MUSIC NEWS - The Allman Brothers Band will continue celebrating their 40th anniversary this spring and summer with added headlining and festival dates. The band is currently in the middle of its annual Beacon Theatre run in NYC (after a year off), will journey out west for the first time in four years when the first round of their "40 Years of Highs & Lows" tour starts off in Oakland, CA on May 12 (& 13). The classic southern rockers will visit seven cities in the West before heading back east in late May for a headlining appearance at the Mountain Jam Festival in Hunter, NY. Next, ABB will host the Wanee Festival in Live Oak, FL on June 5 & 6, headlining a show that wll also includes Gov't Mule, Drive-By Truckers, Umphrey's McGee and others. (Tour itinerary is listed below, more dates to be added).

The band's New York City shows is their return to the Beacon Theatre after the group was forced to skip 2008 due to recuperation needed by vocalist/keyboardist/founder Gregg Allman. The NY shows have been getting great reviews with notable music guest joining the band onstage - Taj Mahal, Levon Helm, Johnny Winter, David Hidalgo and Cesar Rojas of Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell of Phish. Eric Clapton has been said to be guesting with the band on March 19th and 20th !

UPDATE 4/1/09 -See news on 2nd leg of ABB 40th Anniv tour dates & WIDESPREAD PANIC joining up !

(photo courtesy David Atlas / MSG.com)

