“It’s Not a Cover If You’re In The Band”
It was another fantastic weekend of music in my hometown of Macon, Georgia. There wasn’t just one high moment either and that’s saying a lot given that the biggest bill of the weekend was Chuck Leavell’s performance for The Big House fundraiser at the Cox Capitol Theatre.
I like to tell people, because it’s kind of typical of my naiveté growing up, that I always knew Chuck Leavell as just Ashley’s dad- his youngest daughter being a year older than me in school. And since I was kind of shy and reserved (hahahaha yes trust me I was) I didn’t really have any friends outside of my grade, so while Ashley and I were not what I would call friends I did know who she was and due to school events I knew who her parents were. But I didn’t *really* know who her dad was until maybe college, when I started to gain a better understanding and appreciation of Macon’s musical heritage. Growing up here you take it for granted that the Allman Brothers got their start in Macon, that Otis Redding and Little Richard are from here and that this is the home of Capricorn Records. And even now through even taking one of the Rock Candy Tours I find there are things I didn’t know about our town. It’s truly amazing.
Getting to see him perform in person, pretty sure this was my first time as well, was amazing. Amazing is really too trite of a word. The Randall Bramblett Band opened for him, and of course they were unreal as well- I’ve missed the last few times they have performed in town. They would also play with Chuck (can I even address him as such? Mr. Leavell? Leavell in the journalistic AP style? eeeekkk) when he would come on stage.
Probably one of the most surreal moments for me was to hear Leavell talk about playing with the Rolling Stones (the Rolling-freaking-STONES y’all Jesus Christ) last week and how he played in all these big venues but they just weren’t Macon, Georgia. And of course the crowd went wild, it was like nothing I had ever seen in the Cox before. Then he went in to a Stones set list, starting off with Start Me Up- a personal favorite of mine. And that was when I realized: it’s not a cover if you’re in the damn band. It just isn’t. And I would tell Roger Riddle as much later. He would also play Jumpin’ Jack Flash and holy Jesus y’all I really thought the place would come down. Larry Munson’s recounting of Georgia fans tearing down the Gator Bowl in the 1980 Georgia/Florida win had nothing on this. Sorry-I’m-not-sorry but it just didn’t. I’d put a group of former hippies and nouveau rock-n-roll classic converts over a pack of rabid football fans any day. (Especially since the two groups many times intersect one another.)
As if my night hadn’t been made enough, Leavell and friends would encore with “Jessica”- my absolute all time favorite Allman Brothers song. It was totally unreal. Getting to hear that in person from them was something beyond what I can properly explain.
To segway- I would also stop by The Hummimgbird afterwards to hear Auburn, Alabama and Atlanta based band Bama Gamblers. I had the chance to speak with them afterwards and when they found out I had photographed the previous concert they had all kinds of questions for me. Bama Gamblers had made their way all over Macon, tweeting their way through the former Capricorn Records locations and Duane Allman’s grave at Rose Hill. When I told them they closed with Jessica, lead singer Bo Flynn told me they considered playing it but their keyboardist stated ” I can’t- I can’t play Jessica when Chuck Leavell is in the same town”.
Bama Gamblers is very good in their own right. They’re a young band with an old sound and lots of energy. I have to say I was impressed with their grace in interacting with a rather raucous group of wedding goers that were in attendance. And unlike many bands that can play a great cover, they also played original songs which were quite good.
Go here to listen to part of the Bama Gamblers performance.
The evening before The Bird also played host to McKenzie’s Mill– yet another very good band we had visiting us this weekend. Sunday evening featured an impromptu jam session at Midtown Key Club with Macon native drummer Jamal Thomas. I gotta admit- before this weekend I didn’t know who he was. It’s one of those moment in which I realize yet again the rich musical heritage we have here, and how I don’t even know much of it. Thomas would perform with Big Mike of Big Mike and the Booty Papas as well as others who would take turns joining him on stage. What stood out to be is this was truly a jam session, with no set list planned out beforehand and the musicians just getting up there and doing their thing following one anothers lead. It was incredibly organic and awe inspiring to watch.
Jamal Thomas and friends perform at Midtown Key Club.
On a whole other level, it kind of makes me laugh the way music can pull us together. My dad was always in to music when we were kids- hell even now he’s been known to crank up his sound system and blare the music as loud as my mom will let him. And while when I start rattling off bands names and set lists he kind of shrugs his shoulders and says “I dunno- it’s just about the music for me”, it makes me smile to see that the music can transcend ages and years. This music which some once condemned, God can we even fathom it now, is heralded as classic and to be treasured. As it should.
Love to all y’all,
Molly
