Nineteen sixty-nine has come and gone many times over. The sound of the Allman Brothers Band’s rise to Southern rock eternity has echoed through the rafters of rock and roll’s greatest venues. Though that too has come and gone, the legacy of its long, improvisational psychedelic jams, soulful blues, and hard-hitting rock persists. On a hot and humid summer evening in Wilmington, DE at the historic Grand Opera House, sparks from the legendary embers of the Allman Brothers Band flew again—this time in the form of the Allman Betts Band.
Led by Duane Betts and Devon Allman—the sons of founding members Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman, respectively—and supported by Justin Corgan on bass, John Ginty on keys, Johnny Stachela on slide guitar and backup vocals, and drummers John Lum and Alex Orbison, Betts and Allman bridge their families’ storied pasts with their own band’s songs from the present.
Devon and Duane—who first met as kids on a tour bus in 1989—tag-teamed the frontman position throughout the night as they started off with a few originals. The band has released two albums since forming in 2018, planting its roots in the Americana scene and diversifying its live repertoire. “Autumn Breeze” stood out for its rustic twang and sprawling, vintage Allman Brothers-style jam.
But it wasn’t until the Allman Betts Band launched into all-time classic “Blue Sky” that the older crowd first rose to their feet. Background visuals of soaring through clouds illuminated the band members as they ripped through a few more highlights of the Allman Brothers’ songbook. On “Midnight Rider”, Devon laid down the foundational riff on his acoustic guitar as Duane gracefully danced through soaring solos.
Throughout the rest of the night, the cycle of standing up and sitting down was dictated solely by whether there was an original Allman Brothers song playing, though the audience showed appreciation for each track. Later on, John Ginty blazed his keys on “Jessica”, slicing through the instrumental track before handing the steering wheel over to Duane, who belted out a passionate solo on the song named for his sister.
Before departing, the band dove into “Dreams” for an encore. Though lengthy, the hypnotic track held most of the crowd firmly on their feet, with Devon showing off his own guitar skills. Devon took the spotlight on his dad’s song; slightly hunched over, eyes closed, mind off in the cosmos, he evoked instinctive flashes to his uncle Duane Allman. The original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, the namesake of Duane Betts, and a guitar god whose time on Earth ended all too soon in 1971.
The Allman Betts Band isn’t a cover band of their fathers’ greatness but a multifaceted vessel that channels some of that same joy from the olden days while bringing new music to the table. It won’t sound like At Fillmore East, but it’s not supposed to. For fans who never got to see the original Allman Brothers, this is more than close enough—it’s a family carrying the flame into a new era.
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The Allman Betts Band will conclude its tour on August 3rd with a set at Salmonfest Alaska in Ninilchik. Find tickets here.
Setlist: The Allman Betts Band | Grand Opera House | Wilmington, DE | 6/26/25
Set: Wash in FM, Magnolia Road, King Crawler, All Night, Autumn Breeze, Raining Straight Down (Neal Casal), Blue Sky (The Allman Brothers Band), Melissa (The Allman Brothers Band), Wash in Em, Savannah’s Dream, Ashes of My Lovers, Good Ol’ Days, Jessica (The Allman Brothers Band), Rivers Run, Carolina Song
Encore: Dreams (The Allman Brothers Band)