what it is if not for the path forged by Duane Allman & Dickey Betts.
Joel Cummins, keyboardist extraordinaire for Umphrey’s McGee, was equally effusive about the Allman Brothers, explaining:
The Allman Brothers are one of rock n roll’s most seminal bands in history, forging a path for many musicians today that have followed in their footsteps. As a keyboardist myself, Gregg Allman & Chuck Leavell‘s masterful work on organ & piano influenced the way I approach music. It will be an honor to pay tribute to a group of musicians Umphrey’s McGee loves and respects so much.Â
Finally, Scott Sharrard had some touching words to share about his mentor and former bandmate, Gregg Allman. Sharrard was the musical director for the final eight years of the Gregg Allman Band, and also was a frequent collaborator of Allman’s in his later years, helping him to write new music and to shape his live show. Scott will serve as musical director for The Road Goes On Forever, and he had this to say about this set at Brooklyn Comes Alive:
What Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks did was rain truth daggers of love and unity in every salvo of sound from the stage. One true note can slice into every heart. I believe this was their goal every time that they took the stage, I never saw them miss. It will be a pleasure to honor these founding members of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Alongside some friends, both old and new, we will do our best to “hit the note” at Brooklyn Comes Alive.
The 2017 Brooklyn Comes Alive lineup features members of Umphrey’s McGee, moe., The Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident, Trey Anastasio Band, and so many more. Iconic legends such as John Scofield, George Porter Jr., Cyril Neville, DJ Premier, Johnny Vidacovich, and Henry Butler will join members of nationally-touring bands such as GRAMMY-winners Snarky Puppy, The Meters, Primus, Soulive, Lettuce, The Motet, Lotus, Railroad Earth, The Infamous Stringdusters,Yonder Mountain String Band, The Russ Liquid Test, SunSquabi, Pendulum, Destroid, The Crystal Method, Midnight North, Aqueous, Kung Fu, Electric Beethoven, and more. Check out the full lineup of artists below, and stay tuned for upcoming announcements about bands, supergroup formations, and special tribute sets.
Each ticket grants attendees in-and-out access to all three venues, creating the feeling of an indoor music festival all within the heart of Williamsburg. In true Brooklyn Comes Alive-fashion, a brunch set will kick off the music each day, and performances will continue into the early hours of the morning with special late-night performances.
To find out more about ticketing, VIP options, and lodging, head to the festival website.
