My Dad Bobby Pridgen played with Chuck and Randall for many years. They are a great group of guys. Dad and Randall wrote School Teacher from the Ballroom record.
I'm Andy Okus. I was the last player ( Real virtuoso player ) to play with the last rhythm section of Sea Level in Atlanta in 1980 and 1981 with Steve Kent the great drummer and Paul Broduer the bassist who sadly followed the curse of Berry Oakley, Lamar Williams, and then Paul Brodeur a great bassist and beautiful person. Sadly Paul died at 25 of skin cancer. Our Band was named " Spank" because Paul was such a great spanking bassist. We were the Best jazz-rock Band in Atlanta. The guitar player was a jerk asshole because his mommy was a doctor from Alabama. I almost beat the shit out of this pussy on stage in Kennesaw but I quit instead. I got so fed up with bar bands I opened my own music store in Roswell in 1981instead. I could of written great tunes for " Spank" if they had only had any music sense but they didn't. The failure of my life already spelled out by my Great loving Creator. Ha! Stevie Kent played Allman Bros style better than the Allman 's drummers themselves.
We drove for hours & many miles from Macon, GA - all three of us huge ABB & Southern Rock fans - just for the opening of the Superdome. I'm the only one of us alive. We sure did make some treasured memories.
Ah, this makes me feel young again. I first saw them on the next tour in support of Dregs of the Earth, 1980 I believe. I had never heard them, my prog friends said they were really good so me and a buddy from work both called in sick and went to see them in a nice club in Phoenix. General admission seating, we got a table right up front, they opened with Twiggs Approved, and it was one of the best moments of my life.Jaw on the floor all night long. Got to meet Steve and bassist Jerry Peek when Steve went solo, super nice guys. Jerry showed me a way to "stow" a pick so I could slap and get back to the pick. I still use that to this day.
I hate the fact that I saw the Dregs of Earth tour because I got hooked and was forever a Dregs addict. ( Just kidding). It led me to unforgettable memories. They are the best live and Steve is a genius.
I grew up in Decatur Georgia and they played a lot in Atlanta area. I probably saw them 8 times. Best memories next to Rick Wakeman and Jeff Beck. I worked at Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Avondale and made their pizzas several times.
I couldn't tell you what kind of relationship Steve had with Allen.. but when you can play like that I'm sure there's differences and friction along the way either way sure seems like they communicated quite well man they could play... never got the success they truly deserved I could watch them play over and over and it still blows me away
Shit I was there at the Woodstock reunion concert and the day the brothers played. I was there and saw such turmoil within that band. I knew it was the end. Dickie persistently said he was gonna bring little Dwayne Betts on stage. The kid didn’t know what he was doing. I was there backstage and it caused the riff, they bought them out and it was a disaster
Saratoga is only twenty miles north of Troy ,New York where I grew up. Unfortunately, I was only twelve years old when the concert happened, so I wasn't there. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to hear/see it now!
This particular track nearly made the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #41. In an era when almost no songs cross over between the pop and country charts that's an impressive showing
I was able to see them twice in a small club in NY. Mark O'Connor had taken over the fiddle/guitar position. During the break between sets Steve came out and played a short solo set, there are no words to describe the talent and abilities of that man. It was a masterclass in what a guitar could do!!!!!
