Gregg Allman has performed literally thousands of concerts in his 30-year career, but the number he can actually remember is much smaller.
Most of the memorable ones happened within the past four years, since the Southern rocker kicked a longtime alcohol addiction for the sake of love and music.
"At first, you think you might not be able to play or even to go around people," Allman said. "Not without a little shot of courage. In a certain way, it's kind of learning to live all over again. Once you get there, you realize what you've been missing."
Allman, 52, brings his new approach to the House of Blues for a show tonight. Along will be some old friends, including Daytona Beach-bred blues singer Floyd Miles and San Francisco's Alameda All-Stars.
Allman and his brother Duane used to perform as teenagers with Miles in beachside bars.
"The band is really tight," Allman said. "They are very easy to work with. We do stuff off my seven solo records, a couple of Floyd's tunes and we do a different version of 'Statesboro Blues.' "
Allman revisited that rock classic with an acoustic version on his 1997 Searching for Simplicity album. The idea was inspired by the success of Eric Clapton's acoustic "Layla" and a backstage dare from a roadie.
Although he dips into the Allman Brothers catalog on stage, Allman doesn't have much to say about the band's current squabbles. Dickey Betts was fired a few months ago and the matter is now being fought in the courts.
Regardless, Allman anticipates that the group will record again next year.
"We're going in the studio," he said.
Next year also is when the sober Allman plans to marry his girlfriend of four years, who inspired his transformation.
"You have to lose something really dear to you or experience something that's traumatic. I nearly lost a very, very wonderful person in my life. But thanks to me having something inside of me, I held on to her."
As a bonus, he is enjoying things that he never used to notice about touring.
"We see some very strange things from time to time. Like we were in this one club down South and there was this guy in the audience from the USS Alabama and he kept throwing his hat on stage. Like I'm going to stop and put this hat on," Allman said, chuckling deeply.
Allman also savored recent tour dates in New York, which occurred during the World Series.
"Between all the people walking in the street and those crazy cabbies, I was just waiting to see who was gonna get it. But I like watching the series. They should've thrown [Yankee pitcher Roger] Clemens out of the game when he threw that bat at that boy. It could've stuck in his leg if he hadn't stopped running."
Just the kind of sportsmanship you might expect from a kinder, gentler bluesman.