I rolled into the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park already feeling like I was coming home. Wanee Festival 2014 had been building up for me all winter—lineups, rumors of what the Allman Brothers would do, plus the guests, the woods, the camping, the sky. By April 11, I was ready to let loose, to dig deep into those long jams and the kind of soulful southern rock only the Allmans can deliver. Spoiler: over the two nights, they didn’t disappoint.
The crowd? Mixed in age, carried in by decades of love for this band. Some folks looked like they’d seen them in leather in the ’70s; others had newer Allman shirts, Allman Brothers tattoos, the “45th Anniversary Tour” slogans. The air smelled like good BBQ smoke, hot gums from vendors, and hope — that tonight, things would light up.
Night One – April 11, 2014
Setlist – April 11, 2014
-
Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell cover)
-
Midnight Rider
-
No One to Run With
-
I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight (Ann Peebles cover)
-
Jessica
-
Who’s Been Talking (Howlin’ Wolf cover) with Trey Anastasio & Jen Hartswick
-
Franklin’s Tower (Grateful Dead cover) with Trey Anastasio & Rachel “Stixx” Turner
-
The Sky Is Crying (Elmore James cover)
-
You Don’t Love Me (Willie Cobbs cover)
-
Soulshine
-
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (with extended jam/drum solos)
-
JaMaBuBu
-
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed reprise
Encore: -
Southbound
Night One Impressions
They opened with Statesboro Blues, that classic opener that feels like ripping open a warm jacket. From the very first slide guitar and the twin drums, you could hear the crowd shift, lean in. Gregg Allman’s voice carrying the weight of years but still cutting through with clarity. Midnight Rider followed, the kind of easy groove that makes time stretch, yet feels familiar so we can sink into it.
Then came No One to Run With which nearly broke everything open—a crowd favorite, sing-along, some heat in that rhythm section. When they shifted gears into I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight, it felt like a wink—going from the Allman classics into deeper, soulful blues territory, pulling from their roots, letting the guitar bends cry.
Jessica was playful, instrumental brilliance, brightness after the deeper blues. You could feel Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes trading warmth, speed, nuance, the dual guitar textures soaring under the live oak trees. Then the surprises: Who’s Been Talking and Franklin’s Tower with guests (Trey Anastasio, Jen Hartswick, Rachel Turner). Those guest spots added color—vocal and instrumental twists that you don’t always get, making the night feel generous.
As we moved into The Sky Is Crying, You Don’t Love Me, it got quieter in spots, then louder, soulful in the ways that tug at something internal. Soulshine was one of my emotional highlights—Gregg’s voice, the harmonies, that unspoken feeling among thousands that we’re all connected through this music.
Then In Memory of Elizabeth Reed—long, fluid, improvisational. Drum solos from Jaimoe and Butch (and Warren/Haynes interplay) made those stretches feel like breathing in slow motion. JaMaBuBu gave further instrumental space, layering percussion and tension, and then the reprise of Elizabeth Reed closed out the main set like closing a chapter, but leaving it resonant.
Encore was Southbound. Of course. That thunderous closing, that shout, those shared lyrics: it felt right, perfect for that first night. The crowd roared, hands in the air, some dancing, some tears, some just lost in the sunset glow.
Night Two – April 12, 2014
Setlist – April 12, 2014
-
Don’t Want You No More (Spencer Davis Group cover)
-
It’s Not My Cross to Bear
-
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
-
Revival
-
Dusk Till Dawn
-
Come and Go Blues
-
Trouble No More (Muddy Waters cover)
-
Seven Turns
-
True Gravity
-
That’s What Love Will Make You Do (Little Milton cover)
-
Stand Back
-
Blue Sky
-
I Walk On Gilded Splinters (Dr. John cover)
-
Whipping Post
Encore: -
One Way Out
Night Two Impressions
The second night felt like a different mood—or maybe like the band was digging deeper, pushing more. They started with Don’t Want You No More, something less expected, jolting the senses upright: “We’re here, and we’re going to take you places tonight.” It’s Not My Cross to Bear came next, slower, soulful, a heavier emotional weight, Gregg’s voice ragged in the best way possible.
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ slid in like nostalgia, a comforting, familiar shape. Then Revival, Dusk Till Dawn—that slow build, those long guitar lines, the drum-&-bass foundation lifting everything. Come and Go Blues felt raw, loose, genuine—it was like sitting in a porch jam with maestros, basking in their unforced chemistry.
Trouble No More jolted things up a bit—gritty Muddy Waters reimagined through the ABB lens, so gritty you could almost taste the delta mud. Then Seven Turns and True Gravity—they kept balancing between the signature ABB sound and stretches that felt like newer directions, or at least less trodden ones.
That’s What Love Will Make You Do added soul, and Stand Back carried swagger. Then Blue Sky—when Dickey Betts’s signature opening, harmonized leads, that sense of uplift, came in—it was magical. Under the trees, the late afternoon turning to dusk, people spread out, sitting cross-legged, standing, hugging friends. I Walk On Gilded Splinters was eerie, mystical, moody—a Dr. John cover that added a darker flavor in contrast to the brightness of Blue Sky.
Then came Whipping Post—full power, dual drums pounding, guitars stretching, Gregg’s voice reaching up. It was cathartic, the lightning-bolt moment. After that, Encore with One Way Out—raw, bluesy, slam-dunk. It left the crowd sweating, hoarse, smiling, maybe shaking their heads in disbelief at how much had just passed.
Highlights & Moments That Hit
Over both nights, there were moments that stood out—some expected, some surprises:
-
Guest appearances on Night One added spice. Trey Anastasio, Jen Hartswick, Rachel Turner—each brought something fresh, different. Not in a gimmicky way, but in a way that expanded the sonic palette. On Who’s Been Talking and Franklin’s Tower, their presence was felt in subtle twists of phrasing, texture.
-
Instrumental interplay: Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes always stand out, but under the oak canopy, in the live open air, their guitars entwined in solos, weaving melodies and response, sometimes trading leads, sometimes slipping into harmonies where one holds a note while the other dances around.
-
Drums and percussion: Butch and Jaimoe, with Marc Quiñones adding percussion, gave the whole thing a heartbeat. Those drum breaks, those moments where the groove slows, waits, and then picks up again—at Wanee, those moments were lush.
-
Setlist choices: They balanced classics—“Midnight Rider”, “Whipping Post”, “Southbound”, “Blue Sky”—with covers, with deep instrumental jams (Elizabeth Reed, JaMaBuBu), with surprises (I Walk On Gilded Splinters, That’s What Love Will Make You Do). It never felt like a rerun, even on Night Two when you might think they’d retread.
-
Crowd connection: The folks there were emotionally invested. It felt like every fan who’d camped, waited, driven long miles, was there for both the celebration of music and the brotherhood of fans. Between songs, people cheered for moments, reacted to solo passages, shouted out lyrics—especially in Soulshine, Jessica, Southbound.
-
Atmosphere: The venue under oaks, the slow twilight, campfires burning, folks walking by with drinks, kids, older folks leaning on canes but still dancing. There was magic in the air, inside every note, every bend of guitar, every drum fill. The sound was warm, spacious; even in loud moments, there was breathing room.
The Band & Their Performance
Seeing The Allman Brothers Band on this tour in 2014—on the 45th Anniversary Tour—they were mature, but not tired. There was a sense of urgency and reverence together. Gregg Allman with that signature weight in his voice—gravel, soul, sometimes fragile, sometimes roaring. Derek Trucks bringing his slide guitar magic, Warren Haynes adding grit, tone, solos that burn then cool. Oteil Burbridge on bass holding everything together with groove, shifting rhythm; Kofi Burbridge on keys/flutes/percussion where used; Marc Quiñones adding color; Butch Trucks & Jaimoe on the drums, weaving complexity and calling each other in.
A few times, the band paused, let the crowd soak something in—some longer solo, a stretch of quiet, then built back up. Those dynamic shifts are what makes Allman shows more than just songs played. They are living, breathing performances.
Even after all the years, they still look at each other when a part comes, grin with recognition, feed off spontaneous moments—particularly on In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, where solos extend, when they drift into choruses and thing riffs that weren’t strictly planned. You could feel the trust. No one tries to show off for show-off’s sake; everything serves the song, the groove, the mood.
Reflections & What It All Meant
After those two nights, I walked back to my campsite thinking about musical legacy, mortality, and the joy of being present. The Allman Brothers have been through loss, change, membership shifts, periods of quiet, huge shine. By 2014, many artists with that kind of history coast. But this? This felt alive. They were honoring their history—not living in the past, but letting it inform what they were doing now.
Night One felt like communion: the covers, the emotional peaks, the jam moments that let people breathe inside the sound. Night Two felt more intense, maybe more playful or risk-taking in places. The contrast was nice—showing two sides of the same coin.
Songs like Southbound, Blue Sky, Whipping Post—songs people came to hear, but the way they played them, there’s always something new: a different solo, a quieter moment in the vocals, an extended ending, a new flourish.
Covers are a big deal—they remind you of where roots lie. The Sky Is Crying, You Don’t Love Me, Don’t Want You No More, Trouble No More—these are songs that shaped the southern/blues/rock identity, that let ABB pay tribute and absorb still.
By the final encore each night (Southbound first night, One Way Out second), I felt not like I’d seen a band going through the motions, but going all in. Lots of sweat, lots of guitar strings ringing, audience voices raw, hearts full.
Did Anything Not Land?
If I had to be picky: on Night Two, That’s What Love Will Make You Do was maybe less known to some in the crowd, so the energy dipped a bit until Blue Sky lifted it back. A few jams felt long in the middle, where some folks wandered off to grab food or drinks. But honestly, I think that’s part of the festival flow. The band lets things breathe—even if that means occasional wandering attention. And in return, they build things back up.
Sound-wise, occasionally in the back I felt the bass or drums were muddy in transition between songs, but even that added to the rawness. The imperfections reminded me: this is live music, under real trees, with real people. Not polished studio perfection, which isn’t the point.
My Personal Highlights
-
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Night One) – for me, that stretch of soloing, the build, falling back into the theme, then ducking out and returning with reprise—it was transcendent.
-
Blue Sky on Night Two – when the light had softened, the sky turning orange-pink, everyone singing along, guitars soaring, it felt like time froze for a moment.
-
Soulshine – always, in any ABB show, has that warmth and shared emotional core. On Night One, it felt like the heart of the show.
-
Southbound and One Way Out as encores – choosing those songs and delivering them with full force closed each night with the kind of catharsis I go to shows hoping for.
Final Thoughts
I came to Wanee Festival 2014 expecting to get rocked, to feel connected, to lose myself in guitar, drums, and long jams—and that’s exactly what happened. Over two nights, the Allman Brothers Band offered a living history lesson in southern rock, a testimony to endurance, passion, and the possibility of transcending so much of the heaviness of life in sound.
If you ever wonder what makes great live music great: it’s when the band is not just playing songs, but living them, letting them breathe, letting the audience in, taking risks, stretching out, being raw. ABB did that both nights.
Walking away, sweaty, ear-ringing, voice husky from singing along, I felt like I’d touched something essential. The songs live inside you afterward. The woods, the oak trees, the people—it all blends together into a memory that smells of pine, beer, friendship, guitar strings, and the echoes of drumbeats long after the lights shut off.
If your path crosses another Allman Brothers show (though they are finishing up their touring years not long after this), go. Close your eyes sometimes, open them other times, let the solos wash over you. Wanee 2014 will be one I replay in my mind often.
Combined Setlists Recap
To make it easy, here are the two setlists together:
April 11, 2014
-
Statesboro Blues
-
Midnight Rider
-
No One to Run With
-
I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight
-
Jessica
-
Who’s Been Talking (guest Trey Anastasio & Jen Hartswick)
-
Franklin’s Tower (guest Trey Anastasio & Rachel Turner)
-
The Sky Is Crying
-
You Don’t Love Me
-
Soulshine
-
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
-
JaMaBuBu
-
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (reprise)
-
Encore: Southbound
April 12, 2014
-
Don’t Want You No More
-
It’s Not My Cross to Bear
-
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
-
Revival
-
Dusk Till Dawn
-
Come and Go Blues
-
Trouble No More
-
Seven Turns
-
True Gravity
-
That’s What Love Will Make You Do
-
Stand Back
-
Blue Sky
-
I Walk On Gilded Splinters
-
Whipping Post
-
Encore: One Way Out
That’s Wanee 2014 with the Allman Brothers Band as I remember it. Two nights of music that felt timeless, of connection, big open sound, real emotion.