To followers of the Allman Brothers Band, few sites are as sacred as the Beacon Theatre. Over 25 years, the Allman Brothers Band played more than 230 sold-out concerts at the Upper West Side theater all the way through the band’s final show on October 28th, 2014. Ten years later, the sons of late Allman Brothers Band co-founders Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts returned to the Beacon Theatre for the eighth annual Allman Betts Family Revival.
Led by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the Allman Betts Family Revival features a rotating cast of lauded musicians celebrating the enduring Allman Brothers legacy. On December 7th—following a show at Port Chester, NY’s The Capitol Theatre the previous night—the show included performances by G. Love, Sierra Hull, Grace Bowers, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Jimmy Hall, Anders Osborne, Larry McCray, Lindsay Lou, Jackie Greene, Lamar Williams, Jr., and Alex Orbison.
Over the course of two sets and hours of music, the Revival honored the Allmans’ vast and enduring songbook. Core ABB tracks like “It’s Not My Cross to Bear”, “Statesboro Blues”, “Melissa”, “Southbound”, and “Dreams” were lodged beside deeper cuts “Don’t Want You No More”, “Please Call Home”, “Nobody Knows”, and “No One Left to Run With”. With the deep well of musicians on hand, the ensemble was well-equipped to tackle the Allmans’ behemoth compositions including “Jesica” and “Whipping Post”. Of course, there was plenty of recognition for the late Dickey Betts who passed away earlier this year at the age of 80, remembering the foundational Southern rock guitarist with classics “Blue Sky” and “Ramblin’ Man”. The show also happened to fall on the eve of what would have marked Gregg Allman’s 77th birthday, with his son Devon remarking the following day, “Sure wish I was hittin’ the note with you instead of for you.”
Check out a gallery of images from the Allman Betts Family Revival at the Beacon Theatre by Maggie Miles and pics from The Capitol Theatre by David Gray and Andrew Blackstein, along with some fan-shot videos by Alex Neff. The tour continues this week with shows in Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, and Tennessee. Find tickets and tour dates on Ticketmaster and StubHub.
The Allman Betts Family Revival — “Statesboro Blues” (Blind Willie McTell) — 12/7/24
