On Thursday night, legendary blues musician and founding centerpiece of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman, would have turned 75. To celebrate his life and music, a special tribute concert was held in his honor, featuring a lineup of nationally acclaimed country stars. The concert took place at the band’s beloved home, the Beacon Theatre in Upper West Side, Manhattan on a blustery December evening.
This one-of-a-kind event paid homage to Allman’s career and enduring legacy. The house band was anchored by Peter Levin (longstanding member of Gregg Allman Band and currently with Trouble No More) and alongside him stood Kenny Greenberg on lead guitar, Justin Schipper on steel guitar, Alison Prestwood on bass, Mike Rojas on keyboards, and Nick Buda on drums. A revolving door of musicians allowed several prominent Nashvillagers including Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Needtobreathe, Charles Kelley, Gavin DeGraw, Shaun Munday, Lucie Silvas, Jackson Dean, and Kameron Marlowe to grace the stage.
Sadly, Gregg Allman passed away at the age of 69 in 2017, leaving a hole in the hearts of ABB fans and an archive of timeless songs, wild stories, and a lifetime dedicated to performing the blues. He is honored as a pioneer of Southern rock after founding the Allman Brothers Band with his slide guitar virtuouso brother, Duane Allman. Over the course of his career, he also released several solo albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Related: Remembering Gregg Allman With A “Whipping Post” From Every Decade [Videos]
Despite his contributions to rock and roll, the tribute concert featured a lineup of mainstream country stars, which some fans found curious. Many were expecting to see some of Allman’s fellow Southern rockers, his bandmates, or other musicians from the rock and roll world paying tribute to him.
The concert still managed to be a fitting tribute to Allman’s music and legacy as a rotating cast of musicians stepped to the mic and attempted to fill Gregg’s shoes and replicate his irreplaceable sound. The performers sang his most famous songs, including “Midnight Rider” and “Whipping Post”, and shared stories and memories of their experiences at Allman Brothers Band shows—some in attendance for some of ABB’s legendary residencies at the Beacon—or how they were influenced by Gregg’s music.
Charles Kelley opened the show, obliging necessity with a “Statesboro Blues” before moving on to “I’m No Angel” and the Grateful Dead’s “Black Muddy River.” Needtobreathe came next performing “Stand Back” and “Wasted Words”. Lucie Silvas and John Osbourne took centerstage for covers of “Trouble No More” and “These Days”.
Needtobreathe – “Stand Back” – 12/8/22
[Video: Angela Rissler]
Country star Jackson Dean commandeered the spotlight for a coupling of “Multi-Colored Lady” and “Please Call Home” before the stage cleared to give bass phenomenon Shaun Munday space to hammer out a unique interpretation of “Leave My Blues at Home”. Surprise guest Gavin DeGraw emerged from the shadows of the gilded proscenium arch connecting “Don’t Want You No More” with “It’s Not My Cross to Bear”. Before walking offstage, he belted out a haunting version of “Soulshine” under the remnants of the waning Cold Moon.
Kameron Marlowe shuffled the cards and dealt out “Win, Lose or Draw” before bringing the audience to its feet with the rising guitar progressions of the fan favorite “Whipping Post”. Brothers Osbourne and the house band were joined once more by Lucie Silvas for a sing-along of “Revival” before the claps died down to ace a heartfelt “Melissa”—the first composition that Gregg ever wrote.
To close out the lengthy set, Old Dominion came aboard to dish out flavorful servings of “Ain’t Wasting Time No More”, “Just Ain’t Easy”, and a closing “One Way Out”. Ending the night in the same off-the-cuff campfire jam style, the entire cast came forward to contribute to a group take on Gregg’s opus “Midnight Rider”.
Overall, the Gregg Allman 75th Birthday Tribute Concert was a unique event that celebrated the life and music of an American legend. Despite the curious lineup of mainstream country stars, the concert successfully paid tribute to Allman’s enduring legacy and the lasting impact of his music. To quote one of the final lyrics of the evening, “The road goes on forever”, and that is evident by the various acts and lineups that carry Allman Brothers Band’s torch. For the ones who enjoyed them in any iteration of ABB, we were the lucky ones.
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