Big Leather Couch

A friend of mine sent this to me yesterday (THANK YOU DANA!) and I thought it would be nice to share with you all.

By The Numbers: Allmans at the Beacon

Hidden Track - Glide Magazine
Written by: Scott Bernstein
April 09, 2007

The Allman Brothers Band concluded another epic run at the Beacon Theater last night. And just when you thought they had run out of possible guests, they bring out a former baseball player and a certified blues legend.

I thought the run started slow, but things quickly heated up. The Brothers broke out a number of new covers this run, including but not limited to All Along The Watchtower, Mojo Boogie, Dazed and Confused, Manic Depression. So many songs were played this run that some classics such as Ain't Wastin' Time, Soulshine, and Melissa were only played four times (whereas each of those songs were played almost every night during the Dickie Betts' days). The return of Warren to the fold in 2001 really pushed this band to new heights, both in execution of playing and in making the setlists interesting again.

I attended Friday night's concert and last night's finale. Both shows were amazing in completely different ways. The band played a number of covers at my first show of the weekend, as they were celebrating Warren Haynes' 47th birthday. Hearing Warren sing I've Been Lovin' You Too Long was a thrill: the man owned that song. Peter Frampton showed he has some killer chops when he sat in for three songs, including a blistering Born Under A Bad Sign.

Sunday's show was more about the Allmans' original tunes. The band played a version of Jessica that included a ridiculous solo from Derek Trucks. Trucks and Haynes bring so much emotion to the table that you expect the table to start crying. My favorite part of the three shows I caught was Sunday's triple encore. Oteil came out at first and played a short but sweet solo version of the beautiful Little Martha. The band returned with American Idol Taylor Hicks on harmonica for a rockin' One Way Out, followed by a fitting Revival.

Now that the run is over, we've gone geek and entered the stats into an excel file. These are the results that we came up with:

227 songs played
86 different songs played
45 guests
29 songs played only one time
15 total shows
9 shows before they played a concert without any songs that were new to the run [3/31/07]
9 versions of Statesboro Blues [only song played more than six times]
3 versions of Whipping Post [comparison: they played 10 in 13 shows in 1996]
2 shows with no guests (3/20, 3/22)
1 guest appearance by a New York Yankee
0 LOVE for Dickey Betts

Think about it folks...every year for 2 weeks, one band takes over a classic venue and just kicks ass.

Seriously, go back and read the stats...there are few other bands who could go out and play 87 different songs in a year - no less in 15 days!

NINE days of totally different sets IN A ROW!

FORTY-FIVE guest in 15 days!

It is sad that Dickie Betts fell into such bad shape that he was fired by the band in 2000.

OH, and who was the NY Yankee?

Bernie Williams! (OK, so technically he is not on the roster this year, but he will always be a Yankee!)

That is Bernie on the right playing the first solo...he is a master guitarist in his own right.




Derek Trucks is the nephew of Butch Trucks, long time Allman Brothers drummer and was, of course, named Duane in honor of the great Duane Allman. It was pretty appropriate. He began playing guitar at 9 years old and began touring 2 short years later. He leads his own band (The Derek Trucks Band), has toured with Eric Clapton and is now a regular with the Allman Brothers. Pretty Spectacular.
And this is from the 2003 series...just brilliant...





If you go to that tube site and search "Allmans, Beacon", you will find other clips from this and other years...sorry Dana, no clips from Taylor's jam with the band. Taylor will be at the Beacon this month though.

Tomorrow is the day pitchers and catchers officially begin reporting to training camps in Florida and Arizona.

YES!!! Baseball is back baby and THE COUCH can not be happier.

The smell of fresh cut grass...the feel of a new glove sliding onto your hand. Fingers wrapping around the barrel of a bat. The sounds of balls hitting the glove and bats smacking brand new baseballs.

A new season, new hopes and dreams.

Already news is streaking across diamonds everywhere...


Kris Benson, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles will, most likely, miss the entire season with a torn rotator cuff. There are no confirmations to the reports he hurt his arm while trying out new sex positions with his wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Benson have been the subjects of numerous stories over the years of their sexual exploits. Mrs. Benson even has her own website where she does nothing to downplay these rumors.

When Benson was traded from the NY Mets in 2006 the speculation was it was due to Mrs. Benson's escapades on radio shows and on her site. The Mets, of course denied these allegations.


When reached for comments, Mrs. Benson told COUCH reporter Hocka Loogey "What me and my husband do in bed, on the porch, in the shower, against the wall, in the car, in the shower (oh, did I say that already?), on the front lawn, in restaurants, on the pitchers mound of every stadium we can, on airplanes and cruise ships is no one's business but our own. That is until my autobiography "MY HUSBAND PITCHES AND I CATCH" comes out next year."

For the first time in 16 years, it appears Bernie Williams will not be in Yankee spring training camp. The Yankees offered the 38-year old Williams a minor league contract to come to camp, but Williams has, so far, declined.

A sad day for true Yankee fans, but a result of Williams growing older and the Yankee's team getting younger.

It is also the last year on the contract of Mariano Riviera, the ace bullpen closer of the Yankees. THE COUCH hopes the brain trust does not pull another bone-head move as they did with Andy Pettitte and ignore Riviera while pursuing some other player. Note to Brian Cashman, give the guy another two year contract, for all he has done, he deserves it...get it done NOW.


SO, the Dixie Chicks, who spent the last two years being booed and vilified for their comments about George W. walked away as the Queens of the ball at the Grammy Awards.

Funny how time heals all wounds...it was especially nice as they kept a certain male singer from getting up and collecting any statues...Guess they are on "TOP OF THE WORLD"



So, that is about it for today. Hard writing when you are traveling. Went out to dinner last night at a place called Bern's in Tampa. OMG...huge steak house. After dinner a tour of the kitchen was provided including their wine cellar which is claimed to be the largest for any restaurant IN THE WORLD! They store 100,000 bottles of wine! Then upstairs to their dessert room with 42 pages of wines and cordials.

THE COUCH is now the size of 6 sectionals...


Hopefully home tomorrow.

See y'all tomorrow for MID-WEEK MUSICAL MEME...