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Phil Lesh, Natalie Cole, Billy Gibbons, Crosby and Nash Join the ABB at the Beacon

Phil Lesh, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Natalie Cole, Billy Gibbons and several other notable players sat in with The Allman Brothers Band at New York’s Beacon Theater last night. The show—The Allman Brothers Band’s only confirmed summer date— was a collaboration with the American Liver Foundation on Tune In to Hep C, a public health campaign to help raise awareness of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Gregg Allman suffers from Hep C and recently received a liver transplant. Not coincidentally, the show fell on the eve of the eve of World Hepatitis Day.

The Allman Brothers Band opened their set with a stretch of live favorites, including “Don’t Want You No More,” “It’s Not My Cross To Bear,” Dr. John’s “Walk on Guilded Splinters,” “One Way Out,” Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” “Statesboro Blues,” Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell” and “Black Hearted Woman. ” After a jam based around the Grateful Dead’s “That’s It For the Other One,” The Allman Brothers Band opened their stage to guests. Singer Natalie Cole, who suffers from hepatitis C, took the stage along with Warren Haynes Band saxophonist Ron Holloway and Gov’t Mule keyboardist Danny Louis for Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Cole and Holloway remained onstage for a cover of The Band’s “The Weight” while saxophonist and frequent ABB guest Bill Evans appeared for a set-closing version of “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed.”

The group’s second set turned into something of a classic rock revue. Surprise guests David Crosby and Graham Nash opened the set with only Derek Trucks on electric guitar for “Teach Your Children,” a song they originally recorded with Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar. Crosby (who suffers from hepatitis and received a successful liver transplant) and Nash remained onstage for acoustic versions of “Guinnevere” and “Find The Cost Of Freedom.” The members of The Allman Brothers and Phil Lesh then joined Crosby and Nash for both the Crosby song “Cowboy Movie” and CSNY’s “Almost Cut My Hair” (Danny Louis also appeared on the later song). Interestingly enough, Lesh, Garcia, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann performed on the original studio version of “Cowboy Movie” on If I Could Only Remember My Name.

As Crosby and Nash left the stage, Lesh led the members of The Allman Brothers Band and Louis through the Grateful Dead classics “Shakedown Street,” “Sugaree” and “Franklin’s Tower” (“Franklin’s also featured Bill Evans). Lesh suffers from hepatitis C and received a live transplant in the late ‘90s. Crosby was one of the first musicians who helped him through the process and appeared at some early Phil Lesh & Friends shows.

Natalie Cole returned to the stage at the end of the set to sing on “Whipping Post.” All of the evening’s guests along with Devon Allmanthen come out one final time for a classic two-song encore, “Midnight Rider” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” The final song featured an additional guest, ZZ Top guitarist Billy F Gibbons, on guitar.

The Allman Brothers Band does not have any scheduled dates.

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Here’s a look at the evening’s setlist as it appears in our Box Scores section

Allman Brothers Band
Tune In To Hep C Benefit Concert Beacon Theater, NYC

Set I: Don’t Want You No More > It’s Not My Cross To Bear, Walk on Guilded Splinters, One Way Out, Into the Mystic, Statesboro Blues, Blind Willie McTell, Black Hearted Woman> Other One Jam, A Change Is Gonna Come*, The Weight^, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed$

Set II: Teach Your Children**, Guinnevere**, Find The Cost Of Freedom**, Cowboy Movie^^, Almost Cut My Hair$$, Shakedown Street%, Sugaree%, Franklins Tower%, Whipping Post%%

Enc: Midnight Rider^^^, May The Circle Be Unbroken^^^^

Notes:

*with Natalie Cole, Ron Halloway and Danny Louis
^with Natalie Cole and Ron Halloway
$with Bill Evans **with David Crosby and Graham Nash
^^with David Crosby, Graham Nash and Phil Lesh
$$ with David Crosby, Graham Nash, Phil Lesh and Danny Louis
%with Phil Lesh and Danny Louis
%%with Natalie Cole
^^^with all guests and Devon Allman
^^^^with all guests, Devon Allman and Billy Gibbons

Source: Allmanbrothersband.com