The Allman Brothers’ final show was on Oct. 28, 2014, at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Now, 10 years later, the music of The Allman Brothers is carried on by the son duo of Devon Allman and Duane Betts. Allman and Betts brought their Allman Betts Family Revival to the legendary Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. The Capitol Theatre has hosted rock and roll legends like Janis Joplin, Traffic, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead.
When doors opened a little past 7 p.m., the crowd mozied their way to their seats as the theatre slowly filled up. But, as soon as “Little Martha” off of The Allman Brothers’ 1972 Eat a Peach record blasted over the speakers, there was a sudden rush of fans frantically looking for seats. The spectacular evening kicked off with the band jumping into “Don’t Want You No More.” This song originally appeared on The Allman Brothers’ 1969 self-titled debut record. It’s only fitting that this be the first song they play. It’s the first song on the corresponding record.
By song two, fans at the back of the theatre began to dance and spill out into the lobby. It didn’t matter whether they watched the overcrowded stage or not. They were simply there to listen to the amazing music. This energy was sprinkled into the orchestra seating. Fans took to the aisles and danced as if they were at the Beacon Theatre for one of The Allman Brothers’ 238 shows.
Before the start of “Statesboro Blues,” Betts announced that Jimmy Hall from Wet Willie was joining them on stage. Hall was one of 10 special guests that would appear throughout the night. “Statesboro Blues” was the third of 11 songs that the band played during set one. The highlight of the entire set came during the band’s rendition of “Please Call Home.” Sierra Green’s vocals were top-notch during this song. Green’s vocals were the best of any guest performer. Her voice and stage presence left a lasting impression on the audience. Throughout the night, if the band brought out someone the crowd didn’t know, they’d all sit down. If they approved, by the end of the song they’d all stand. It took less than a minute and a half for the sold-out crowd to be on their feet in approval for Green.
The band had a basic and simple screen behind them that displayed videos and pictures to complement the music. Sometimes, a band will have complicated stage setups and visuals but not The Allman Betts Family Revival. Their tight musicianship and stage presence stole the show from any other visuals. With the music mixed in with the old-fashioned theatre, fans were taken to rock and roll church as classics like “Melissa,” “Southbound” and “Dreams” rounded out set one.
The band took a quick 20-minute break in between sets. When they came back, they blasted into one of the hardest songs of the evening, “Nobody Knows.” This song set the tone for the rest of the set. Each song was better and received more cheers than the previous one. The highlight of the set came when the band played one of The Allman Brothers’ most famous songs, “Ramblin’ Man.” The entire crowd let out thunderous applause as the video screen behind the band showed photos of where the original band lived.
Once the band finished “Whipping Post” and launched into the two-song encore, by song two, all the special guests joined on stage. This created a magical end to a great evening of music. By this time, the stage was littered with all the artists who had joined The Allman Betts Family Revival for this show.
This tour is a must-see for any lover of The Allman Brothers’ music or fans of music in general. The best way to sum up the energy of the show is a celebration of The Allman Brothers’ music. Between the great rendition of classic Allman Brothers songs to equally amazing covers, it made for an amazing night in Westchester County, New York.
The Allman Betts Family Revival Is:
Devon Allman – Guitars/Keyboard/Lead Vocals
Duane Betts – Guitar/Lead Vocals
Berry Duane Oakley – Bass
Johnny Stachela – Guitar
John Ginty – Keyboard
Alex Orbison – Drums
John Lum – Drums
Luther Dickinson – Guitar/Vocals
Jimmy Hall – Lead Vocals/Harmonica
Anders Osborne – Guitar
Larry McCray – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Lindsay Lou – Lead Vocals
Jackie Greene – Lead Vocals/Guitar/Keyboard
Lamar Williams, Jr. – Lead Vocals
Sierra Green – Lead Vocals
G Love – Guitar/Lead Vocals/Harmonica
Sierra Hull – Mandolin/Guitar/Vocals
Setlist:
Set One:
1. Don’t Want You No More
2. It’s Not My Cross to Bear
3. Statesboro Blues (With Jimmy Hall)
4. Trouble No More (With Lamar Williams Jr. & Robert Randolph)
5. Blue Sky
6. Please Call Home (With Robert Randolph & Sierra Green)
7. Melissa (With Jackie Green)
8. Southbound (With Lindsay Lou & G Love)
9. Dreams (Robert Randolph & Luther Dickinson)
10. Call It Stormy Monday but Tuesday Is Just As Bad (With Larry McCray)
11. One Way Out (With Sierra Hull & G Love)
Set Two:
12. Nobody Knows
13. Soulshine (With Larry McCray & Sierra Hull)
14. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (With Luther Dickinson)
15. Ramblin’ Man (With Anders Osborne & Lindsay Lou)
16. Whipping Post (With Jimmy Hall & Luther Dickinson)
Encore:
17. End of the Line (With Sierra Hull)
18. Midnight Rider (With all guests)
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
