The Allman Brothers Band - Live at the Beacon Theater (DVD)

It’s not even officially summertime, and these damn sweltering hot days in Maryland are driving me mad. Of course, summer days evoke summer memories. Barbeques, beach trips and outdoor concerts... just to name a few. What is summer anyway without a Jimmy Buffet, Dave Matthews Band and/or Allman Brothers concert? For dedicated Allman Brothers’ fans, what is late March without a string of consecutive shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York? Live At The Beacon Theatre is a two disc DVD set that provides an up close and personal look at two of the 13 concerts performed in 2003. Just like a string of 13 straight shows in the same venue, this DVD is for dedicated Peach-heads (or whatever they’re called). The first disc contains 21 tracks of strong Southern blues-rock. But like any concert video, the real beneficiaries are the guitar students. Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes do a nice job of swapping guitar solos, and the camera follows all of their sharp finger work closely. These camera shots are particularly interesting because Derek Trucks uses a slide on the fret board while he fingerpicks the strings below. And Warren Haynes uses all of his fingers on the fret board while he hammers the strings below with a standard guitar pick. Both techniques are equally emphasized. “Rockin Horse” and “Soulshine” are good examples of this axe grinding yin and yang. While the music on this DVD set is crisp and cohesive, the charisma exuded by the band members is sub-par, which makes me ask, “Why am I watching this?” The Allman Brothers Band creates ideal summer music perfect for backyard barbeques and long road trips with all the windows down, not for watching a video on the couch. Who can deny they have not jammed out to “Jessica” while driving on the highway with the wind in your hair? If you prefer listening to the Allman Brothers Band, then One Way Out is an excellent buy. It's a two disc CD set of the same material on this DVD. I have reviewed that album as well. However, if you prefer to see the band wail on their instruments, this DVD contains all songs the songs on the CD set plus, “Black Hearted Woman”, “A Change is Gonna Come”, “Maydell”, “Soulshine”, "Leave My Blues At Home”, “The Same Thing”, “Melissa” and ironically enough, “One Way Out.” One final note, the DVD set also includes interviews with the band where each band member basically says the same thing. “We’re sober. Our sound is revitalized. We haven’t felt this good since ’69.” Please see my One Way Out review. [www.allmanbrothersband.com]