Allman Brothers Tribute Band Trouble No More Makes Debut At Beacon Theatre

Trouble No More presented their second of two concerts celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers Band’s iconic Eat A Peach album at The Beacon Theatre on Saturday night. Consisting of guitarists Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and Daniel Donato, bassist Dylan Niederauer, keyboardist Peter Levin, vocalist Lamar Williams Jr., pedal steel guitarist Roosevelt Collier and drummers Nikki Glaspie and Jack Ryan, the shows at the New York City venue marked the ABB tribute act’s live debut.

March at The Beacon Theatre was a fitting time and place for the group to start considering the venue hosted The Allman Brothers Band residencies nearly every year between 1992 and 2014. While Trouble No More performed each Eat A Peach track along with their namesake song as the evening’s first set, they also played a second set filled with additional ABB classics from the group’s first two albums as well as a “Whipping Post” encore.

Assembled by Mint Talent Group co-founder C.J. Strock with the blessing of The Allman Brothers Band, Trouble No More are an extremely talented ensemble that did a fine job carrying forward the ABB legacy. Lamar Williams Jr., the son of The Allman Brothers Band’s bassist from 1972 – 1976 has a bluesy growl to his voice which served the material well. The vocalist, like his bandmates, honored the original group’s sound while adding his own imprint on the music.

Peter Levin was back on stage after undergoing successful heart transplant surgery last fall. Levin was a member of the late Gregg Allman’s last and best solo band and served as the defacto leader of Trouble No More. The keyboardist had ample opportunity to shine as he strung together powerful organ runs on “Mountain Jam,” “Les Brers In A Minor” and “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed,” while Levin’s “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” electric piano intro was a highlight of the show.

Nashville-based guitarist Daniel Donato may have been the least known member of Trouble No More to the New York City audience, but he made a tremendous impact throughout the night. An example of his prowess came during the 26-minute “Mountain Jam.” Donato started his solo with a particularly cool riff that he kept inserting into the mix between blistering runs on his Telecaster. He infused his signature “cosmic country” tone into a raucous solo that stood out on a night filled with one solo after another. Daniel also shined vocally in singing “Blue Sky” and masterfully worked a bit of “Jessica” into his solo on the song. Each of his solos seemed to tell a story without a single extra note played.

The double-drum attack of Nikki Glaspie (Dumpstaphunk, The Nth Power) and Jack Ryan (Marcus King Band) provided a sturdy base for the soloists. Glaspie was content to lay back and stayed in the pocket while Ryan would throw in jaw-dropping fills on an almost comically small drum set. However, it was Nikki who stood out and showed why she’s one of the best in the game during drum duels within “Mountain Jam” and “Liz Reed.” The pair were a force behind the kit and brought a mighty freight train chug-a-lug to Trouble No More.

Roosevelt Collier switched between pedal and lap steel on Saturday night. The sacred steel specialist has participated in literally hundreds of tributes, supergroups and one-off lineups in addition to his time in The Lee Boys, as such he was a wise choice to replicate Duane Allman’s slide guitar sounds that helped put The Allman Brothers Band on the map. Collier’s handiwork stood out when he was soloing on songs such as “Stand Back,” “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” “Done Somebody Wrong” and “Dreams.” However, Rosie did seem a bit lost in the mix when all seven instrumentalists were playing.

The Allman Brothers Band was at their start based on the brotherhood and chemistry between brothers Gregg and Duane Allman, so it’s apt that those same characteristics drive Trouble No More via the Niederauer brothers. Guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and bassist Dylan Niederauer have a strong bond that comes from years of performing together. They both bring a youthful exuberance to the new ensemble and while staying respectful to the songs, added a fresh dynamic to the arrangements. Dylan supported his bandmates with propulsive and creative basslines, while Taz unleashed one sensational solo after another.

Trouble No More continues to add headlining dates and festival appearances to their upcoming schedule, including a set honoring Eat A Peach at this summer’s The Peach Music Festival. With the new band offering a fine start at The Beacon Theatre, The Allman Brothers Band’s legacy is in good hands.

Check out photos by Adam McCullough and watch fan-shot video footage from Saturday’s concert captured by Scott Gibson below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbsNltltgjU/

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Setlist

Set One: Trouble No More, Stand Back, Mountain Jam, Little Martha, Blue Sky, Melissa, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Les Brers In A Minor, One Way Out

Set Two: Don’t Want You No More > Ain’t My Cross To Bear, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, Done Somebody Wrong, Dreams

Encore: Whipping Post

Source: JamBase.com