Description
The band’s 1989 reunion revivified the Allman Brothers Band, leading to a pair of acclaimed studio albums and a full-fledged return to the road. The addition of percussionist Marc Quinones in 1990 finally brought to life the triple percussion ensemble Duane had envisioned when first uniting the band and by 1992, The Allman Brothers Band were definitely in an unstoppable groove. night run.
Specifically selected for coming closest in spirit to Bill Graham’s long gone Fillmore East, the beloved Upper West Side venue had previously hosted the ABB during their 1989 reunion tour and felt to the band like a place they could call home. Kicking off on March 10th, the Beacon shows blended recent fan favorites like “Get On With Your Life,” “End Of The Line,” and “Nobody Knows” with such stone cold classics as “Statesboro Blues,” “Blue Sky,” “Jessica,” “Revival,” and of course, “Whipping Post,” all played with the distinctive invention and muscularity that defined this particular ABB line-up. Highlights include an elongated “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” as well as a stunning “Dreams,” Gregg’s immediately identifiable voice infusing every lyric with history, nuance, and soulful emotion.
As ever, the setlist features a number of classic blues, spanning obscurities to staples such as “Hoochie Coochie Man,” here marked by Haynes’ lead vocals and snarling slide work. Furthermore, Play All Night sees the Brothers unplug for a three-song acoustic interlude encompassing bare-boned renditions of Betts’ “Seven Turns” and Allman’s “Midnight Rider,” as well as a buoyant take on the Robert Johnson standard, “Come On In My Kitchen.”
“1991-92 was a period of great creativity for that configuration of the Allman Brothers,” Haynes says, “and these shows capture a true moment in time for the group. It’s cool that the acoustic set is included, because it gives the fans a chance to hear some rare versions of particular songs. All in all, I think Play All Night represents how on fire that band could be on any given night at that point in their history.”
