Concert Review: Live Dead and Brothers at The Met in Pawtucket, RI

Joanna Gleason
May 4
2 min read

On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers fans had the ultimate opportunity to attend an exceptional show at The Met in Pawtucket, RI, welcoming Live Dead & Brothers.

It was a terrific night of live music. Several hundred fans attended the event, which was dedicated to celebrating the legacy of two of the most influential bands in the history of jam music: the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band.

Live Dead & Brothers is composed of bassist Berry Duane Oakley (son of Allman Brothers Band co-founder Berry Oakley), guitarists Les Dudek and Mark Karan, keyboardist Scott Guberman, drummer Pete Lavezzoli, and special guest Gabe Woodside (The Big Gabe). Together, they performed a setlist drawn from both bands’ extended catalogs, focusing on material from the 1969–1973 era.

It is difficult to fully explain the influence of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. Because of the breadth of their musical impact and the structure of their live performances, both bands are widely regarded as the pioneering godfathers of the jam band world.

Historically, the first major onstage collaboration between the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead took place on February 11, 1970, at the Fillmore East in New York City. In June 1973, the two bands shared the stage during a multi-day mega-concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Later that summer, on July 28, 1973, the Dead and the Allmans performed at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen—the largest rock festival audience in history. Some of the estimated 80,000 fans traveled from as far away as Montreal to attend the concert.

It was fantastic to be part of the atmosphere at The Met, where people were dancing, singing, and sharing stories about their live music experiences. I love going to shows at The Met, where you can be just three feet away from the artists. This venue reflects how music used to be—authentic, intimate, and no-frills. The sound is fantastic, and it feels almost like a live music club.

Everyone is friendly, adding to the experience.

This was one of those special nights where, for me, the music was truly incredible. As a fan of live music, I cannot recall another band that performs the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band repertoire so well.

At The Met, Live Dead & Brothers delivered a standout set. It is rare to hear a single tribute act perform both the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band so convincingly—something they accomplished flawlessly on their 2026 spring tour.