The Allman Brothers Band has announced the final six shows by its current configuration — and perhaps for all-time.
The long-lived Southern rockers will return to New York’s Beacon Theater for six shows in October, with Oct. 21, 22, 24 and 25 making up for dates from this year’s March Madness run that were postponed by Gregg Allman’s bout of pneumonia and two more concerts added for Oct. 27 and 28. On-sale information is expected to be announced soon.
“That’s the way for this incarnation of the band to go out, one final, short Beacon run,” guitarist Derek Trucks told Billboard just last week. Trucks and fellow axeman Warren Haynes announced earlier this year they would be leaving the group after a 14-year tenure, making this the longest-running lineup in the Allmans’ 45-year history. “I think that’s appropriate for this version of the group. I think we’ve done most of our best work there (at the Beacon).”
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The question now is whether or not these will be the Allmans’ final shows ever. The announcement for the October dates does call them the group’s “final concerts,” and not just for this lineup, and that seemed to be the case when Haynes and Trucks first announced their departures. But since then Gregg Allman and fellow co-founders Butch Trucks (Derek’s uncle) and Jaimoe have equivocated, and Derek Trucks says he himself is not entirely sure about what’s in the offing after he and Haynes are gone.
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“Originally the idea was, ‘Well, let’s go out strong and we’ll end it together at 45,” Trucks said. “That’s kind of the why I’ve been hanging around the last two or three years. That’s been the idea for some time. I know that now that date’s approaching and it’s becoming a realty for the other guys in the band, I don’t know if that’s exactly how it’s gonna go down. Who knows; I don’t think anyone knows exactly what’s gonna happen. I would never count that band out.”
Meanwhile, Trucks — who’s working on a third studio album and getting ready to tour with the Tedeschi Trucks band he leads with is wife Susan Tedeschi — said neither he nor Haynes are having second thoughts about the end of their time with the Allmans.
“It’s been such a ride and it’s obviously an honor and life-changing to have been in the band for 15 years now,” he said. “I think I maybe hung around longer than I wanted to. I’ve been personally ready to make a move for five, six years. But in saying that, every time you hit the stage and you hear those tunes and you feel that energy, you’re transported to where you need to be. It’s family and there’s family loyalty, and there’s loyalty to the band. I just wanted to do everything in my power to try to have the history of the band end correctly.”
Before the Beacon run, the Allmans will perform June 8 at the Mountain Jam festival in Hunter Mountain, N.Y., and Sept. 7 at the Lockn’ Music Fest Sept. 7 in Arrington, Va. as well as hosting its third Peach Fest Aug. 14-17 in Scranton, Pa.
ABB DATES:
June 8 — Hunter Mountain, NY (Mountain Jam)
Aug. 14-17 — Scranton, PA (Peach Fest)
Sept. 7 — Arrington, VA (Lockn’ Music Fest)
Oct. 21 — NYC (Beacon Theatre – tickets for March 25 honored)
Oct. 22 — NYC (Beacon Theatre – tickets for March 26 honored)
Oct. 24 — NYC (Beacon Theatre – tickets for March 28 honored)
Oct. 25 — NYC (Beacon Theatre – tickets for March 29 honored)
Oct. 27 — NYC (Beacon Theatre)
Oct. 28 — NYC (Beacon Theatre)