Photo by Matt Busch

The 2012 Wanee Festival continued yesterday at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL with performances by Furthur, The Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Buddy Guy, Mickey Hart Band, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers and more.

Furthur performed shortly after 5:30 PM on the Peach Stage, and offered a single-set affair that began with “Not Fade Away.” The group nodded to their surroundings with “Alligator” before performing the recently revived tune “My Brother Esau.” The song was first dusted off by Bob Weir at The Bridge Session Benefit and then again during Furthur’s recent run at New York City’s Beacon Theatre.

Later in the evening, Gregg Allman made his return to the stage with The Allman Brothers Band following a few missed shows as a result of a slipped disc in his back. Throughout the performance, Bruce Katz from Gregg Allman & Friends along with Danny Louis from Gov’t Mule helped out on keys, while the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Kofi Burbridge helped out on Hammond B3. Celebrating the Year of the Peach, fittingly on the Peach Stage, the Brothers performed “Blue Sky,” which appears to be back in semi-regular rotation. The group also paid tribute to the recently passed Levon Helm by performing two tunes by The Band, “It Makes No Difference” and “The Weight,” the latter of which featured guest appearances by Bob Weir and Susan Tedeschi (watch “The Weight” in the video below). Both songs also featured the Tedeschi Trucks horn section of Kebbi Williams on sax, Dave Matthews Band’s Rashawn Ross on trumpet, and Lemar Guillary on trombone. In addition, The Allman Brothers Band performed Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell,” a song Helm regularly performed with The Band and his own group.

The festival continues today with performances by The Allman Brothers Band, Furthur, Gov’t Mule, Leftover Salmon, Trigger Hippy, EOTO and more.