Asheville, North Carolina was the sight of the 12th annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. The crowd this year definitely got its money's worth as Warren invited an all-star cast of his friends to perform onstage with him. The bands that performed included Gov't Mule with Dave Schools, Chris Duarte, Kevn Kinney, Edwin McCain, John Popper, The Bottle Rockets, The Aquarium Rescue Unit, and the surprise guests, The Allman Brothers Band. The evening started off with Warren Haynes alone onstage playing the acoustic guitar. The emotion that Warren showed while singing, "Unsung Heroes" were truly heartfelt. You could see that Warren was singing about Allen Woody, his friend and band member who passed away this summer. Another standout was the return of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, a set highlighted by Col. Bruce, Jimmy Herring, and the rest of the group playing their instruments behind their heads. Gov't Mule with Dave Schools took the stage next for a strong set with Dr. Dan Matrazzo joining them for "Low Spark. "

The rest of the evening was nothing short of pure sweetness as all of the songs were played while the musicians were sitting on barstools with acoustic instruments. It started out with John Popper and then it grew by adding Warren Haynes then Kevn Kinney and Edwin McCain. This portion of the show was topped off with Gregg Allman and Warren playing "Come and Go Blues" and "Midnight Rider". Witnessing these two play together in such an intimate manner almost brought tears to my eyes. The final act of the evening was a surprise performance by the Allman Brothers Band. This lineup was missing Derek Trucks, but Warren substituted for him. This set was a sweet one and it included a great renditions of "Soulshine", "Statesboro Blues", and the encore was "One Way Out". This special treat was enjoyed by all who attended. I can't wait to do it again.