Friday, 19 March 2010
Allman Brothers Band United Palace Theatre New York 18 March 2010
10:01 Logged in as usual, but with the sound turned down while I wait for the latest cyclone advice over the radio. Darkened stage with 'shroom backdrop in evidence.
10:06 Cyclone advisory hasn't been updated yet (probably will be around eleven) so a case of check it at Intermission. In any case, it's not as if it's urgent. Current projections have it crossing the coast early (as in predawn) Sunday morning.
While we know these things are unpredictable, and it's advisable to refrain from counting unhatched chickens given that scenario (and it has basically been unchanged for around 24 hours) that makes it likely I'll be catching Friday's show (Saturday morning here) and may be able to catch the final show (power permitting).
10:09 Mississippi Queen over the PA. Haven't heard that in years. Topical since I'm reading The Missing by Tim Gautreaux.
10:12 Sound drops with Mississippi Queen unfinished. Comes back as a different track. Not sure what it is...
On the subject of Moogis and Cyclone Ului, it's worth pointing out that with about forty hours to go till things are likely to get interesting, there's going to be a lot of sitting and waiting, once preparations has been finalised. Two Moogis streams at around three and a half hours each are going to fill in a fair bit of waiting time.
10:15 Tuning noises. Power chords with PA in the background.
10:17 Crowd hum and PA drops momentarily.
10:21 Bangs and thumps suggest we're about to go live.
10:22 Drums getting a solid workout. PA inaudible but it comes back up a minute or so later, then drops out again.
10:24 And comes back up again. Interesting version of It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. A week ago these dropouts would have had me highly agitato, now, they're merely noted while we wait for them to come back up. What a difference a week makes...
10:26 Surge of crowd noise. Applause from Madam, who's decided to be present for the start today.
10:27 Blue-lit stage.
10:29 Statesboro Blues. Note that Warren's looking rather sombre. Playing's fine but possibly preoccupied about something.
10:34 Nice little introductory riff runs into
10:36 Don't Keep Me Wondering, which has me wondering whether this was the same intro used back on opening night. Haven't gone back to watch that opening show as yet, and of course there were streaming issues on opening night.
10:41 Ain't Wastin' Time No More
10:51 Riff sounds like Comin' Home, which it duly proves to be. Scan horizon for Susan, but vocals covered by Warren on his own.
10:58 Instrumental time. Sound cuts momentarily. Bag End? Don't think it's Instrumental Illness. Must find time to listen to more instrumentals. Sound drops out again. Consultation with the printed set-lists suggests a first set instrumental sequence of Kind Of Bird, Egypt, Bag End, Kind Of Bird, Egypt. On that basis, conclude this is Bag End. Need a recording of this. Are they going to be selling these shows on line?
11:10 Come On In My Kitchen. Just Gregg and Warren at the start. Nice. Gregg's obviously slipped off stage during Bag End since hair is now tied back. As Derek gets in on the act Kitchen sounds like the version they used to do a few years back in the acoustic mini-set but with added electricity.
11:16 Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City. Never mind the heart of the city, love's an increasingly rare commodity world-wide.
11:22 Sounds like Into The Mystic. Sure is.
11:27 We'd like to welcome Scott Sharrard to play some guitar with us. And he fits in well, which comes as no surprise when subsequent investigations reveal he's the guitarist in the Gregg Allman Band, so he's obviously familiar with You Don't Love Me.
11:35 Intermission.
Hmmm. Not quite an hour, which seems slightly on the short side. Recall Warren's possible earlier preoccupation.
Gives me something to think about as I head into the office to check the cyclone update, which reveals it's around 16.7S 156.9E, dropped to Category 2, wind strength falling, but looks like it has finally turned towards the coast. They've got it crossing the coast between here and Proserpine, which is far too close for comfort.
11:46 Commercials. Actually, loud commercials. WTF?? Blank screen follows.
11:48 Hendrix Little Wing is a vast improvement. Visuals are back.
11:55 Sounds like Jeremy Spencer-era Fleetwood Mac. Can't Hold Out. Actually I can, but I know where he's coming from. Speaking of holding out, consider the regulation intermission glass of wine, but decide against it on the grounds that I'm not having the regulation intermission nibbles.
11:57 Ohio.
12:02 The regular blues video clip on the backdrop.
12:05 ABB logo on the screen.
12:06 Blasts of guitar chords. Ready to resume?
12:11 Obviously weren't given the five minute gap. Audible glitches as we await the resumption. Sounds like we're in for something acoustic.
12:12 Melissa. No Derek at the moment.
12:18 Derek's back. Mountain Jam, which is wonderful as usual and runs into
12:31 Desdemona, without returning to the Mountain Jam theme.
12:34 A sax has snuck in there unannounced. No idea who it is but there seems to be another microphone stage left of this dude. Jukes horns coming up? As it turns out, no.
12:38 Sound cuts, vision freezes. When the problem doesn't right itself go back out, come in again and all is fine again. Once again reflect what a difference a week makes.
12:43 Momentary freeze.
12:44 Jay Collins on the saxophone.
12:46 Black Hearted Woman. We have a little confusion about the words, folks. Derek seems mildly amused.
12:50 Oteil! Tasty. For some reason spot there's a bloke in what looks like a bluish suit behind him. Another guest?
12:52 Vision freezes momentarily, resuming just in time for the percussion switcheroo. Oteil seems to have taken his time getting there...
12:58 The switch back.
1:00 Nice Derek/ Oteil interplay, and now Warren's in there too.
1:01 Vision freezes just as they hit the play out,
1:09 Back to Mountain Jam. Marc on tympani. Third Stone teases.
1:13 and there's the Mountain Jam theme back again about forty minutes after it had its reappearance deferred. Finish with Butch on the tympani.
1:15 Thank you so very much. Encore break. Note that Jaimoe is the last to leave the stage, well after everybody else and moving rather gingerly, though I must admit it's the first time I've noticed him moving on or off stage.
1:17 Momentary cut.
1:18 Crowd shots. Drums. Jaimoe back? Jay Collins is, and Jaimoe's there now.
1:20 We want to thank y'all for coming all the way up here. No mention of possible change of venue next year.
Whipping Post
1:37 Thank you. Thank y'all so much. See you tomorrow night, Sure thing, Gregg. I'll be there. Not so sure about the last one, though.
1:38 Little Martha.
So there you go. Another day, another show. Been a great run so far, and the convenience totally blows me away. Will definitely be signing up for Moogis whenever it’s available.
And the set list:
Set 1:
Statesboro Blues
Don't Keep Me Wonderin'
Ain't Wastin' Time No More
Coming Home > Bag End > Come On In My Kitchen
Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
Into The Mystic
You Don't Love Me (Scott Sharrard, guitar)
Set 2:
Melissa
Mountain Jam > Desdemona (Jay Collins, saxophone)
Black Hearted Woman > JaBuMaOt > Black Hearted Woman > Mountain Jam
Encore:
Whipping Post (Jay Collins, saxophone)
