The Allman Betts Family Revival Brings The Heat To Fort Pierce, FL: Review/Sunrise Theater/December 10, 2023
Featured Photo Credit: jskolnickphotography © 2023
For many music fans, The Grateful Dead reign supreme as the most influential progenitors of modern jam. Indeed, they deserve a deep bow from all jam bands that came after them. But for this fan, The Allman Brothers Band stand as the genre’s GOAT. As a teenager growing up in the ’70s, weened on hard driving rock and blues, The Allman Brothers embodied the kind of raw, relentless, incendiary musical force that continues to inhabit my soul and psyche nearly 50 years later.
It’s in that spirit that Devon Allman (Gregg’s son) and Duane Betts (Dickey’s son) have joined forces to honor their fathers’ legacy and music with the Allman Betts Family Revival featuring a constellation of stellar musicians drawn from the worlds of rock, blues, Americana, and bluegrass. The Allman Betts Family Revival U.S. wrapped up their U.S. tour in Austin, TX on Sunday, December 17, and is set to tour Australia in March.
Along the way, the Allman Betts Family Revival made a stop on December 10 at the historic Sunrise Theater in Fort Pierce, FL for a dazzling three-hour show that featured 22 artists including New Orleans guitarist/singer/songwriter Anders Osborne; brothers Luther (guitar/vocals) and Cody (drums) Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars); Southern rock icon Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie, Jeff Beck); singer/songwriter Jackie Greene (The Black Crowes); legendary bluesman Larry McCray; and drummer Alex Orbison (Roy’s son and Allman Betts Band contributor).
The ensemble also has a feminine side featuring the extraordinary talents of bassist Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck); singer/songwriter and blues/rock guitarist Ally Venable; bluegrass mandolinist/singer/songwriter Mattie Schell; Belgian blues rock singer and multi-instrumentalist Ghalia Volt; and percussionist and vocalist Melody Trucks (daughter of ABB founder and drummer Butch Trucks).
Recounting every magical moment of this show would take up far too much time. Suffice it to say, the memorable three-hour performance ended far too soon for the enthusiastic (albeit mature) crowd, many of whom appeared to be Allman Brothers fans from the band’s beginnings. Instead, I’ll name some of my favorite highlights.
In tribute to the late Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts (who turned 80 on December 12), the show opened with a poignant photo compilation flashing across the big screen behind the darkened stage of the 1,200-seat theater to the strains of “Little Martha.” This and the rest of the night’s stunning visuals were provided by The
Brotherhood of Light.
Extended cheers greeted the band as they took the stage for “Sailin’ ‘Cross The Devil’s Sea” featuring Devon Allman on vocals and Luther Dickenson’s fiery guitar adding white heat to the performance. Fans were on their feet for the Blind Wille McTell classic “Statesboro Blues” featuring the passionate harmonica and vocal stylings of Jimmy Hall. Florida’s own Melody Trucks was on hand to sing “No One To Run With” while Ally Venable traded masterful vocals and guitar licks with Duane Betts on “I’m No Angel.”
Bass wunderkind Tal Wilkenfeld stunned singing and strumming “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” while percussionist David Gomez pulled off a masterful sax solo. Props also go out to Wilkenfeld for her bass wizardy throughout the entirety of the three-hour show sans breaks. Closing out the first half of the show was Frank Hannon on guitar and vocals, who unleashed a seismic version “Dreams” which shook the audience for what felt like a blissful eternity.
While the first half of the show featured mainly songs penned by Gregg Allman, the second half focused on Dickey Betts’ contributions to The Allman Brothers. After a brief intermission, the band rebooted with Duane and Melody on vocals and Mattie Schell playing mandolin for “Seven Turns,” the title track off The Allmans’ 1990 comeback album of the same name. The stage was flush with the divine feminine when Ghalia Volt took over vocals and guitar for “Pony Boy” while Mattie embraced the moment singing an exhilarating rendition of “Come and Go Blues.”
Blues giant and member of The Greg Allman Band Larry McCray did the honors singing an emotional “Soulshine,” with the entire audience joining in. Anders Osborne joyfully slayed “Ramblin’ Man” on guitar and vocals, followed by the band’s all-out assault on the time/space continuum with Tal free-styling psychedelic bass for the opening strains of “Midnight Rider,” the thunderous finale.
With an encore assured, the stage was soon bursting at the seams when all 22 musicians loosed “Shinin,” “Magnolia Road” and one hella good “Midnight Rider” on a grateful audience. Kudos to every single artist pouring their hearts out on that stage for us that night. Special thanks go to Devon Allman and Duane Betts, who are remarkable talents separately and unstoppable together, for putting this breathtaking ensemble and tribute together.
What began as a one-off concert in 2017 at The Fillmore in San Francisco to celebrate the late Greg Allman’s life on what would have been his 70th birthday has morphed into an annual tour, with expectations that it will be back again. When it does, be sure not to miss this historic, one-of-a-kind gathering. For more information and to keep up with future announcements, click on the links below.
Allman Betts Family Revival
Website
[…] Story continues […]
[…] Story continues […]