Concert revisited: The Allman Brothers Band, Minnesota State Fair Grandstand August 31st 2004, and, August 28th, 2007

I have been fortunate enough to see the Allman Brothers Band in person, twice.  Both shows took place at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.  I have also followed their shows in New York City at the Beacon Theater and the United Palace Theater between 2009 and 2011.  As mentioned in an earlier post, those shows for their 2012 run from March 9^th to March 25^th will not be broadcast on the web.  That is unfortunate.  The archives from 2009 to 2011 are still up.  Might go through and highlight some of the awesome guests they’ve had play with them over the past three years.

The website will have the set lists, too.  So, I could find a way to highlight the song order from each show.  But, since I have a few of their concert recordings from the shows at the Minnesota State Fair, it makes sense to relive them again.  Those two concerts were shows that I was VERY excited about.  In 2004, I was so charged up, it’s the only time I’ve ever lost my voice from cheering so at a concert that I can remember.  That night, in ’04, the band was cooking!  They just had everything in the pocket.  Still to this day, I can go back and listen to those recordings and be transported in a time machine.

It’s interesting, because that show was just before I started college and the ’07 gig was right in the middle of my college years.  The Allmans’ music was a real source of comfort to me in my times of trial, working through my classes all the way up to graduation.  Other bands had that same effect that I found later on in college.  But, for some reason, the Allman Brothers music is something that I see as part of me and my existence.  I cannot see myself not listening to their records after a good friend of mine turned me on to them.

This friend of mine (my friend and junior high and high school classmate Andrew Miller’s dad, Joe), is someone who I have to give full credit for turning me on to their music.  The first album I bought was a compilation greatest hits record and I’ve been hooked on “The Brothers” ever since.

From memory, I think I can rattle off the set lists for BOTH state fair shows.  OK, well, maybe I’ll just have to look at the CD boxes.

Robert Randolph opened the show with his band The Family Band which included his brother Marcus and sister Lenesha.  Marcus plays drums.  Danyel Morgan played bass and he has now gone through a few different keyboard players.  Playing B3 on the gig at the Minnesota State Fair was Jason Crosby.   The opening act at the '04 show was a great alternative country/rock band called The Bottle Rockets.  I have a CD of theirs that will be reviewed when possible.

Here are the set lists for the two Allman Brothers shows from '04 and '07.

 Allman Brothers Band    Minnesota State Fair Grandstand             August 31st, 2004

1.       Don’t Want You No More/It’s Not My Cross To Bear

2.       Done Somebody Wrong

3.       Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More

4.       Woman Across The River

5.       Key To The Highway

6.       Melissa

7.       Hot ‘Lanta

8.       Statesboro Blues

9.       Soulshine

10.   Trouble No More

11.   Midnight Rider

12.   Rocking Horse (w/drum solo and bass solo)

13.   One Way Out

14.   Southbound

Encore:

15.   Whipping Post

Allman Brothers Band  Minnesota State Fair Grandstand     August 28th, 2007

1.       Revival

2.       Done Somebody Wrong

3.       Midnight Rider

4.       Woman Across The River

5.       Come & Go Blues

6.       Every Hungry Woman

7.       Who’s Been Talking

8.       Anyday

9.       The Same Thing

10.   JaBuMa (drum solo feat. Jaimoe, Butch Trucks and Marc Quinones)

11.   Jessica

12.   Melissa

13.   One Way Out (feat. Robert Randolph: pedal steel guitar)