Gregg Allman's Laid Back Festival to launch in Atlanta

Gregg Allman was not on board the bus that crashed. Photo: Akili-Casundria Ramsess/Special to the AJC.

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Gregg Allman was not on board the bus that crashed. Photo: Akili-Casundria Ramsess/Special to the AJC.

BY MELISSA RUGGIERI

Last summer, Gregg Allman debuted his aptly named Laid Back Festival at New York’s Jones Beach Theater.

This year, he’s expanding – and kicking off a five-city Laid Back Fest tour in his home state on May 7.

Allman and other artists to be announced – curated by the man himself – will perform at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood. Acts will play on two stages – the main Laid Back stage and the secondary Low Country stage, which will showcase burgeoning local musicians (the fest is named after Allman’s 1973 solo debut and the second stage for his Grammy-nominated 2011 album).

In addition to the music, the festival will include more than 20 regional restaurants, food trucks, breweries and wineries

After the Atlanta kickoff, Allman will bring the tour to Nashville on June 25; Chicago July 16; back to Wantagh, N.Y. July 23; and Morrison, Co. Sept. 25.

Ticket information will be available at www.laidbackfestival.com.

Last year’s event featured, along with Allman, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, The Doobie Brothers, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band and more.\

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