Hudson Valley-based indie rock group Setting Sun released their first album in ten years, The Feelings Cure, looking back on who they were, what they are now, and the journey they have gone through as a band.
Led by frontman and primary songwriter Gary Levitt, the sixth studio album by Setting Sun, The Feelings Cure, was recorded carefully, as Levitt says “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get in the creative zone with set times of having to turn creativity on and off like a switch. I used to write and record in creative blasts when I felt it come on like a wave or virus. Having kids forced me to write, record, and mix within the gaps of being a father. The maturity shows on this record.” Over ten tracks, the group comments on changing yourself as time goes on, all while utilizing upbeat instrumentals, and melancholic lyrics.
Feelings Cure is slow and free-flowing as it starts with the opening track “Cool,” fading into the more upbeat track yet still slow “Sometimes,” featuring prominent guitar solos and the good ol’ indie rock feel. Things get increasingly experimental on “Can’t Send It Back” with 80s-inspired synths, with Levitt repeating the chorus multiple times, singing “Now it’s gone by the way/Don’t expect me to stay/Somebody tried to keep their eye on mine.” One of the most enjoyable tracks “Good Die Young” blends Levitt’s personal endeavors as a comedian into the witty lyrics, citing it is the “closest [he’s] ever gotten” to blending the two areas. The song is short and simple yet makes the listener feel happy and carefree.
The album becomes slower beyond this point, featuring a country vibe on “Up and Away,” showcasing Levitt’s talents with experimenting with different genres. “Same Face” has a female singer prominently singing background vocals, adding a lighter tone to the song, as well as a return of those 80s synths. Overall, the record brings you into Levitt’s personal journey as a father and band member and the difficulty he faced balancing both. It is a classic slow indie rock record with a twist, featuring intricate genre blends, melancholic lyricism, and driving rhythms.
Key Tracks: Can’t Send It Back, Good Die Young, Feelings Cure.
Setting Sun’s new record Feelings Cure is available on every streaming platform. They are performing at the Harmonies on the Hudson Concert Series in Germantown on June 15 and at Opus 40 in Saugerties on July 16. Tickets are available here.
Popular folk artist Noah Kahan began his Stick Season tour for a sold out crowd at Artpark on May 26. This tour is celebrating Noah’s third studio album Stick Season which was released at the end of 2022.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Opener Joy Oladokun kicked off the night with her mix of R&B, folk, and rock tunes. Her influences as a queer woman of color has given her powerful lyrics and connective albums a new meaning. Joy converted new fans that night as she spent her set connecting and singing with people about mental health.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Noah later took the stage with his whimsical visuals and groovy band members. The group first played the popular hit “All My Love” which immediately had fans hyped up. Despite this being the Stick Season tour he brought back his roots when playing classics off his old EP Cape Elizabeth. These included “Glue Myself Shut,” and “Maine.”
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Addressing Mental Health
Noah is no stranger to mental health issues. In fact he not only writes about it in his songs but even discusses it on stage with countless people listening. That night at Artpark he talked with everyone how important therapy is and being okay with asking for help. Noah helps break the stigmatization around metal health issues and alcohol abuse. After his heavy hitting speech he sang “Growing Sideways” which examines the distraught feeling of being stuck.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The artist took a moment on stage to play some acoustic songs which brought an ease over the crowd. Fans really became excited though when Noah played several tracks off his unreleased deluxe edition of Stick Season including “No Complaints” and “Dial Drunk.”
This night was special for Noah Kahan considering it was the first time he was playing certain songs live and the start of a tour that is about to sweep the nation. His music discography has already left a mark on the internet space but his live show is what will make people coming back for more.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Artpark’s Summer concert series is a must see for both the music and the environment. Make sure to check out upcoming shows here. Young The Giant is coming June 13 and Michael Franti & Spearhead perform June 21.
Setlist: All My Love, Everywhere Everything, She Calls Me Back, False Confidence, New Perspective, No Complaints, Glue Myself Shut, Growing Sideways, Maine, Northern Attitude, Dial Drunk, Carlo’s Song, You’re Gonna Go Far, Orange Juice, Homesick, The View Between Villages, Stick Season, Mess
NYC’s Costa Rican American singer songwriter Bobby Blue have released a duet with George Sáenz titled “Por Un Amor/For A Love,” on June 2nd. The combination is an ethereal trip of a very simple love song.
Por Un Amor, which means “For A Love,” is a classic Ranchera written by Gilbert Parra Paz in 1940 about the worst break up a heart could handle. Using his elegant vocals, Bobby Blue collaborates with George’s baritone voice playing the Guitarron.
Bobbys mother came from a ranch in the central valley of Costa Rica, heavily influenced by spirit, music, and imagination. Growing older, Bobby Blues’ imagination and independence could make for a hard time. A teacher once threatened to beat out his sissiness with his fists, but music kept him going. From age four he always had the lead solo parts in choirs, and from ten years old he started composing songs for recitals. He eventually made enough money and moved to NYC.
Once Bobby Blue moved to NYC he immediately started performing at open mics, independent art galleries and late-night underground circuses. His charming stage presence and big voice made him known as a powerful performer.
Bobby was deemed “not All American / too gay” and that his voice was freakish. Fortunately, the stage kept calling and he kept writing. Bobbys first album, a folky-electro album provided his first releases.
International DJs discovered his originals and turned several of them into dance remixes. In A Song was discovered by Junior Vasquez and it climbed the Billboard Dance Chart for 15 weeks.
Although, while settling into NYC he dived into his mother’s Latin music and his father’s old Country music, as well as his original songs. Bobby had so much fun singing these lovely folk melodies that he felt this music was more fitting for his voice and his soul. On any given evening you can see Bobby slaying audiences at NYC clubs like Joes Pub, The Knitting Factory, on the porches of Brooklyn Victorian homes, the streets of the East Village, and at several festivals around the country.
Listen to ‘Por Un Amor” by clicking the link here.
For more music by Bobby Blue, click the link here.
Smoke DZA serves the rap game as a mainstay & staple type New York artist. Certain lyricists put forth so much groundwork that they are cemented throughout underground for generations. Roc Marciano and Curren$y come to mind when conceiving the kingship achieved by lowkey legends. There is something special about artists like Your Old Droog that just continue to sharpen and fine tune their penmanship. Furthermore, we set out to place real hip-hop lyricists on your radar for as far our reach yields.
In Mid-May, Smoke DZA dropped WorldwideSmokeSessionsVolume 2 presented by The Smoker’s Club an NYC based lifestyle brand founded by Jonny Shipes, Smoke DZA and Shiest Bubz.
It’s just something about second versions of mixtapes that allow the artist to carefully construct and improve upon the first edition. Hear me out – on this tape – there’s a track reminiscent of Mos Def “Travellin’ Man.” Is it a stretch to consider those two within the same breath? Even if that rings true, real audioheads may hear the resemblances.
Pinpointing
Consequently, a real journalist carries the audacity to auspiciously sense when songs might utilize similar types of flows/cadences. Thus, it just so happens that DZA cleverly pieced together a very smooth collection of songs. The first WorldwideSmokeSessions dropped in 2019. Since, DZA’s vision continues to clairvoyantly depict relatable scenes and scenarios. Entering into this listening experience in an open-minded manner served the ultimate purpose for v2.
More times than not – if a mixtape passes the “car test” it proves authentic. Sound engineers like Mike Dean recommend playing the mastered product in the car to formulate final decisions. Eventually, the car test combined with a stereo sound bar and a speaker boombox hit for the trifecta when it comes to immersing within an album. Regardless, this DZA tape creates such a genuine vibe that we were taken aback by its phenomenal nature.
Growing Roots
Some projects take longer than others to develop wings and truly begin to move someone. For instance, “Nacksaw Jim Duggan” – a Griselda Records Estee Nack Debut – took several listens to grow roots. It’s clear to understand that greatness comes over time by trying your hand over and over again, or in this case, training your ear to absorb the album within different environments.
Smoke DZA laid the foundation very precisely throughout his endeavors as a New York artist. Without a doubt, his name holds weight within musical circles associated with meditative properties. Hence, listening to WorldwideSmokeSessionsVolume 2 by Smoke DZA creates a multilayered onset effect for the listener. This mixtape comes complete with boatloads of relaxation, variety and tunes good for cruising along.
Beginning in the afternoon on Friday, May 26 through the late evening on Sunday, May 28, the 12th installment of the beloved Boston Calling music festival returned to its home at Harvard University in Boston (Allston), Massachusetts this past Memorial Day weekend.
For three straight days, more than 40,000 fans of all ages passed through the gates into the Harvard Athletic Complex where they were welcomed daily to engaging activities such as a ride on a 100-foot Ferris wheel, delicious food served up by 29 local vendors, and of course, great music performed by 51 artists (17 each day) across four outdoor stages dubbed the Green Stage, the Happy Valley Red Stage, the Blue Stage and the Tivoli Audio Orange Stage, which championed acts with local ties to New England.
Paramore | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Inaugurated in 2013, the acclaimed Boston Calling festival is produced by Boston Calling Events, owned in part by Boston-based Crash Line Productions, whose hallmark of bringing new sounds each and every year was on full display again. In step with the festival’s commitment to securing an iconic mix of musical performances, headlining the festival on Day 1 (Friday) wereRock & Roll Hall of Famers Foo Fighters. Having played in New Hampshire two days prior, this would only betheir second official concert following drummer Taylor Hawkins’ tragic death in March 2022. The Lumineers, soulful alternative-folk rockers from Denver, Colorado, headlined Day 2 (Saturday) of the festival. Day 3 (Sunday) of the festival was headlined by indie rock darlings Paramore, formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004. Paramore, having already performed at the festival back in 2018, made their triumphant return on the heels of releasing their sixth studio album, This is Why.
Foo Fighters | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Boston Calling also featured renowned co-headliners on each day, including The National and Boston natives Dropkick Murphys on Day 1, the latter who quickly stepped in for the art-punk trio YeahYeahYeahs due to an undisclosed illness announced the day prior. The Celtic punk band’s frontman, Ken Casey, would announce to the crowd during their blistering set, “The Yeah Yeah Yeahs said ‘no no no,’ but we never say no!” Day 2 saw seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette take the Red Stage, playing her first show in Boston since 2012. Queens of the Stone Age, alternative metal rockers from Seattle, Washington, brought their hard-pounding musicianship toDay 3 of the festival. Having recently announced their long-awaited eighth studio album, In Times New Roman, they thrilled their die-hard fans with two new tracks from this forthcoming release (June 16), including “Emotion Sickness” and “Negative Space.”
Dropkick Murphys | Photo Credit: Michael DingerQueens of the Stone Age | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Joining these headlining and co-headlining acts were well-established artists such as Noah Kahan, Bleachers, The Flaming Lips (who celebrated the release of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by performing the 2002 album in its entirety), King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (the psychedelic rock band from Australia who were forced to bow out of last year’s festival due to COVID-19), Mt. Joy, Maren Morrisand many more.
Bleachers | Photo Credit: Michael DingerMt. Joy | Photo Credit: Michael DingerThe Flaming Lips | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
The holiday weekend also offered its patrons plenty of performances from up-and-coming talent, including Razor Braids, The Beaches, The Aces and The Linda Lindas (an all-girl quartet ranging in age from 13 to 19 who easily won over the crowd after a personal introduction to their set by the Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu), to name just a few.
The Beaches | Photo Credit: Michael DingerThe Linda Lindas | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Although the temperature each day of the festival was not as hot as it could have been for this time of the year, the sun did take its toll on some of the audience members who were not adequately hydrated. I witnessed firsthand at least five people who appeared to faint due to heat stroke, all of whom required to be quickly pulled out of the crowd by security and whisked away for treatment by EMT personnel.
The only critique that I have for this year’s festival is also the same as 2022’s festival, the merchandise tent line was long, exceedingly long. As I talked to fans who were proudly wearing their new t-shirt or hat, I learned that time spent in line (and away from the stages) was a minimum of two hours! Often, the sought after merch had already been sold-out. However, fans were at least able to complete an order form for the requested item to be shipped at a later date.
Fans soaking in the action at the Red Stage (Day 2) | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
No festival experience is considered complete without first meeting and interacting with fellow fans. My own personal encounters included talking to Paul from Toronto, Canada in front of the Green Stage for most of Friday afternoon. I learned that he and his 16-year old son drove for eight hours Thursday night and into the wee morning hours to see the Foo Fighters for the first time. Paul emotionally shared with me that his son “will always remember this, so it was well worth it.” On Friday, I also met Kirby from Danbury, Connecticut, an avid fan of all music genres, as well as a talented drummer and guitarist. He revealed to me that he was dealing with painful plantar fasciitis in both feet, so when I saw him again on both Saturday and Sunday along the rail of the Red Stage, I was glad he was able to still see the artists he loves up close and personal. Being a graduate of the University of Connecticut (UCONN), it was also a pleasure to spend time speaking with Seth for a few hours, a UCONN professor for nearly 20 years and an amateur live music photographer.
Shane Hawkins Joins Foo Fighters Onstage | Video Credit: Michael Dinger
During a festival filled with three days and nights of highlights, it’s easy for me to pick out my favorite one. Throughout the Foo Fighters’ two hour set, Dave Grohl’s devastation by the loss of his friend and bandmate was palpable – on his face and in his speeches to the audience. So, when Grohl welcomed to the stage “one of [his] favorite drummers in the world,” 17-year old Shane Hawkins, it was truly a goosebumps moment. With Shane taking a couple of minutes at the drum kit to adjust the stool height left for him by the Foo Fighters newest member, Josh Freese, Grohl stalled for time. “Hello Boston, how’s it going over there? Earlier, I was in my dressing room and I heard the audience going absolutely fucking bonkers for someone. And I was like, who the fuck is playing that someone is going [this crazy]? It was Niall Horan [of One Direction fame], is that his name? How’s it going there Shane? Oh my God, there is a curfew Shane. This is an old song from our first record and when we play it . . .” Abruptly, in came Shane with a thunderous drum roll to launch “I’ll Stick Around.”
Tatiana DeMaria played her first full band show since the pandmic on May 30th at the Mercury Lounge in New York City, celebrating the release of her new single “Open Wide.”
Tatiana DeMaria Live at The Mercury Lounge, NYC
A notorious live wire on stage, British-born Tatiana DeMaria started her career as a young teen founding and fronting rock band ‘TAT’, playing over 1000 shows and writing two charting singles by age 18 as well as producing underground UK hip hop. She quickly garnered a fan base on both sides of the Atlantic, US radio play and became a Warped Tour fan favorite playing over 1000 shows worldwide.
In mid-2018, Tatiana launched her solo career, going in a different direction sonically, channeling all of her influences from Alt Pop, R&B, and Hip Hop into her signature sound. She is a prolific songwriter and producer who has written and produced commercials and theme songs for brands such as 7UP and Pepsi, and soundtracks for movies and television shows such as American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rule, Blue Crush 2, and Pretty Little Liars.
Popular Southern Tier music venue Tags Summer Stage of Big Flats, NY kicked off their exciting 30th season of music with a sold out show featuring Lee Brice and Cole Swindell.
Lee Brice got the night going as the first of two headlining shows for the highly anticipated event. The success of the first show was evident with a sold out venue.
Brice was touring in support of his latest album “ Hey World” his fifth album to date from Curb Records. Playing with Brice is his band of many years Travis Bettis on guitar. Micheal Gray on drums, Paul Rippee on bass, and Reginald Bradley Smith on Keyboard. The current tour will take Brice as far west as California and north into Canada. Brice will return to the Empire State on this tour Oct. 19th & 20th in Westbury NY at the NYCB Theatre.
For Tags the excitement for their 30th season continues on July 2nd with Rodney Atkins & Sammy Kershaw, and recently announced, Dustin Lynch & Dylan Scott on Aug. 11th. For more info on all the events for Tags 30th anniversary season go to www.tagstickets.com
For more info on Lee Brice fans can to his website www.leebrice.com loaded with ticket and tour info.
Indie rock legends The Front Bottoms celebrated their 10 year anniversary of their renowned album Talon of the Hawk. The band played this timeless album in full at Beak and Skiff in Lafayette for a sold out crowd on May 25.
Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty
In 2013 The Front Bottoms released Talon of the Hawk which set them on the map in the alternative scene. Through angular melodies and wiry guitar riffs it began to make its mark. Dedicated fans celebrated this album through the years and even with the growing success of later pieces of work, people kept coming back to it.
Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty
If The Front Bottoms fanbase could be described in one word it would be loyal. They have followed the New Jersey duo of Brian Sella (vocalist/guitarist) and drummer Mathew Uychich for years. As a celebration the group brought their roots back to the fans by playing their beloved album in full for special shows.
Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty
AJJ opened up the night at Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards. This American folk punk band has been an inspiration to The Front Bottoms over the years so it was only fitting they join them on this tour.
10 Years of Talon of the Hawk
The Front Bottoms kicked off the night with the first two tracks off the album, “Au Revoir (Adios)” and “Skeleton.” Instantly you could feel the energy shift as Brian stepped onto the stage. Birthday hats, decorative posters, and costumes encompassed the field. The night may have started celebrating Talon of the Hawk but it later encompassed the endless other accomplishments the fanbase has endured. From birthdays to gradations to just making it to the next day the community was full of a sense of awe.
Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty
Despite the rawness and hard hitting lyrics the artist sings the fans waste no time dancing freely to the music. Especially once the band played “Beers” in their encore. Instantly the mosh pits began again and countless people were crowd surfing. There is something about this community that The Front Bottoms have built. It just goes to show that being honest and real about the hardships of life can actually bring people together. After all, who says we can’t dance together through our pain?
Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty
As summer approaches, Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards proves to be a top venue location for good tunes with the perfect scenic view. Upcoming shows include Noah Kahan on June 3 and Fleet Foxes on July 12. Get tickets here.
Setlist: Au Revoir (Adios), Skeleton, Swear to God the Devil Made Me Do It, Twin Size Mattress, Peach, Santa Monica, The Feud, Funny You Should Ask, Tattooed Tears, Lone Star, Backflip, Everything I Own, Flashlight, West Virginia, Maps, Be Nice to Me, Wolfman, bus beat, Outlook, Hello World
Throughout the summer, the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) in Canandaigua offers various concerts and events. Beginning in June and lasting until September, the lineup includes something for everybody from country stars to rock festivals.
Located next to the campus of Finger Lakes Community College, the CMAC summer concert series always attracts big crowds enjoying the artists.
Santana- June 22 at 8 PM
Grammy Award winning artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Santana kicks of the CMAC summer series on June 22. Santana will be traveling across North America this summer for his 1001 Rainbows Tour.
Darius Rucker- June 24 at 8 PM
Rucker first rose to fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish. In advance of the release of his forthcoming album Carolyn’s Boy, Rucker began the Starting Fires Tour. Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors are special guests who will also be joining him.
Weezer- July 3 at 7 PM
This summer, popular indie rock band Weezer is joined by special guests on their Indie Rock Roadtrip tour. For their CMAC date, Future Islands and Joyce Manor will also be taking the stage as the guests.
Roc The Lake Music Festival- July 7 at 5 PM
AJR will be headlining the Roc The Lake Music Festival. A band made up of three brothers (Adam, Jack, and Ryan), AJR is constantly re-envisioning pop music with their music. Also joining the group for the festival is Chelsea Cutler, Lawrence, Blake Rose, and Almost Monday.
The Doobie Brothers- July 14 at 8 PM
Four-time Grammy Award winners The Doobie Brothers added a tour stop at CMAC to their 50th Anniversary Tour. For over five decades, The Doobie Brothers have been known for delivering mind-blowing, roots-based, harmony-laden, guitar-driven rock and roll – all of which recently culminated in an induction into the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Chicks- August 11 at 7:30 PM
Fresh off the heels of their massively successful U.S. tour last summer, The Chicks return to the stage with their 2023 world tour. They will also be joined by special guest singer-songwriter Ben Harper.
Dan + Shay- August 19 at 8 PM
Country duo Dan + Shay will stop at CMAC during their tour promoting their most recent album Good Things. They are best known for their global hits, including “Tequila,” “Speechless,” and “All To Myself.”
Duran Duran- September 3 at 7 PM
Continuing to perform to huge concert audiences around the world since the band first formed in 1980, Duran Duran has seen more than 100 million record sales worldwide. In the past year alone, they performed live at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, headlined London’s Hyde Park and, in a full circle moment, closed the iconic opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in their hometown of Birmingham.
Tickets and more information on these events can be found on CMAC’s website.
For some fans, The Allman Brothers 1971 live double-disc, At Fillmore East, was the pinnacle of the band’s career and artistry. It was the culmination of years of relentless touring, a door-to-door musical missionary work that sold fans on bandleader Duane Allman’s unique fusion of blues, rock, big band styled melodic harmony and extended jazzy improvisation into a form that, more than any other, gave birth to the still-thriving jam band idiom. While At Fillmore East remains one of rock’s most revered live albums, it was another crafted after Duane’s death, 1973’s Brothers and Sisters, which was their commercial highpoint.
With over seven million copies sold, Brothers and Sisters was their best-selling album. It was also the one that generated a level of fame that would find them swaying a Presidential election, headlining the world’s largest rock festival, ushering in the commercial juggernaut of Southern Rock and, yes, even becoming the subject of a steady stream of Hollywood tabloid fodder.
In 2015, Paul penned the definitive title on the band, the New York Times best-selling oral history, One Way Out: The Inside History of The Allman Brothers Band. He is also co-author of another comprehensive biography of an American blues master, Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan.
To set the scene for this latter chapter of the band, Paul begins with a compact, pre-fame history of each of the original Allman Brothers players. There is Duane and Gregg’s early days as the Allman Joys and the underrated Hourglass, Duane’s time as a session musician and in Derek and the Dominoes and guitarist Dickey Betts’s experience pioneering dual lead and melody in the Second Coming alongside Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt. His description of Betts as “Zen Charles Bronson” is worth the cover price of the book alone. The preamble takes us up to their breakthrough days after At Fillmore East, when all should have been well but really wasn’t. The entire band, minus drummer Butch Trucks, were addicted to heroin. Duane would die in a motorcycle crash a couple of months after its release; bassist Berry Oakley would be dead by the same cause a year later.
Paul’s book captures the Allmans at a time of uncertainty — of rebuilding a band and a shifting in their creative power balance. The addition of young Chuck Leavell on keys and Lamar Williams on bass would help usher in a new style, in studio and on the stage. Williams would bring more of a solid groove to the rhythm section, one propelled with a pick made from a Clorox bottle by the seasoned bassist (my favorite bit of weird trivia in the book). Twenty-one-year-old Leavell would add a depth of harmony, honky tonk swing and a new, virtuoso lead voice to complement the Allman’s new, one guitar lineup.
That one guitarist, Dickey Betts, would emerge from Duane’s shadow to be the leader of the band during Brothers and Sisters. He would pen four of the six originals on the disc, including “Ramblin’ Man,” the Allman Brothers’ first and only Top Ten hit. The tune would feature one of late bassist Berry Oakley’s final contributions and harmony guitar by Les Dudek. The author also shares how Betts, unhappy with the tempo, asked for the song to be speedup, then changed his mind. In a mix up, the speed up version was released, with Betts’s voice in a higher than wanted range, infuriating the mercurial guitarist. This tune ushered in an old school country feel to the Allmans’ sound and even spurred a mighty accolade from Bob Dylan who called it “one of the best songs ever written.” Guitarist Dudek would also be featured on another Betts’ standout from the album, “Jessica,” a tune the author adds was written as an exercise inspired by the work of two-fingered jazz great Django Reinhardt.
One reason Betts assumed leadership was Gregg Allman’s dividing his time between recording Brothers and Sisters and his first solo disc, Laid Back. Here, Paul delves into Gregg’s love of Laurel County folksingers, his own desire to be viewed a part of the creative community of his onetime roommate in L.A., Jackson Browne.
Paul’s book provides a balanced perspective on Phil Walden, the man who served as both manager and record company for the band through his Capricorn Records. Walden would have an up then way down history with the band and would, via their success, build an empire largely around Southern rockers like The Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels and others. There are some colorful descriptions of Walden’s annual Capricorn Picnic and Summer Games, which drew strange bedfellows like Andy Warhol and boxing promoter Don King to rub shoulder with the rowdy Southern rockers.
Author Alan Paul – photo by George Lange
One of the more interesting chapters is how the Allman Brothers help revive the Presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter, something covered in great detail in the wonderful 2020 documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President.” Paul also spends a great deal of time exploring the history of The Allman Brothers’ on-going touring partnership with the Grateful Dead, something culminating with Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, the 1973 festival which attracted a world record 650,000 attendees. For the gossip minded, there’s a detailed look at the star-crossed union of Gregg and Cher, a relationship which, like the band itself, was severely compromised by Allman’s addictions. Another factor compromising the band was guitarist Betts’ dependence of cocaine and alcohol, something which made his stage performances, and the bands, more unpredictable as time passed. By 2000, Betts would be out of the band for good and The Allman Brothers would never play “Ramblin’ Man” again.
Like his earlier book on the Allmans, Paul’s latest is an honest and very in-depth assessment of the most commercially vital era of the band. In creating it, Paul had access to hundreds of hours of never-before-heard interviews with the band and its confidants, including Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman, from ABB archivist Kirk West.
Paul will be supporting the launch of the book with a variety of events around the country featuring a reading, Q&A and performance by his band, Friend of the Brothers. Paul ensemble will feature former members of Dickey Betts’ Great Southern, Jaimoe’s Jassz Band and the Phil Lesh Band and special guests including Duane Betts. The lineup includes a July 30 events at New York’s City Winery and August 4 and 5 at Daryl’s House in Pawling, New York.
