Like the suede moccasins he wore instead of his trademark cowboy boots, a lighter, gentler captivated the Boulder Theater on Wednesday night.
Check out our review and photos of Gregg Allman’s first night at the Boulder Theater here.
He had barely put a finger to his Hammond B-3 organ when the sold-out crowd gave him a standing ovation. It was one of the few times in the show that a smile cracked his lean and ever-bearded face (blond or grey, he still has more hair than you). But he still has that voice, even if it slurs its words more than ever, even more than when he was probably drunk onstage oh-so-many Red Rocks shows ago (he’s been clean and sober since 1994).
Post-liver transplant, this is also a healthier Allman, one who doesn’t seem to want to stop being on the road just a year after the Allman Brothers Band retired from the grind. Night two was similar to the previous nightap set list, following closely on the heels of last month’s performance at the and a rigorous spring tour.
Opener Richie Furay–founding member of Buffalo Springfield and Poco–is now a minister for Calvary Chapel, an occupation he spoke to with a set that occasionally bordered on the gospel sound. His band included his silvery-voiced daughter, Jesse Furay Lynch, who together wowed the crowd with the famous song he wrote for Poco, “Kind Woman,” an ode to his wife of 49 years.
Allman and Co. weren’t quite as mellow, but there was a notable lack of energy on songs that normally would have rocked. One exception was the upbeat and snazzy-jazzy version of encore “Whipping Post,” which had a horn-heavy arrangement that closely resembled the one on Allman’s most recent release, “Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA.”
More than halfway through, Allman took a break and showcased the band, which he introduced in kind before launching into one of the nightap highlights, a version of “Black Hearted Woman” so fluid and well-melded it felt as though this band was the one that had been playing together for 45 years rather than the now-retired Allman Brothers.
Otherwise, while Sharrard is an adept and crisp guitarist, his robotic delivery lacked the passion required to elevate many of the songs. Sometimes he seemed to be phoning it in, staring off into space. Notable exceptions included “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” one of several tunes that found Allman switching from the keyboard to a six-string, and a lively, guitar-driven “Love Like Kerosene.”
The low-key vibe did work for them a handful of times. Crowd favorite “Sweet Melissa,” came off as sweet and soothing as intended, a rendition not unlike Allman and his comfy pair of moccasins: Softer, but no worse for the wear.
Gregg Allman at the Boulder Theater (night two) set list:
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
I’m No Angel
Done Somebody Wrong
Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More
Floating Bridge
Please Call Home
I Can’t Be Satisfied
Sweet Feelin’
Instrumental break
Black Hearted Woman
Hot ‘Lanta
Sweet Melissa
Midnight Rider
Love Like Kerosene
Whipping Post
Former Denver Post travel editor and current freelancer Kyle Wagner is a frequent contributor to Reverb.
