I think it was Sting who claimed that, in his pre-stardom days, working in a club fusion band, they'd take audience requests and, no matter how difficult it might be — Return to Forever, Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra, whatever — the group would return the next night and play the newly learned material.

The late Kevin Gilbert, with a few musical pals and two rehearsals, appeared as Giraffe at a festival in L.A. and performed a note-perfect rendition of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." There's video and audio proof of this, BTW — and wow.

The point is: there are those players amongst us, I suppose, who thrive on these sorts of musical challenges, just for the fun of it.

It's in that giddy spirit that, Saturday in the Strange Brew Pub in Norwich, The Troublemakers will undertake an "Allman Brothers Night." Assuming this goes beyond repeated recitations of "Melissa," the band is going to tackle some amazing and difficult stuff, presumably along the lines of "Mountain Jam," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "High Falls," "Whippin' Post," "Kind of Bird" and "Hot 'Lanta." Talk about homework!

The Troublemakers present "Allman Brothers Night," Strange Brew Pub, 86 Water St., Norwich; $10; (860) 222-8350.