On Tuesday night, The Brothers closed a five-year loop with their return to Madison Square Garden, where they played their first and only prior show just before COVID-19 shut the world down. On Wednesday, the latter-day Allman Brothers Band offshoot continued, per scripture, down the never-ending road they helped to pave with one more night at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
The Brothers—comprised of the band’s sole surviving original member, drummer Jaimoe, in addition to veteran members Warren Haynes (guitar, lead vocals), Derek Trucks (guitar), Oteil Burbridge (bass), and Marc Quiñones (percussion)—were joined once again by Joe Russo (drums), Reese Wynans (organ), and special guest Chuck Leavell (keys), whose appearances in both sets reliably pushed the band in creative directions.
The question on many fans’ lips as they filed into the Garden for night two pertained to the setlist: Last night featured a ton of heavy-hitters; would the setlist stay the same for night two?
The answer largely wound up being “no.” Only six of the 21 songs The Brothers played on Wednesday also appeared on Tuesday’s setlist, and four of those six moved from set one to set two or vice versa. In fact, the only two songs that appeared in the same slot on both nights were a first set-closing “Jessica” and an encore “Whipping Post”—something no Allman Brothers Band fan would likely want to change.
After all, “Jessica” is something of a signature song for both the Allman Brothers Band and Chuck Leavell (that’s him spinning rock piano gold on the original 1973 Brothers and Sisters studio version), and a climactic “Whipping Post” was a big reason why we all were here in the first place: As the band noted when these MSG shows were announced, the 2025 return of The Brothers was inspired by last fall’s SOULSHINE hurricane relief benefit, where Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks reconnected on the Garden’s hallowed stage for, among other selections, a show-stopping “Whipping Post” (which happened to feature Joe Russo on drums).
That sort of “because it feels good” energy filled the stage on Wednesday night as Warren and Derek led the band through a setlist heavy on smokey blues vamps, surprising jams on Allman Brothers deep cuts (“Desdemona”, hot damn!), cathartic sing-alongs (“Soulshine” and “Melissa” brought emotion in abundance), thunderous peaks, and moments of awe-inspiring exploration on foundational ABB compositions like “Blue Sky”, “Midnight Rider”, and “Les Brers in A Minor”.
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Underscoring the exceptional musicianship was a tone of deep reverence, from the visual (the former “new guys” in a band that predates them now looking like the elder statesmen they are today, dressed in chic black suits under a liquid-light mushroom) to the emotional (seeing a wide grin on a bouncing, exuberant Burbridge is par for the course, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Derek Trucks smile so much onstage).
None of these musicians necessarily needs to play the Allman Brothers Band’s music. More than half of the players onstage at the Garden this week have other bands that play venues the same size or bigger than the Allmans did for much of their tenure. Warren’s got Gov’t Mule and the Warren Haynes Band. Derek’s got Tedeschi Trucks Band (from which he enlisted alternate Brothers drummer Isaac Eady). Joe regularly hits amphitheaters and major festivals with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Marc tours with The Doobie Brothers. Oteil returns to Sphere with Dead & Company this weekend. Chuck has been musical director for The Rolling Stones for 40+ years. But they returned to bear the Allman Brothers Band mantle because they, like so many of us, understand the timelessness of its impact.
Jaimoe, who played for most of the show with Eady subbing in only occasionally, beamed with pride as he stepped to the microphone in his “SOUND IS GOD” t-shirt for the final word on his Brothers at MSG: “I don’t know what I would do without these guys, and we don’t know what we would do without you. Why don’t we come back tomorrow night and do it again?”
If only, Jaimoe. Here’s to catching you again further on down the road.
Below, view the setlist from night two of The Brothers at MSG as well as a full audience audio recording, a selection of videos, and a gallery of photos from the night via David Gray.
Setlist: The Brothers | Madison Square Garden | New York, NY | 4/16/25
Set One: Don’t Want You No More (Spencer Davis Group), It’s Not My Cross to Bear, I Must Have Done Somebody Wrong (Eddie Kirkland), Revival, Every Hungry Woman, Dreams, I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon), Soulshine [1], Stand Back [1], Desdemona [1], Jessica [1]
Set Two: Melissa, Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, No One to Run With, One Way Out (Elmore James), Midnight Rider [1], Good Morning School Girl (Sonny Boy Williamson) [1], Blue Sky [1], Les Brers in A Minor [1], Southbound [1]
Encore: Whipping Post
Notes: Band lineup featured The Brothers—Jaimoe (drums), Warren Haynes (guitars, vocals), Derek Trucks (guitars), Oteil Burbridge (bass), and Marc Quiñones (percussion)—along with Joe Russo (drums), Reese Wynans (keys), Isaac Eady (drums). All songs by the Allman Brothers Band except where otherwise noted; [1] with Chuck Leavell.
The Brothers – Madison Square Garden – 4/15/25 – Full-Show Audio
[Audio: Taped by Alex Leary]
