The Allman Betts Band, which includes three sons of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, will perform at The Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 15, at 7:30 pm.
Devon Allman, son of founding Allman Brothers Band keyboardist and singer, Gregg Allman, along with Duane Betts, son of guitarist and singer, Dickey Betts, and Berry Duane Oakley, Jr., son of the late bassist, Berry Oakley, have a musical friendship that traces back to The Allman Brothers Band’s 20th anniversary summer tour in 1989 when the three first met, and often sat in with the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame inductees as teenage descendants rightfully joining a rock-and-roll legacy. In 2018, the trio recruited slide guitar sorcerer Johnny Stachela, drummer John Lum, and percussionist R. Scott Bryan (Sheryl Crow) to form The Allman Betts Band.
While the Allman Betts Band captures the spirit of the Allman Brothers Band, they have a magic of their own, divined from their shared history and individual musical talents and experiences. Devon Allman was bandleader and founder of the American blues rock band Honeytribe and one of the original members of Royal Southern Brotherhood. He released three solo albums as the Devon Allman Band, and toured with Duane Betts as the Devon Allman Project. Duane Betts played with his father in Great Southern for several years, and eventually released his first solo record “Sketches of American Music” in 2018. Bassist Berry Duane Oakley, Jr., refined his graceful, melodic style playing with the Allman Brothers Band, the Robby Krieger Band, Bloodline, and others. Not surprisingly, the three musicians complement each other. Their common roots are obvious, but they are definitely their own band with their own songs and unique sound.
Prior to the release of their debut album, “Down by the River” and 2019 tour, Allman announced: “It’s a new band and new transition for us to go from being brothers to being band mates. We have natural organic chemistry that exists concurrently alongside our legacy and roots. This band stands on its own abilities. I’m so stoked to crank the amps and bring the music to the people.”
Betts commented: “It means so much to us to be able to put this record out and play these songs live for the people. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and this is just the next natural step in what hopefully will be a long journey.”
Happily, the band is back on tour in 2020 with renewed vigor and purpose. Their concerts feature new music, songs from their solo projects, and classic Allman Brothers and Gregg Allman tunes. To further enhance the show, Brotherhood of Light, the “Original San Francisco Psychedelic Light Show,” is providing visuals and lighting. Since 1967, Brotherhood of Light has worked with many famous rock bands: The Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and others.
Rock out with The Allman Betts Band at The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Doors open at 6:30 pm for the 7:30 pm show. Tickets are available online at thecenterforthearts.org, at Briarpatch Co-op, and at The Center box office currently located in the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce 128 E. Main St. Downtown Grass Valley, California.
