Next weekend the Allman Brothers Band will welcome a slew of their musical friends to gorgeous Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida for the Wanee Festival. Tickets are still available for under $200, but the price jumps once the gates open. Earlier this week the event’s schedule was released, so we thought we’d point out a handful of sets you need to see.
1. Allman Brothers Band (Friday and Saturday at 9:30PM)
Not only is the legendary rock band the host of Wanee, but the focus is on the group after the way the Beacon run ended. Gregg Allman has supposedly recovered from the back issues that forced him out of the final Beacon show. Considering the ties between nearly every act on the bill and the Allman Brothers Band, we can only imagine the tough choices ABB musical director Warren Haynes will have in picking guests for sit-ins during the band’s two sets. Stay tuned!
2. Trigger Hippy (Saturday 1:30PM)
There haven’t been many gigs yet from this supergroup featuring Joan Osborne, Jackie Greene, Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, Will Kimbrough and Nick Govrik, so this is a rare chance to see the band in action. Trigger Hippy stays true to Gorman’s southern rock roots and usually throws down reinvented versions of Greene’s songs along with vibrant originals and a few covers. Don’t sleep on this set.
3. Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers Band (Thursday 5:30PM)
The Doors keyboardist has teamed up with slide guitar great Roy Rogers to front a fantastic ensemble that combines blues and rock in an inventive way. Their songs groove and have plenty of space for jams, making them a fine addition to the Wanee lineup.
4. Zach Deputy (Friday 11:20AM & 4PM)
This HT fave may be no stranger to the Spirit of Suwanee Music Park thanks to multiple appearances at Bear Creek, his Wanee performance will feature the full Zach Deputy Band. Having a full ensemble behind him shows a completely different, more mellow, side of ZD’s music which should be perfect for the 4PM set on 4/20.
5. Gov’t Mule (Saturday 3:15PM)
Warren Haynes’ focus has been on own Warren Haynes Band and the Allman Brothers Band of late, but he’s starting to get back into the Gov’t Mule groove. The group’s Wanee appearance will be their first set of ’12 since January’s Island Exodus III, so it will be interesting to see what they work out for their only performance between January and May.
