Live at the Fillmore Rock Variety Playhouse
ATLANTA - January saw the return of the band Live at the Fillmore to the Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points. The six-piece Philadelphia-based band seeks to honor the "glory days" of The Allman Brothers Band, the early years before the untimely deaths of legendary guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley.
The Allman Brothers Band has a long history in the state of Georgia. It was in Macon that the band settled in the late 60's. That is where they honed their distinctive sound, what founding member Butch Trucks called "a band that jams" rather than a jam band. While trying to build their fan base, the Brothers played a free concert in Atlanta's Piedmont Park during the spring of 1969. In July of 1970, The Allman Brothers Band opened and closed the Atlanta International Pop Festival in Byron, Ga. In September of 1970, the Brothers returned to Atlanta to play Piedmont Park. These concerts not only helped the band to find itself but also helped turn the world on to a band unlike any other.
It was in the summer of 1971 that several Live at the Fillmore band mates saw The Allman Brothers Band play shows in Metro New York including "The Show" (June 26, 1971 at the Fillmore East), the one the ‘Brothers’ felt was the greatest performance they ever gave. The show left an indelible impression on the fellows in Live at the Fillmore. They formed the band Live at the Fillmore as an attempt to accurately represent these early performances of the original Allman Brothers Band for those who saw the shows and those who wish they had been there to see them.
Live at the Fillmore is well worth the price of admission at $18. They play many of the songs off the Fillmore East album, but mix in other Allman Brothers songs and even a few Gregg Allman solo songs. The band is tight and the musicianship and vocals are strong. The songs they play are timeless. At the Variety Playhouse show, the audience varied in age from the 60's to college kids. I was struck by how the young people knew every word to songs written long before they were born. Truly timeless music! If you like The Allman Brothers Band you owe it to yourself to check out Live at the Fillmore next time they are in town. You will be glad you did!