Gregg Allman on collaborations, sport fishing and returning to Sarasota

Former Sarasota-area resident and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman, is set to return to the area Wednesday, Jan. 8, for a concert at the  Sailor Circus Arena. With about a month remaining before the concert, we caught up with the legendary bluesman to discuss the upcoming performance, his time in Sarasota and some of his lesser-known hobbies.

So, your upcoming show in Sarasota is at the Sailor Circus Arena. That’s a pretty unique venue — how do you like playing small venues as opposed to bigger arenas?

They’re nice, you know. It’s a little more one-on-one with the audience, and it just sounds better. I’d much rather play in an opera house for three or four nights than play one night in an arena.

I imagine you lose some of the intimacy and chemistry with the audience in bigger venues.

You do, man. And you have to play so loud. People want to feel the force coming off the stage. And the louder you turn it up, the more it can get away from you. It’s better when it’s a little cozy, like three, four or five thousand people.

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You used to live in the area. What brought you here, originally?

I probably moved there when the band got back together in ’79. I moved to Anna Maria Island. I lived there from ’79 to ’83. Dickey (Betts) and I were writing a lot; I moved there, mainly because of him. Dickey lives down there. We used to play Robarts, because we would take turns playing in each person in the band’s hometown.

How did you like Sarasota? Is it nice to come back?

Well, I moved away (laughs). No, I like Florida; I grew up in Florida. I catch some big snook there.

Are you a big fisherman? I didn’t know that.

I love to fish. I caught a 180-lb. tarpon a few weeks ago. I’ve caught 47 sailfish to date. It’s wonderful, now, when it comes to sport fishing, there’s no reason to kill them, so there are more fish out there. You take your picture with it, the captain gives you the measurements and you toss it back. They put up a good fight, and hell, you  whoop their ass and let them go to fight another day.

Any favorite fishing spots?

Anywhere that bites, bro. I’m getting ready to go to Australia and New Zealand in the springtime. Me and my son and his band are going over there for a blues festival.

Do you have any other hobbies that might surprise people?

I collect gold coins; I collect knives — motorcycles. I like gardening, and some domestic type of stuff. It’s soothing for me. Every night of my life is like a Saturday night, so I need something like that to balance things out. I live way out in the country, too, where there’s no noise and no lights.

What have you been listening to lately?

I listen to a lot of retro stuff, and a lot of old blues for my own enjoyment. I like to listen to a lot of different songwriters and their work.

Who is a young artist to keep our eyes on?

There are lots of them. I had a guy from Hawaii, Vince Esquire, play on my last record, Low Country Blues. Watch out for him — he’s a great guitar player.

Who is someone you always wanted to collaborate with?

I’ve never run into Bruce Springsteen or Bob Seger. Our paths have just never crossed. I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of different people, though. I Just wrote this thing with Mindi Abair. She’s a sax player, and she was cutting a record on the same label. She came to house last weekend, and we wrote a nice song for her new record.

What makes the perfect show for you, as a performer?

If everybody stays totally focused for every millisecond and plays every single song like it’s the first one. That’s how you keep everything totally alive and the audience right in palm of your hand.

IF YOU GO:

Gregg Allmann — takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8 at the Sailor Circus Arena. Tickets are $35, $45 and $100.

photo courtesy of Gregg Allman