Despite the heat and humidity, it was nothing short of a glorious summer day on Boston Harbor on August 26th at Leader Bank Pavillion for The Spirit of The South Tour. Amidst the slight breeze and smell of salt in the air, fans of Blackberry Smoke, The Allman Betts Band and The Wild Feathers gathered to listen to and sing along with the bands’ genuine southern rock fare. All three bands proudly took to the stage to perform music from their catalogs and to showcase fresh tunes from their most recent records. The Wild Feathers and the Allman Betts Band served up appetizing opening sets before Blackberry Smoke delivered the smokin’ hot entree. All three bands, plus a special guest helped whip up a fine dessert as well.
The Wild Feathers hit the stage promptly at 6:00 PM, getting the evening’s festivities, which didn’t end until five hours later, started with a solid mix of country-infused crooners and rockers. From the get-go, the mix from the board was well balanced for the band as a whole, while letting each member shine in their own right. Stellar three-part harmonies between founding members Ricky Young, Joel King, and Taylor Burns came off as effortless and most impressive. Drummer Ben Dumas and guitarist Brett Moore rounded out the quintet with solid chops that only took hold of the spotlight when needed.
A couple of songs into the set, the band’s breakthrough hit “Backwood Company”, a staple barnburner, got the crowd on their feet early. After grabbing the audience’s attention with “Backwood”, Young wiped his brow and stated, “It’s hotter here than it is back home!” The band continued to impress, showcasing their undeniable musical skills with “Stand by You”, “Happy Again” and “Alvarado”. One fan, hanging on the rail in the front row, was seen turning to her family several times, smiling and declaring, “They’re really good!”. Yes, the Wild Feathers are really good. They are talented and have always been worth watching live and listening to in any format, proving to be a perfect fit for this tour.
The Allman Betts Band followed and carried the torch with full-southern flair and swagger. Devon Allman’s and Duane Betts’ uncanny physical resemblance to their fathers is inescapable and their music carries on the traditional southern rock sound, which was clearly instilled in their blood growing up, though you can still hear how they are yearning to find their own sound. Both young Allman’s and Betts’ vocals and fiery licks prove they’re no imposters and have the goods to deliver rock that has a fresh sound interwoven into classic southern rock that many would expect to hear from the spawn of The Allman Brothers Band.
Allman, relaxed in a blue T-shirt, jeans, and Vans sneakers seamlessly gelled musically with Betts, adorned in more traditional country-rock garb with a western shirt, jeans, and glorious brass belt buckle. The band’s collective talents include bassist Berry Duane Oakley (son of Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley), John Ginty (keys), Johnny Stachela (guitar), R. Scott Bryan (percussion), and John Lum (drums), all of whom did not disappoint with a whimsical mix of rock and roll and blues.
Vocal harmonies along with three-part guitar escapades were on full display as the band jammed through an impressive “Shinin’’’ and “Down to the River” from their debut album along with “Savannah’s Dream”, ”Magnolia Road” and “Pale Horse Rider” from their latest, Bless Your Heart. For Southern rock purists and guitar enthusiasts alike, the Allman Betts’ set was one spicy burrito that at times showcased up to four guitarists lettin’ it rip for all to hear. It was glorious!
After the Wild Feathers and the Allman Betts Band had concluded their respective sets, the sunlight started to wane and the wind off the harbor started to pick up ever so slightly – perfectly setting the scene for Georgia’s new pride and joy, Blackberry Smoke, to grace the pavilion’s stage.
Blackberry Smoke took their marks with a bevy of nine musicians ready to rock. The core of the band, Charlie Starr (vox/guitar), Paul Jackson (guitar), Brit Turner (drums), Richard Turner (bass) and Brandon Still (keys) were joined by guitarist Benji Shanks, percussionist Preston Holcomb and vocalists Rita and Reecie (A.K.A. the Black Bettys) for a full-on musical assault. In support of their magnificent new album, You Hear Georgia, the band tore through an explosive set chock full of their originals, interludes to tip the hat to an influence or two, and choice covers, including the Rolling stones’ “Tumbling’ Dice” in tribute to drummer Charlie Watts, who recently passed, and a surprise guest vocalist as advertised.
Celebrating 20 years together, waves and smiles abounded from both the band and the audience before the band got it rollin’ with “All over the Road” prior to really lighting it up with a right hook of “Good One Comin’ On” and a left hook of “Waiting for the Thunder”. It was an early knockout of hard-hitting rock and roll. “Hey Delilah” with its catchy chorus had those who knew the words singing right along while shakin’ what their momma gave them. Starr then led the audience through a fun, but brief call and response before the band locked into another new track, “You Hear Georgia”, one sure to be included on a BBS greatest hits package.
BBS brought the nasty with “Sleeping Dogs” which featured killer wah-laden riffage from Starr. The band showed off its ability to improvise a bit with a touching interlude, sending a nod to the late Tom Petty with a few refrains of his hit “You Don’t Know How it Feels”. Drawing cheers from the audience, everyone sang in unison with their hands raised in the air. As the interlude continued, Starr broke the mood of the semi-somber tribute by adding some humor into the mix. Starr stepped back up to his mic and asked, “Can we all agree on one thing, that we don’t like the Yankees?” This of course resonated well with the Red Sox Nation. The crescendo then picked up and the band went full circle to complete “Sleeping Dogs” with both bark and bite.
Other highlights of BBS’ set included a fun “I Ain’t Got the Blues” which found Starr engaging with the audience once again asking, “Y’all feel like singin’?” with a sweet smile. “One Horse Town” showcased Starr’s vocal talent as he and the band were clearly warmed up and runnin’ hot. “Old Scarecrow”, which was dedicated to those who don’t pay attention to social media, swayed heavily with a tight groove supported by the band behind Starr’s voice.
During the epic “Ain’t Much Left of Me”, another interlude of sorts was offered up where one may have heard brief ghostings of Alice Cooper’s “Only Women Bleed” before the band toyed with Aerosmith’s “Draw the Line” which once the band pushed it into high gear, the crowd went berserk. Though it was about that time for said surprise guest, sadly, there were no sightings of Steven Tyler or Joe Perry during this take of a classic. The band brought “Ain’t Much Left of Me” back ‘round to wrap up BBS’ initial set before Starr announced they’d be back shortly for the expected encore.
So, that dessert? Well, the encore was a cornucopia of tasty musical cuisine. BBS turned the engine over once again by tearing into “Tumbling Dice” which featured a larger-than-life portrait of Charlie Watts on the LED screen behind Turner and his kit. BBS nailed “Dice” an the Black Bettys vocal fireworks added quite the glowing spark. BBS’ take on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” was spot on. The Wild Feathers were called out for “Up On Cripple Creek” and it sounded great and the guys from the Wild Feathers gleefully crushed it.
BBS then brought out their special guest, Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie, Jeff Beck) for “Grits Ain’t Groceries” and “Keep On Smilin’”. If you weren’t paying attention, you could have mistaken Hall for a hybrid of Mick Jagger and Peter Wolf. He had had the same energy and the charisma of both contemporaries. It was hard to tell who was having more fun on stage, Hall or the band. And for the cherries on top, BBS brought the Allman Betts Band back out again for two Allman Brothers Band nuggets, “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” and “Midnight Rider”, for which the audience readily ate up with much adoration.
The spirit of the south was certainly in the air. The eclecticism of the respective artists seemed to work well and how cool would it be to see if Blackberry Smoke could turn the Spirit of the South into a regular tour or festival with a revolving door of artists. Well played y’all!
Photos by Marc Lacatell
