This Rambling Man's going to be sitting it out for little while longer.
The Allman Brothers Band has announced it will postpone its traditional batch of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre, along with a few other spring gigs, to give multi-instrumentalist frontman Gregg Allman time to recover from treatment he's receiving for heptatitis C.
According to a statement posted on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame outfit's website, the group's annual 15-night stand at the Beacon, set for May 5-24, will be rescheduled for a later date to be announced. The Allmans started the run at the storied venue back in 1989 and it's become an annual pilgrimage for fans of the band.
The Allmans also scrapped April 11-12 appearances at the Wanee Festival, a musical gathering they host every year in Florida—though performances by other acts, including Gov't Mule, Bob Weir & Rat Dog, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi's Soul Stew Revival, will go forward as planned.
The southern rock specialists said the short break from the road will allow their longtime leader and principal songwriter to get back to full strength after receiving regular treatments for the virus, which is curable.
"The treatments so far have been successful, and the virus has been eradicated from his system," the band says on its site.
"However, the recovery time from the side effects of the treatment are taking longer than originally projected. Since the Allman Brothers Band are known for exhilarating and exhausting concert performances, they don't want to give fans anything less than they have come to expect; so the band members made a group decision to delay the first round of dates."
The sentiment was echoed by Gregg Allman.
"I'm getting better but I'm still tired," the "Whipping Post" singer said. "I need to be at 110 percent to do the shows the way we do them. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support and understanding my Brothers and our fans have given me."
The band says its summer dates—including a headlining slot at Tennessee's massive Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and a 12-date jaunt that will include stops in Mansfield, Massachusetts, on Aug. 16 and Camden, New Jersey, on Aug. 23—will go ahead as scheduled.