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• AllmanBrothersBand.com • Rat-Dog.com • Mountain Laurel Center • TheBigHouseMuseum.org • RockTheEarth.org
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RatDog and the Allman Brothers Band Spread the Vibes in the Poconos! A Kweevak.com Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch
The Allman Brothers Band have seen their fair share of turbulent times since their formation in 1969. They are well respected for improvisational music but have penned their fair share of shorter radio friendly hits as well. The ABB have scored eleven Gold and five Platinum records between 1971 through 2005. Today, they are still triumphantly carrying on the traditions of blues, jam and southern rock.
 Bob Weir is leader of the RatDog pack! It is hard to believe that Jerry Garcia has been gone a dozen years, yet the music that he and the Grateful Dead created is alive and well in various incarnations. Bob Weir, rhythm guitarist of The Dead, formed RatDog in 1995 and the present-day group has evolved into a highly effective and experimental unit that brings classic Dead songs to a contemporary jam band scene. During the month of August 2007, the fore-mentioned forefathers of jam paired up for a series of shows along the east coast. The Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts - nestled in the Pocono Mountains in Bushkill, Pennsylvania - was a scenic setting for a summer concert of this caliber. It has seating for 2,500 and an expansive, somewhat slanted lawn for fans to "shake their bones", which they did on Saturday the 18th.
 Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks hold down ABB's dueling guitar duties in fine fashion! It was a nice late-summer day, and many fans of both bands arrived early to tailgate. The legendary Grateful Dead vendor scene was alive and well as resourceful folks were selling clothes, music, drinks, food, jewelry and various concert related paraphernalia. A contingency of bikers were on hand and the mood was generally festive. Inside the venue, tapers were allowed to set up center stage in front of the lawn and a number of non-profit organizations were present along with the usual merchandise sellers. By showtime, the atmosphere had turned much cooler with temps dipping into the high-50's by the end of the night. The evening had a feel of the approaching fall but the music of two classic rock acts raised the heat up yet again and the fans surged to bask in the warm glow of their idols.
 Steve Kimock provided a tone that was Garcia-esque and grooving! RatDog took the stage around 7:30pm. The first instrument to be heard was the drums followed by a prominent sax to set the course with a jazzy instrumental that turned into The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows". The sax along with the band managed to create the weird looping effects of the original song that cascaded into a spacey jam. RatDog's interpretation of "Tennessee Jed" was solid with signature guitar work from Steve Kimock who was filling in for a sidelined Mark Karan. This classic Dead tune was punctuated by stately, steady rhythms and keys that carried the song to new highs. "Lazy River Road" flowed at a leisurely pace allowing each of the six players to meander. RatDog's sax and rhythm combinations gave many of the Dead's classics a jazzy texture but the guitars kept the course of more traditional Dead tones. An experimental instrumental found its way into "Dark Star" highlighted with pulsing bass lines. "Jack Straw" was a crowd pleaser that got many "Dog-Heads" on their feet. The sassy sax added to the jam. Bob's song choices were diverse drawing from all periods of the Grateful Dead history but his pacing was at times disconcerting. After grabbing the audience with "Jack Straw", Weir switched to an acoustic guitar for the countrified "K.C. Moan", a traditional folk song, which was good but slowed the pace down. It was followed by the sad storytelling of "El Paso" that featured innovative bass and guitar exchanges accented by the keys.
 Warren Haynes fronts Gov't Mule when not with ABB! RatDog performed a dynamic version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower". The song was drenched with jazz and funk influences. The Terrapin suite was trippy and included a transforming drum solo. "Black Peter" was bluesy and went into an extended musical exploration. RatDog closed their set with a rousing "One More Saturday Night" and rocked out their encore with "Johnny B Goode". Overall an eclectic, enjoyable set but LJTL thinks more up-tempo, danceable tunes would have added to the experience. Guitars and drums announced that the Allmans had taken the stage, plowing full force into "Done Somebody Wrong", enhanced by light effects on a screen behind the band. The visuals were used throughout the show adding to the concert as a whole. The guitar blends between Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks was fluid and formidable.
 Grateful Dead songs live on in Weir's Rotdog! Remaining in high gear the band performed a smoking version of "Southbound" propelled by the pulsing power of not one but three drummers (Butch Trucks, Jaimoe and Mark Quinones). The Allmans' current line up is potent with their might rhythm section, which also includes bassist Oteil Burbridge, dueling guitar greats Haynes and Trucks and of course founder Gregg Allman, the soulful voice and seasoned keyboardist of the band. "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" was crisp and concise featuring stellar slide work before exploding in experimental jamming. Afterwards, Gregg greeted the audience asking "how you all doing... sounds like you are doing pretty good... how about RatDog?" "Hot' lanta" sizzled with plenty of hot licks from Warren and Derek combined with scorching rhythms. "Woman Across The River" was bluesy yet funky with the keyboards leading. The song meandered through a number of mood and time changes. "Melissa" is still sweet after all this time and "No One Left To Run With" rocked with expanding jams. Steve Kimock joined the Allmans on "Dreams", which featured softer rhythms for Kimock to play over.
 The scene was overflowing with jam fans just like the Niagra of Pennsylvania! Van Morrison's "And It Stoned Me" was cool with colorful jamming and Warren on lead vocals. "Leave My Blues At Home" included a dynamic drum duel and the set closed with a remarkable rendition of "Jessica". Topping an already great set list was the encore of "Don't Want You No More" and the steamy "One Way Out". The legacy of jam is alive and well thanks to bands like RatDog and The Allman Brothers who are still playing great shows after all these years and in turn are inspiring up and coming bands musically and socially. The two non-profits on hand Saturday night were The Big House Foundation and Rock the Earth. The Big House Foundation "has been established to create a legacy by preserving the home and history of the Allman Brothers Band." (Graceland in Macon, Georgia). They were raffling a black guitar that was signed by all current members of the band. Rock the Earth "works closely with the music industry and its fans to advocate and ensure the existence of a sustainable and healthy environment. Some of the high profile issues they are working on include preserving the Grand Canyon and saving the Mattaponi River".
 Gregg Allman onstage in Bushkill, PA! Originally Published: 08/22/2007 on Kweevak.com |
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