MyCoachella

Part of the enduring appeal The Allman Brothers is the authenticity of the material: Southern blues  tinged with gospel and country.   Gregg Allman, the band’s focal point since his brother Duane died in a motorcycle accident back in 1971,  performed a stellar solo set Saturday backed by his long-time touring group at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio.

After decades of deteriorating health, substance abuse, legal troubles and failed marriages, the  65-year-old vocalist seems  to have emerged from the hardships documented in his 2012 autobiography, “My Cross to Bear.”  Playing  his signature B3 Hammond from his customary position on the left of the stage,  Allman opened with 1987′s “I’m No Angel,” revealing a soulful rasp left somehow intact.

Of course the set leaned heavy on Allman Brothers classics like  “Whipping Post,” ”Midnight Rider,” “Statesboro Blues,” “Stormy Monday,”  ”Sweet Melissa” and the encore, “One Way Out,” but one of the gems was an acoustic version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” a song first recorded by the Velevet Unerground’s Nico in 1967. Although the concert wasn’t a sell-out, the crowd energy was better than your typcial desert casino show, with fans punctuating instrumental breaks and vocal lines with hoots and hollers of encouragement.

And for that, Allman  seemed genuinely appreciative to be a long way from Georgia.