The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East: March 13, 1971

Fillmore East, New York · March 13, 1971

The Allman Brothers Band had made two studio albums and done plenty of touring. At Fillmore East gave people who hadn’t seen them a better idea of what they were missing. Seven songs took up four vinyl sides. “Whipping Post” ran for 23 minutes.

Producer Tom Dowd recorded four shows over March 12 and 13, 1971. March 13’s late show supplied the “Whipping Post” that became one of the album’s best-known performances. Duane Allman and Dickey Betts could stretch out without leaving the rest of the band behind. Listen to Berry Oakley’s bass, Gregg Allman’s organ and the two drummers, Jaimoe and Butch Trucks. There’s a lot happening underneath those guitar solos.

The Fillmore East was a good place to capture that band. Bill Graham gave them a stage where they could play at length, and the recordings caught how closely the six musicians worked together. The songs could go well beyond their studio versions without losing their way.

Released that July, At Fillmore East became the band’s breakthrough. It also made the name Fillmore East familiar to people who would never get to visit. The theatre had closed in June, with Graham choosing the Allmans to headline its final night.

March 13 belongs to the recording run, rather than that farewell. The original album draws from more than one performance, but this date gave it the “Whipping Post” that filled the entire final side. It’s still a good place to start when someone asks what made this lineup so good.

Shop: The Fillmore East Tee

Sources: The Allman Brothers Band’s recording notes and show listings and official At Fillmore East discography.

Listen: “Whipping Post” on At Fillmore East. For the full March 13 late-show sequence, go to The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings.