Last night was a beautiful celebration for a not-so beautiful tragedy. In loving memory of Butch Trucks, family and friends came together for a special tribute show at American Beauty in NYC. The Brandon Niederauer Band opened up the night with some originals, covers, and a scorching cover of “Whipping Post” to close their 1+ hour set.
The Allman Brothers theme continued as famed biographer Alan Paul and his Big In China band took the stage. Special guests Andy Aledort (Dickey Betts Band), Peter Levin (Gregg Allman Band), and Junior Mack (Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band) were also all on deck for an incredible evening of ABB classics, with more surprise sit-ins from Tim Woods and Ben Sparaco. From “Statesboro Blues,” “Blue Sky,” “Sweet Melissa,” “Dreams,” and an amazing “Liz Reed” that featured the young guitar virtuoso and his jaw-dropping talents, the evening came out on top to define “celebration” in more ways than one.
The event included a silent auction with donated Allman Brothers memorabilia to raise money for The Big House Museum in Macon, GA. If you weren’t able to attend, and would still like to make a donation, head to this website. It was truly special to see so many people come together in loving memory of the Freight Train man himself. Enjoy these videos below, courtesy of sgibson818:
Alan Paul’s Big In China w/ special guests:
[photo by Joel Fried]