Show Review - The Brothers 4/15/25 New York, NY
Best Rhythm Section Ever?
Five years after the last time they took the stage at the World’s Most Famous Arena, The Brothers returned to celebrate the 55th anniversary of The Allman Brothers Band in an absolutely spectacular fashion, unleashing a blazing hot first night that had no let-up from the first note to the last.
The band, comprised of former ABB members Jaimoe, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Oteil Burbridge, and Marc Quinones plus Joe Russo, Reese Wynans, Isaac Eady, and special guest Chuck Leavell, looked to be having so much genuine fun and gratitude for the opportunity to play these shows.
The night began with “Statesboro Blues,” the familiar crunchy guitar leads and searing Trucks slide solo getting the lively crowd amped up alongside Haynes’ strong vocal. By the time the band ripped through “Trouble No More,” it was immediately clear that the decision to augment this lineup with Russo was an absolutely exceptional decision – not that there was any doubt.
His fluidity and leadership is nearly unmatched, and his work with Quinones’ percussion and both Jaimoe and Eady at different times felt like such a natural combination – not to mention the similar fluidity in Burbridge’s bass playing that makes this combination one of the greatest rhythm sections I’ve ever heard.
“No One To Run With” continued the first set with pictures of past ABB members, each one getting cheers from the crowd – and the addition of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh to the slideshow was a nice touch. “Hot ‘Lanta” was the first Wynans showcase of the night as the organ ripped through a hot solo ahead of some wild trades between Trucks and Haynes.
One of the other cool things I noticed last night was that none of the musicians used in-ear monitors, making them all feel like they were in the room together and with us instead of in an isolated sound mix – which was clearly felt on the stage as well, as there was constant communication and smiles in each song. Trucks would often venture closer to Haynes, the drummers, or Wynans during segments to hear better and connect musically.
Fan favourite “Midnight Rider” acted as a breather from the straight-ahead guitar shredding of some of the earlier selects, the harmonized melodies sounding absolutely pristine inside the Garden. Burbridge seriously dug in on “Black Hearted Woman,” his low-end pushing alongside Russo to propel the rest of the band in a way that indicated that they had practiced incredibly well.
Out of the song proper, The Brothers dropped into an extended space akin to the Grateful Dead’s “The Other One,” the rhythm section continuing to absolutely crush as Haynes tore through an emphatic solo.
Welcoming Leavell to the stage, we were treated to his piano stylings and lead vocal on “Blue Sky,” Trucks’ solo section saw the guitarist hang back more than normal and develop a gorgeous full-band melodic motif that eventually bled into Leavell’s piano solo – Wynans’ organ really just making the sound soar underneath.
“Gambler’s Roll” cooled things down ahead of a ripping “Come and Go Blues,” Haynes continuing to pull strong vocal duties while keeping up blazing hot solo after blazing hot solo, leading into the night’s first cover in Dr. John’s “I Walk On Guilded Splinters.”
The first set came to a close with the iconic “Jessica,” Trucks, Haynes, and Leavell all unleashing amazing solos, sending us into the break on a high note.
With all the first-night jitters out of the way, the second set opened strong with an absolutely incredible “Mountain Jam,” Quinones handling the key timpani part. Russo drove into a loose and fluid jam as the guitarists worked the intro melody overtop of Wynans’ floaty organ textures.
Burbridge used some upper-register melodic work to spar with the guitarists, developing an incredible full-band motif as Haynes and Trucks eventually pushed into the forefront for the song’s main hook.
Driving into a more rocking minor key from there, Russo and Eady’s dual-drum attack continued to drive the bus as Burbridge unleashed whirlwind fill after whirlwind fill, marking the rhythm section’s continued domination of a guitar-forward band.
Trucks ripped through his solo, barely noticing a broken string, before handing things off to Wynans for his own strong turn at the front, the drums CONTINUING to be the driving force behind what made this piece of improv so good.
“Stormy Monday” emerged from the unfinished “Mountain Jam” for some slick southern blues ahead of “You Don’t Love Me.” Haynes’ finest moment of the night so far came in his “Dreams” solo, the guitarist pouring a heap of emotion into his extended solo while delivering an emphatic vocal performance.
The moment I had been anticipating most arrived next with “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” my favourite ABB song getting some of the finest soloing of the night – first from Trucks, who exhibited pure patience in his initial turn. Building to a scorching peak, then taking things back down for another run at an energetic apex, the guitarist showed off exactly why he’s one of the best to ever do it – equal parts pure shred and telling a melodic story.
Wynans ripped through his solo on the legendary instrumental before Haynes took the reins for the third section, going toe-to-toe with Burbridge for some amazing trades, the bassist’s head-spinning licks getting big cheers out of the crowd with each one.
Leavell joined the band once more for Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” which lead into a set-closing pair of “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” and the finale of “Mountain Jam,” this time augmented by some incredible jazzy piano work that felt like a bonus on top of all the other incredible music happening.
Encoring with a huge “Whipping Post,” The Brothers seemingly confirmed that they will be repeating several of the “hits” tonight – and while some may criticize the decision to play the same songs two nights in a row, I am more than okay with the fact that we get to see a different take on “Liz Reed” or others tonight.
While this is technically a nostalgia show for a legendary classic rock band, it didn’t feel at all like there was anything but full effort and power delivered by every musician on stage for every moment of the show, and each of their excitement to be celebrating the music of the Allman Brothers Band was palpable – whether they had been a member of the original band or were just given the opportunity to be a part of such a special event.
The Brothers return to MSG tonight for the second of two shows. A livestream is available for purchase via nugs.net.
