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by Rob Johnson All Photos by Ian Rawn | |
The fourth annual Wanee Festival was a huge success, bringing in large crowds and providing many special moments, but not without overcoming difficult circumstances. The sad news that Gregg Allman would not be able to perform because of ongoing treatment for Hepatitis C meant that the Allman Brothers Band would not play at the festival that Gregg described as "their baby," something that seemed inconceivable to many fans. Despite the bad news about Gregg, who is expected to make a full recovery, plus the tragic death of festival co-founder Jon Stoll mere months earlier, the atmosphere was one of joy and celebration. The Wanee Family Jam on Saturday night was a sort of tribute to Gregg and the Allman Brothers Band, while also serving as a unique summation of a wonderful weekend of music. Adversity always brings a family together, and Wanee 2008 was a perfect example.  FRIDAYInca Maya kicked off Friday's festivities on the Main Stage with a blistering guitar-driven set that sounded at times like Santana, at times like jazz, and at times like pure hard rock. Guitarist and lead singer Matt Grondin, who also participated in the Wanee Family Jam, made a lot of new fans with his musicianship and passionate performance, and the festival was off to a great start!  Papa Mali was the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Friday afternoon. His slide playing impressed a lot of people who hadn't seen him before, and it was great to hear him play lots of Mardi Gras Indian tunes like "Big Chief Like Plenty of Firewater" and "Early In The Morning." His instrumental jam on "Ode To Billie Joe" was pretty cool too. 
Next up on the Peach Stage was Mofro, and they were
red hot. JJ Grey was absolutely on fire, and the horn section adds
a lot to the band. "Got My Mojo Working" was no idle boast
coming from JJ, that mofo had his mojo working in overdrive, let me
tell you! They also did a version of "I've Been Loving You Too
Long" that was worthy of Otis, with JJ showing that he has more
soul than any white boy in captivity. As for Gov't Mule...Wow! For many it was the highlight of the whole weekend. However, I can tell you this much: They were playing with a vengeance, the way they used to with Allen Woody, and there were moments at Wanee when they sounded like the best band in the world. Check out this setlist... Wanee Jam > Don't Step On The Grass, Sam Banks Of The Deep End Since I've Been Loving You 32/20 Blues * Slow Happy Boys Temporary Saint > Trane > (w/ Third Stone, Doing It To Death, Mountain Jam teases) Smokestack Lightning ** Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys * Set 2 Play With Fire That"s What Love Will Make You Do ^ It Hurts Me Too ^^ Sco-Mule Drums Mr. High & Mighty Lay Your Burden Down Blind Man In The Dark 09. E: Cortez The Killer Notes: * with Randall Bramblett ** with JJ Grey ^ with Larry McCray ^^ with Larry McCray & Jimmy Fadden  Saxophonist
Randall Bramblett, who played a stellar set earlier in the day on
the Mushroom Stage, added a special touch to the Traffic classic "Low
Spark of High-Heeled Boys" and guitarist Larry McCray was smokin'
hot on "That's What Love Will Make You Do." The "Cortez
the Killer" encore was especially powerful and featured a rousing
crowd singalong during the chorus. Even after such an exhausting, marathon Mule show, Warren's night wasn't over. He made his way over to Junior Brown's late night set on the Mushroom Stage, where the two engaged in a legendary guitar duel that left the audience awed. Brown is one of the most underrated guitarists out there, playing a unique instrument he invented called the "guit-steel," and he matched Warren lick for lick and note for note, earning many new fans in the process. SATURDAY  Little
Brown Peach was a good way to start the day on Saturday at
the Peach Stage. They are a semi-local band from just across the border
in South Georgia, and they had a nice groove going, especially on
the jammed-out version of "Born on the Bayou" that closed
their set. Meanwhile, Bonobos Convergence started the Mushroom Stage with their unique blend of jazz and prog-rock. Guitarist Vaylor Trucks, keyboardist Pete Orenstein and drummer Frank Registrato are all top-flight players, and when they get into the zone, they can do things most bands can only dream about.  Tinsley Ellis was another early highlight at the Mushroom Stage, which was hopping all day long. The veteran bluesman had the crowd in the palm of his hand with his soulful vocals and stinging, bluesy guitar riffs. Considering that most Allman Brothers fans are blues lovers, it is no surprise that some people thought this was the best set of the festival.  Honeytribe's
set really woke the crowd up at the Peach Stage with undeniable rock
and roll energy. Frontman Devon Allman, Gregg's son, was in good voice
and the whole band was clicking on all cylinders. Devon was absolutely
tearing up the guitar and testifying on vocals, doing the family name
proud in every way. Now it felt like Saturday was really underway!At this point it was time to hit the Mushroom Stage for a while to catch a double dose of funk with Porter-Batiste-Stoltz and the Greyboy Allstars, both of whom were awesome. Many people were exposed to PBS for the first time, and their jaws were hanging on the ground from the wall of New Orleans funk that George Porter was cranking out of his bass. The first time you see George laying it down, it tends to have that effect on people. Brian Stoltz on guitar and Russell Batiste on drums are both masters of their craft as well, and this is one of the best power trios going today. 
The Greyboy Allstars were extra funky and ultra-tight. We're talking
James Brown circa 1970 tight. Karl Denson is such a bad man, whether
playing sax, flute or wailing on vocals on tunes like "Still Waiting."
The whole band was just outstanding, with B-3 master Robert Walter
giving a keyboard clinic, and the rhythm section keeping everything
locked down. Their highly danceable groove turned the Mushroom Stage
into one big, funky dance party.moe. drew a huge crowd to the Peach Stage on Saturday afternoon, and their fans definitely went home happy. The band said they were honored to be there, and they played with power and passion. This was a pretty hard-rocking set on their part, including fan favorites like "Happy Hour Hero," and probably won some converts from the fans in the audience.  Bob
Weir of Ratdog is a certified music legend, and Ratdog
made a lot of Dead Heads very happy with their jam-oriented set, packed
with Dead classics like "Dark Star." Well-chosen covers "Come
Together" and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" are also great
tunes, so the setlist was really solid, and the band sounded great.
Since Bob is definitely the center of attention, it's easy to forget
good sax player Kenny Brooks is, and it was great to see guitarist Mark
Karan happy and healthy on stage again.Scrapomatic had an enviable evening slot on the Mushroom Stage, and drew a good crowd. Mike Mattison is too good to remain a secret for long, and his stage presence and vocals made him the star of the show. His clever songwriting and wry sense of humor were present throughout in songs like "Jesus Doesn't Like You." Formerly a duo, Scrapomatic is now touring as a full band, with former Codetalkers Ted Pecchio and Tyler Greenwell on bass and drums, respectively. Guitarist Dave Yoke helped fill the gap for co-founder Paul Olsen, whose wife had a baby over the weekend. Congratulations Paul! The Family Jam was incredible, a nice taste of Allmans' flavor and a great way to end the festival on the Main Stage by including a lot of the acts that had played throughout Wanee. Warren is always so good at orchestrating special guests, and this was like a master class in that art. From JJ Grey of Mofro to guitarist Matt Grondin of Inca Maya, each guest was matched up with the perfect song for them to do their thing. The Del McCoury Band was perfect on "Come On In My Kitchen" and it was great to hear George Porter and Brian Stoltz finish it up with the Meters classic "Fiyo On the Bayou." Bob Weir of Ratdog stepped out for an extended jam on "All Along the Watchtower," and stayed on stage for a beautiful rendition of "Sugaree" with Chuck Garvey from moe. on guitar. The set closed the way it opened, with Mountain Jam, giving the crowd a much-needed dose of that Allman Brothers sound. It wasn't the same without Gregg, but it still felt good. 
The core band was the Allman Brothers, minus Gregg. The guest musicians were:
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Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi's Soul Stew Revival
closed out the festival with their traditional midnight set, which
was as amazing as always. Even though it wasn't billed as such
at the time, the Soul Stew Revival as we know it today traces
its roots back to the midnight set at Wanee 2006, and over the
past few years audiences around the country have gotten to experience
this phenomenon. There is nothing like seeing Derek and
Susan play that sweet soul music under the trees at Wanee.