Monday, 22 March 2010
Allman Brothers Band United Palace Theatre New York 20 March 2010
10:05 Well this is somewhere I certainly didn't expect to be a mere twelve hours ago, when it looked like re-deepening Cyclone Ului could well be planning on running right over the top of the Little House of Concrete.
Even six hours ago, with the danger looking like it had passed, the power out and no way of knowing how things were in the outside world (darkness does that to you) I wasn't overly hopeful. Optimistic, perhaps if you can slide a sliver of differentiation between what we'd like to happen, and what you think is realistically possible.
As recently as an hour ago, listening to the regional council mayor interviewed on the radio while he outlined what the electricity people needed to do to bring power back, catching today's show was, in betting parlance, no good thing. Or as a former race-caller would have put it, not a reliable conveyance.
That changed just after nine-thirty when the lights came on, the fridge kicked into action and there was a prospect of hot water in the shower. With fifty minutes till show time there were things to be checked out, Showers can (and did) wait.
10:10 Musings on recent events are interrupted by some chick from a radio station. You're part of a sold out show. How cool is that? Jeez, lady. Get a life or at least, if you can't find one in the supermarket, don't impinge on mine.
Actually, I'm watching a live stream from the other side of the world in real time about eight hours after this bloody cyclone crossed the coast sixty kilometres south of here. How cool is that?
10:15 As yesterday afternoon passed and the updates went from three-hourly to hourly, the point where they were expecting Ului to cross the coast moved north as the blow settled onto a reasonably straight track and deepened slightly. Not good. Eventually, however, it crossed over the top of Airlie Beach.
There were reports that Cannonvale, Proserpine and points in between were in the eye after two this morning as I sat with a feeling of not-quite anticipation waiting for the full force of a Category Three to impact. There were repeated thoughts along the line of it's about to cut loose, sort of like a Derek solo where he's been doing that restrained thing a bit too long, but, thankfully, cutting loose failed to eventuate.
I toddled off to bed around four-thirty with the wind still howling on the principle that if it hadn't managed to inflict any damage up to that point we were probably safe.
Two things with the benefit of hindsight.
First, we can be thankful this one came in from the east rather than tracking down the coast from the north. Had it followed the latter trajectory we'd have been on the receiving end of the gales for much longer, and it would've been much wetter.
Second, bearing in mind that we had power till some time after one-thirty meant that there was a pretty good chance we'd get it back sooner rather than later.
10:27 Having used waiting time for cyclone reminiscences, it looks like we're in for a late start, which is fine assuming there's a correspondingly late finish. Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely? low in the background, almost submerged under low level audience buzz. Thought we'd be in banging and thumping mode by now. Still maybe they need extra setup time to make arrangements for a panoply of guests.
10:29. Momentary roar from the crowd.
10:31 Blue-lit stage. Figures in motion. Oteil, Derek and Warren all in evidence. Shadowy Butch behind his kit. Tuning noises.
10:33 Looks like the NYC backdrop is up on the backstage screen, though the feed only shows a snippet from the bottom. Don't Want You No More. Interestingly, there seems to be a sense of anticipation and animation on stage. Well, it's the last show before a bit of a break and we need to have some fun, n'est ce pas?
10:35 > Not My Cross To Bear
10:40 Statesboro Blues. Looks like we're firing on all cylinders tonight, judging by the glances and grins being passed around.
10:47 Stand Back. Another great solo from Derek. One of the highlights of watching these feeds has been the sense that each time Derek's placed into the solo spotlight you can be confident he's going to deliver something tasty that's different from last time he stepped up to the plate.
10:55 Woman Across The River.
11:01 Was that an Eleanor Rigby tease in Warren's solo?
11:03 Disaster. The phone rings and the feed drops out almost simultaneously. While it's always good to know the relatives are concerned about your safety, had the two events been spaced a little further apart things might have been better. As it stands, once news has been exchanged it takes much to-ing and fro-ing, logging in and out, restarting and logging in again to get the feed back.
11:21 We're back towards what appears to be the end of the first set long instrumental. Difficult to tell which of Egypt and Bag End ended up getting the guernsey. A quarter-hour interruption is likely to disrupt the flow of things, but if there's one thing that's going to get me back in the groove, it's
11:25 Blind Willie McTell.
11:33 Whipping Post. Further Gregg forgetfulness at the start but everyone recovers and covers pretty well IMHO. Maybe they've had enough practice to know how to slip these things under the mat.
11:45 'Nother lapse of Greggory.
11:46 Tympani rolls signal the end of Whipping Post, which in turn indicates the end of the first set.
11:47 Gonna take a short intermission. Be right back.
On each of the other days, intermission time has provided the opportunity for a snack, a squiz at the email and, in most cases, a glass of wine. Just over two and a half hours after getting power back it's a case of a shower (need that hot water, folks) and brunch (steak and eggs), which I was almost finished as I scribbled
12:18 Stage
12:19 ABB logo. Paused to try to think of a wine match for steak and eggs. Momentarily considered a sparkling shiraz (we have a bit to celebrate, so bubbles could be appropriate) but demurred.
12:21 Little Martha
12:22 > the substantially reworked Blue Sky, which I'm really digging. Very nice reworking of the theme, threading it through the instrumental passages so that it's not exactly possible to say Ah, Blue Sky! and at the same time you can't say So if it's not Blue Sky, what the hell is it? Inventive is, I think the operative word.
Jaimoe off stage. Presumed it was Jamie van de Bogert on Jaimoe's kit but subsequent Allman list email suggests it was Kenny Soule.
12:30 > Little Martha. Nice way to start the final set of the run.
12:31 No One Left To Run With, for the fourth time. That's a 50% strike rate this run, and I can think of any number of other numbers I'd prefer to have experienced in this environment that often. Obviously, however, I'm not in a position to call the shots, and those that do enjoy playing it.
Soloing towards the end indicates that they're finding something to play around with in what could have been turned into a hoary old concert chestnut. Grudgingly, I'm forced to admit that I kinda like what they've done to it...
12:44 Delicious slow riff leading into The Same Thing with Kofi Burbridge on flute. Nice. Wish they'd do more of this sort of subtle playing around with stuff you almost know by heart (a la what they've done to Blue Sky). That's two subtle reinterpretations in half an hour, folks.
Still no Jaimoe as far as I can tell.
Actually, with Kofi there, I'm pondering the possibility of an Afro Blue. Now that would be nice!
12:57 Freeze in sound and vision which requires an exit and a re-entry to fix, which takes time and gets me back just in time to catch the words Bill Evans and sax. Aah, Dreams.
If anything deserves a 50% strike rate it'd be something like Dreams, with appropriate additives like the solo from Mr Evans.
Listening to that solo, I recall a remark from Derek to the effect that listening to other guitarists you end up sounding like them, which is why he listens to horn players.
As Evans' sax weaves its way in and out of Derek's guitar work you can see where he's coming from.
1:14 > Liz Reed. Evans still there on sax.
1:31 Oteil changes bass. Kofi on keys. Full-on Oteil scat. Nice!
1:38 The percussive switcheroo. Not quite? Oteil onto tympani.
1:40 No. there they go.
1:44 Butch wants to go into the switchback but Oteil ain't ready to go. Obviously having too much fun.
1:46 Guitars riffing quietly in the background as everyone comes back. Nice Evans/ Warren interplay this time.
1:48 > main Liz Reed theme.
1:49 Encore break. Jaimoe seems to stay on stage while everyone else departs.
1:51 Preachin' Blues. Derek and Warren, who works the microphone well, stepping in and out.
1:55 You Don't Love Me. Todd Smallie on bass.
2:00 Dropouts on the feed. Under other circumstances you might remark that this bookends the run, but I really don't want to be reminded of the disappointment and frustration of opening night.
2:03 Thank y'all so much. We love you New York. We'll be back to see you next year.
And I'll be back subscribing to Moogis next year. One of the best, if not the best $166.20's I've ever spent.
And the final set list of the run:
Set 1
Don't Want You No More
It's Not My Cross To Bear
Statesboro Blues
Stand Back
Woman Across The River
All My Friends
Bag End
Blind Willie McTell
Whipping Post
Set 2:
Little Martha > Blue Sky > Little Martha
No One To Run With
The Same Thing (Kofi Burbridge, flute, James Van De Bogert, drums)
Dreams (Bill Evans, saxophone)
In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed (Bill Evans, saxophone) >
JaBuMaOt > In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
Encore:
Preachin' Blues
You Don't Love Me (Todd Smallie, bass)
