Photos & Review By: Deidra Pinion
It was a cold and rainy Friday evening in Atlanta, but that didn’t stop the stars from coming out to the “All My Friends: Celebrating the Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman” show at the Fox Theatre. Gregg Allman supporters came out in full force to show their love and support towards him, as well as the band. As a fan of Gregg Allman, I was incredibly excited to see him perform live for the first time.
The night couldn’t have started off better with a backstage pre-press lineup. All the artists were making their way down a special L-shaped red carpet laid out for them in honor of Gregg Allman. Some of the artists that came out to celebrate the special event included: Trace Adkins, Eric Church, Dr. John, Brantley Gilbert, Vince Gill, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Jaemo, Taj Mahal, Keb Moe, Martina McBride, Pat Monahan, the legendary Sam Moore, Robert Randolph, Derek Trucks, and Widespread Panic, as well as Chuck Leavell. The artists came down for interviews and pictures prior to the show.
To begin the evening, Warren Haynes took the stage and showed no mercy! He opened with his song “Come and Go Blues”, as well as “End of the Line”. There was no mistaking his style and blues influence on stage. The crowd, and myself were blown away by his performance, and if this was a sign of what was to come, I was definitely in for a treat! Devon Allman, Gregg’s son, took the stage with Jimmy Hall and Robert Randolph, and performed “Can’t Lose What You Never Had”. You can tell the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with Devon, as he is so incredibly talented just like his dad. Other extraordinary highlights of the night included Sam Moore, performing “Please Call Home”, Keb Moe’s “Just Another Rider”, Brantley Gilbert’s “Just Because the Bullets Fly”, Dr. John’s “Let This Be a Lesson to Ya”, Pat Monahan’s “Queen of Hearts”, John Hiatt and Jemoe’s “One Way Out”, and Taj Mahal’s “Statesboro Blues”.
There was a brief intermission before the next set of incredible artists took the stage. I was so blown away by these performers, I couldn’t wait for more! Widespread Panic, Trace Adkins, Vince Gill, and Martina McBride were soon to follow. Among the songs played were “I’m No angel”, “Multi Colored Lady”, and “All my Friends”. Eric Church took the stage, and as if I wasn’t already excited enough, he performed his song “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More”. He had so much energy on stage, and the crowd definitely felt it!
Towards the end of the show, the legendary Gregg Allman stepped on stage, and the theater echoed with applause. For my first time seeing him live, the anticipation was unbelievable. Gregg performed some of his well known songs, as well as my favorites, “Midnight Rider” and “Melissa”. He was presented an award on stage, and it meant so much to Gregg to accept it. He was so grateful, and expressed his gratitude to all of his fans. I have never been to a show with so many talented, and incredible artists, and was honored to have been able to experience it! I hope to see Gregg Allman perform again soon, because after watching his performance, I was anxious for more! The event is due to be televised on AXS TV in May, 2014.
