ATLANTIC CITY — The music of the Allman Brothers Band will take over Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk Monday night with a free concert celebrating one of rock music’s landmark live albums.
The Celebration of the Allman Brothers “Live at Fillmore East” begins at 7 p.m. and features Melody Trucks, Vaylor Trucks, the Fitzkee Brothers, Peter Levin of the Gregg Allman Band and Lamar Williams Jr. of Oteil & Friends. The show is part of Tony Mart Presents’ free Lundi Gras concert series.
Tony Mart Presents producer Carmen Marotta said the combination of the music and performers could make Monday’s concert one of the highlights of the summer.
“This could be the biggest of all the 33 headline concerts of the summer tonight,” Marotta said during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND.
Marotta said the Allman Brothers have maintained a particularly strong following in South Jersey for generations.
“Since I was a little boy we have loved the Allman Brothers,” he said.
But what separates Monday night's performance from a conventional tribute show, Marotta said, is the direct connection several of the musicians have to the Allman Brothers family and its musical legacy.
“You know, it's not just some guys who said, OK, let's do some Allman Brothers,” Marotta said. “This is the Allman Brothers family legacy that we have on the Boardwalk tonight.”
A Direct Connection to the Allman Brothers
Melody Trucks and Vaylor Trucks are the children of Butch Trucks, a founding member and longtime drummer of the Allman Brothers Band.
Marotta praised both performers, describing Vaylor Trucks as a “tremendous guitar player” and Melody Trucks as a highly respected vocalist, percussionist, songwriter, bandleader and educator.
The lineup also includes Peter Levin, whose career includes performing with Gregg Allman and the Gregg Allman Band.
“Peter Levin, five-time Grammy-nominated Hammond B3 organ player, keyboard player, who played for years with Gregg Allman himself and the Gregg Allman Band,” Marotta said.
Lamar Williams Jr. of Oteil & Friends adds another connection to the extended Allman Brothers musical family.
Marotta said the combination gives the Kennedy Plaza audience an opportunity to hear the band's music performed by artists with ties to its history.
“People who know roots music know and love what we're talking about here,” he said.
The concert celebrates the Allman Brothers Band's At Fillmore East, the celebrated live album recorded at New York City's Fillmore East in 1971 that helped establish the group as one of the defining live bands of its era.
Free Music Continues This Week
Monday's concert is one of several free Tony Mart Presents shows scheduled at Kennedy Plaza this week.
Wednesday's Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk concert will feature Dead Zep with special guest Hayley Jane, beginning at 7 p.m. The Tony Mart Presents schedule describes Dead Zep as combining the music of the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.
Marotta also discussed additional music planned for Friday, including Deep Blue Something and Slow Hands, an Eric Clapton tribute. He said the Friday program will include a mini-fundraiser, with attendees encouraged to make donations to help support the music programming.
“We want everybody to come out and make a donation,” Marotta said. “We'll have posters, and we'll have T-shirts, and we'll be giving them away as a package like they do on PBS.”
For Monday night, however, Marotta expects the Allman Brothers celebration to attract a particularly strong turnout to Kennedy Plaza.
“Especially tonight,” he said, “because it's going to be a lot of people there tonight.”
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
