Tuesday marked a huge event for the Allman Brothers and for rock music on the whole: The historic act played its final show (supposedly...but we're more inclined to believe it this time around versus the other occasions the group called it quits). The band played the gig as important as any for it, the Beacon Theatre in New York City, where the group held down short residencies for nearly every one of the last 25 years. Last night's set passed the four-hour mark as any outgoing gig for one of the best jamming bands in history, and it ended in classic fashion with the standard Allman song "Whipping Post."
True blue Allman Brothers fans will tell you that every show was great in its own way, and bootlegs are passed around nearly as much as among Grateful Dead fans, but Music Times decided to keep things simple and track down five historic performances from throughout the band's history for your consideration. You can get really specific in the comment section if you want to point out particular "everyday" performances.
The Atlanta International Pop Festival (July 3-5, 1970)
The second edition of the Atlanta International Festival brought a number of huge performances and a huge audience, as the event strove the be the next Woodstock. Tickets started at $14 for the weekend but soon promoters gave up and encouraged people to walk on in, resulting in crowds that range in total from 200,000 to 600,000 (which would have made it among the biggest concerts in history at that point). The Allman Brothers were far from a big-name at that point in history so it had to take advantage of the "Free Stage" that was built near the campsites where attendees were staying. Many of the bands that played at that stage were residents of Georgia, much like the Allmans.
Fillmore East (March 13, 1971)
The Allman Brothers didn't have too much success with its first two albums, The Allman Brothers Band and Idlewild South, a fact the band blamed on the short time limits placed upon singles expected to be played on the radio. The solution was obviously to record a live album, and that they did. Fans know that the At Fillmore East album was recorded over three concerts at the historic venue in New York City but we opted for March 13 as the most important because over the span of three days the Allmans managed to go from opening act to headliner, supplanting Johnny Winters. Not to mention the album's version of "Whipping Post, a 23-minute classic that has come to define the live Allman Brothers experience, was recorded at the March 13 show. The finished record would be ranked among the best live albums ever and was ranked as high as no. 49 all time by Rolling Stone
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Summer Jam at Watkins Glen (July 28, 1973)
The number of attendees at the Atlanta International Pop Festival couldn't be verified but the Summer Jam concert hosted at Watkins Glen in central New York took the official prize of the largest music event in history when it occurred during 1973. Jam band fans (and music fans in general) salivate to think of the lineup that included The Allmans, the Grateful Dead and The Band. The Allmans would actually be the "headliner" that night, playing last and carrying out a three-hour set, although the festivities were officially closed out by members of all three bands jamming on American rock 'n' roll classics. There were so many people at the event that many could not even see the stage. Thankfully Bill Graham (the same promoter who staged the Fillmore shows) donated 12 huge amplifiers to make sure those in the back could at least hear the epic performance.
The Beacon Theatre (September 27, 1989)
The Allman Brothers played its first show at the Beacon Theatre in Midtown New York City. The group had three shows scheduled for that year but little did they realize that would become an annual event. As years rolled on and the band continued to book residencies at the theater, it became a rite of passage for hardcore Allman fans to travel across the country to see one of the legendary Beacon shows. The group would host its official 40th anniversary celebration at the venue, including guest appearances from Eric Clapton and Levon Helm. Unfortunately during 2010, what was to be the band's 21st straight year playing at the venue, the theater announced that it would be unable to host that year, as it had booked a lengthy run of Cirque de Soleil shows. The Allmans returned during 2011 of course.
The Beacon Theatre (March 25, 2011)
Yup, The Allman Brothers made a successful return to the Beacon during 2011 with no hard feelings. The group made up for the year lost by playing a 13-show run during March. The March 25 concert was the 200th consecutive sold out concert played by the Allman Brothers at the venue, dating back to its first during 1989.
