As a start to my new blog, the first thing I am going to review is the Allman Brothers concert at Boyne Mountain.

First off, let me note that I am an employee of Boyne USA Resorts, the parent company of Boyne Mountain. That said, I will try to be as unbiased towards the company as possible in this and all future postings. It is thanks to my position as web developer/photographer to the company that I am allowed to have such privileges.

Now than, lets start by discussing the venue. Boyne Mountain actually makes an excellent spot for concerts. It is an outdoor venue with ample space to house thousands of attendees while allowing them all a good view of the stage. This is possible because it is, after all, a ski slope. The hillside at the chosen location, right behind the Civic Center, simulates stadium seating. It is flat enough to easily allow you to bring blankets or chairs, so being comfortable is not too much of an issue.

Now than, the promoters of this particular show had a regulation that photographers could only photograph the first three songs of each act. No problem there, but you should all be aware I only saw the first three songs of each act.

The first act was Larry McCray. This man, and his band, all know how to play. Their blues infused rock was a very welcome sound. On stage he has presence. This man knows how to warm up a crowd, which as I have seen, can be quite the task. But his band and he have full command of their talents. If you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing them.

The second act was Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Once again, very talented. And once again a very lively blues infused rock and roll. I will have to give special praise as he Robert Randolph does play the steel guitar, and he does so quite well. With Danyel Morgan on bass, Marcus Randolph on drums and Jason Crosby on the keys they have achieved a live sound that one needs to hear to believe. Once again, this is a group that knows how to take charge when on stage. The songs are long and well prepared, but have enough of that jam sound to make you realize that you are seeing a once in a lifetime show. With this much talent, I think it is only a short while till we see them head lining venues.

And on to the main attraction, the Allman Brothers. I will right off the bat say I brought in some pre-disposition to their performance. Being one of the all-time great jam bands you expect quite a bit from them. As I said earlier, photographers had a 3 song limit, and being a jam band, that kind of posed a problem. Not because the songs are short, but rather, they run them together so you cannot always tell where one ends and the next begins. But I will say, they have a presence. When Gregg Allman sings, the crowd seems to feel and sway with the lyrics. Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was something else, but the crowd really seemed to love it. When Warren Haynes would break into a solo it was electric. Not only was his playing terrific, but the way the crowd reacted reminded you just how legendary these guys are.

Overall, I would have to say the concert was very well done. The security personnel and all of the stage crews/technical crews did their jobs perfectly. The promoter, Livenation, did an excellent job in assembling the concert. As long as BOYNE keeps up shows like this, they can make a mark for themselves as one of the better venues in the state.