A Return to Live Music with The Allman Betts Band

The last live music I saw in person was in February of 2020. It's now 2021. The pandemic is still out there, looming, but we're fighting back with vaccines and other precautions. There's still a way to go, but things are slowly getting brighter. That's where this story begins.

When I first saw that The Allman Betts Band had added a tour stop in Omaha in April, I thought, "I'd really love to go to that, but live music will just have to wait until I'm vaccinated." Then, I got vaccinated. Truthfully, I'd only had the first of two shots by the time the band rolled into town, but I calculated that the first shot, plus my prior COVID illness in early January, plus the social distancing and safety measures put in place by the venue would get me through.

It did. The venue, the Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, had certain precautions in place, including only electronic tickets (although I saw some people with paper tickets despite what the website said so I'm not sure what that was all about), cashless concessions, and about half of the seats in the venue blocked off for social distancing. Masks were required throughout the entire show. I'd say about half the crowd followed that rule.

With all of that, I decided it was possible to be there. I'm glad I did. What a perfect live show to return to.

Time has gone by and the Allman Brothers Band are sadly gone, but there are several connected artists still carrying their torch. The Allman Betts Band has become my favorite of them.

This will be the third time I've seen the band live. The first was a Devon Allman solo show featuring Duane Betts. It was pretty much the same band though. The following year they made it official and renamed themselves The Allman Betts Band.

In case you aren't aware of them yet, Devon Allman is the son of Allman Brothers Band singer and keyboardist Gregg Allman. Duane Betts is the son of Allman Brothers Band guitarist (and sometimes singer) Dickie Betts. Duane is also named for Duane Allman, who died tragically in a motorcycle accident in 1971.

In addition to Devon and Duane, Berry Duane Oakley (bass), is the son of original Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley. Berry tragically was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1972, just blocks from where Duane Allman was killed. That's a sad story for another day, however.

This show fits into the Rock and Roll Reclaimed theme perfectly. In a lot of ways, The Allman Betts Band are a continuation of The Allman Brothers Band. Duane Betts looks like his dad did in the 1970s - so much so that it's a little unsettling. He also really sounds like him - both in his guitar style and his vocals. Likewise, Devon Allman's voice has remarkably similar qualities to Gregg's.

The makeup of the band will also be very familiar to any fan of the Allmans. The organ, the dual guitars, the dual percussionists, etc. They even play some Allman Brothers Band songs. This time we heard Ain't Wastin' Time No More, Blue Sky, and a fantastic rendition of Jessica, along with other covers from The Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones. Not this particular night, but they also often throw in a cover of Prince's Purple Rain.

What's new about the Allman Betts Band though, is that they're creating great new music. With two albums out already in only a couple of years, they have a lot of original material they can pull from for live shows. These songs take some inspiration from their legendary fathers, but they also bring in a lot of other influences and sounds. Songs like Pale Horse Rider and the instrumental Savannah’s Dream certainly have an Allman Brothers feel. Southern Rain and Down to the River are a couple of other great tracks that would fit in more closely with B.B. King or Robert Cray than they would in an Allman Brothers set.

This is a good thing. As much as the fan in me would love them to throw in a few more classic Allman Brothers tunes, I'm happy they're moving forward and creating new music rather than just becoming a nostalgia act. The Allman Betts Band stand on their own with their immense talent and great new music.

They're building on the legacy of the Allman Brothers Band, rather than copying it. That's the way it should be.

2021 is complicated for live music. Artists are going to have to make their own decisions about how soon they want to get back up on stage. My Songkick app is starting to drop notifications into my phone again that are for actual concerts and not just advertisements for streaming events. Some artists, like the Allman Betts Band are playing - particularly at outdoor venues this year. Others are being more cautious. I just saw a post from Taylor Momsen that the Pretty Reckless tour is being pushed to 2022. I've got 6 tickets to that show that I hope to one day be able to use! They're watching out for everybody's health and wellbeing. No fault in that.

I don't think any artist right or wrong this year on whatever call they make. It's a judgment call, and I don't know what the right answer is. Likewise, it's your call as a music fan whether or not you want to risk your health to see a live show again right now.

I've been fully vaccinated and I intend to take precautions, so I intend to see a few select shows this year. If you're of like mind, and The Allman Betts Band rolls through your town, I highly recommend you go see them.