The Allman Brothers Band were broken up for most of the 1980s. The band fizzled out in 1982, two years after firing beloved original drummer Jaimoe, and no one knew if they’d see the famous band play together again. That all changed in 1986, when the band were invited by the Charlie Daniels Band to play at their annual Volunteer Jam, which took place that year at Starwood Amphitheater in Nashville, TN.
Daniels himself introduced the band, before Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe took the stage, flanked by Dan Toler and Chuck Leavell, as well as Bruce Waibel and Jerry McCoy. The reunited Allman Brothers Band then turned in an electric sixty-minute set that marked their first performance as a band in over four years.
The night turned into a veritable greatest hits show, opening with their classic cover of “Statesboro Blues” before performing gorgeous versions of “Blue Sky” and “One Way Out”. They took on the exploratory “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed”, before the dream set continued with “Ramblin’ Man” and “Jessica”. The night concluded with a raucous take on the band’s traditional show-closer, “Whipping Post”.
Thanks to Music Vault‘s dedicated Allman Brothers YouTube channel, you can watch this set below, in all of its glory. The band are still young and full of energy, with Betts standing out for his absolutely incredible guitar playing. Check out the video below, and enjoy the 1986 reunion of the Allman Brothers!