Riverside, Iowa
By Phillip Smith; Mar 29,
2015
Walking on stage to a
standing ovation from a sold out crowd is something only a few people get to
experience. Gregg Allman is one of them.
Allman, along with the rest
of his nine man ensemble took the stage at Riverside Casino in Riverside, Iowa. With Allman
on the B3 and Scott Sharrard on
guitar, front and center, the band tore into a ripping rendition of “Stateboro
Blues”. The audience was happy, and so
was I. Without missing a beat, they then
slid right into a sweet sounding “I’m No Angel” followed up with the mellow
grooves of “Come and Go Blues”. Dipping
into his Playin’ Up a Storm album for
a two-fer, Allman performs a
refreshingly “Brightest Smile in Town”. The
intro was beautifully played, and Allman’s
vocals were soulful. The sax solo was a
standout as well. I absolutely loved hearing the crowd pleasing Muddy Waters
classic, “Trouble No More”. Initiated with a fantastic drum intro, this one was
played tight as hell. This is where it sets in, just how cohesive this band
is. It’s so enjoyable to hear Sharrard tear it up on guitar. For “Melissa”,
Allman switched over from the B3, to
acoustic guitar. This song hit the spot, and drew people to their feet.
The second set was quite
strong too. Allman picks up his electric
guitar for an exquisite “Ain’t Wasting Time No More”. It sounded so good. Returning to acoustic guitar, Allman and the band got a little help
from the crowd singing “Midnight Rider”.
This song culminates with a really interesting trumpet performance from Marc Franklin and a standing ovation. The fast and furious “Love Like Kerosene” was
phenomenally played. Ron Johnson was
dishing out some awe-inspiring groove on the bass while we got yet another smoking
performance from Sharrard. After the first few notes of “Whippin’ Post” were
played, it was apparent the audience would not be able to sit still. Greg remained on electric, while Peter Leven took over the B3. Groovy beats from Steve Potts and Marc
Quinones and blasts from the brass make this an interestingly funky treat. This was one everyone had undoubtedly been waiting
for, as it drew a huge standing ovation.
With that closing out the last set, the band returned once more with Allman back at the B3 for a riveting extended
version of “Southbound”. Needless to
say, the show was outstanding.
SetList
Statesboro Blues
I’m No Angel
Come and Go Blues
Brightest Smile In Town
Trouble No More
The Same Thing
Melissa
-Instrumental Break-
Cradle of Civilization
Hot Lanta
Ain’t Wasting Time No More
Midnight Rider
Love Like Kerosene
Whipping Post
Encore
Southbound
