Review by Shawn Perry
Photos by Kit Wood
When you think of the Allman Brothers Band, you probably envision Georgia or maybe Florida as places where they lived and worked. However, both Duane and Gregg Allman were born in Nashville, which is where they became acquainted with the blues. After seeing BB King in one of the city’s clubs, they were inspired to get a band together and the rest is left to history. So staging the fourth Allman Family Revival, honoring Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers Band, at the Ryman couldn’t have been more appropriate. Only this time, there was a pandemic to make it a little more challenging.
The show — starring the Allman Betts Band with special guests Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Tom Hambridge, Shannon McNally, Lamar Williams Jr., Alex Orbison, Lilly Hiatt, Patrick Sweany, Jackson Stokes, JD Simo, and River Kittens — was originally scheduled for December 11, 2020, to celebrate what would have been Gregg Allman’s 74th birthday. It was postponed to February 13 as the impact of COVID-19 lay in waiting of a vaccine. In Nashville, things had been a little less tense, though the unexpected bombing on Christmas Day added some unneeded stress in the midst of everything else that’s been happening for the last year.
Then you factor in how the live music industry has taken a major hit, and it’s been especially hard in Nashville where so many musicians live and die by the number of gigs they play. Thanks to the Save Our Stages act and additional funding, the drive to save live music is beginning to spread, and venues like the Ryman, City Winery, and the Opry House have been able to safely open their doors to concerts. They all abide by a strict measure of rules that adhere to CDC guidelines, and the Allman Family Revival was no exception.
This was the first concert for me in nearly a year, so I was willing to follow protocol. It wasn’t all that bad. Of course, we had to wear masks, so that was a given. Despite the closure of the refreshment concessioners, they had free bottled water in the lobby. There was ample room on our bench without anyone in the row in front. That’s something I could get used to. There were unoccupied sections all over the floor and in the upper reaches of the balconies. Everyone could breathe, even with a mask on. It was a sold-out show, though it didn’t look sold out because it was only half full due to the social distancing parameters in place. For an audience member, there are certain advantages to this. From a performer’s perspective, it’s obviously a entirely different thing, financially and spiritually.
The night ran like clockwork. The singing duo River Kittens from St. Louis bravely took the famous Ryman stage to start things off at precisely 8:00. They sang a sweet blend of country-folk harmonies framed by an acoustic guitar and mandolin to a concert-starved audience. Over the course of three songs that included their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” Allie Vogler and Mattie Schell brazenly gave their all, without breaking a sweat. It was 20 degrees outside, so that might have helped them keep their cool. The duo recently signed with Devon Allman’s Create Records, and would appear throughout the night, singing backup vocals on nearly any song that needed it.
The Allman Betts Band ambled onto the stage and helped River Kittens finish the song. Devon Allman, who would more or less serve as the evening’s ringmaster, lead the band right into “Airboats & Cocaine,” the first of three new songs they would roll out from their 2020 studio release, Bless Your Heart. With Duane Betts to his left, Allman punched through the verses as the rest of the band fell in. Johnny Stachela etched out an earth-shaking slide solo, while keyboardist John Ginty, percussionist R. Scott Bryan, drummer John Lum, and bassist Pedro Arevalo formed a foundation that would pivot to and fro with each change of the guitar. Arevalo, a veteran bassist who played with Devon Allman in Honeytribe, as well as Great Southern with Duane Betts’ father and original Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts, was filling in for the band’s regular bassist, Berry Duane Oakley. It all makes the “family” part of tonight’s gathering that much more meaningful.
Of course, there were certain other Allman “family” members missing in action. None of the surviving players from the Allman Brothers Band — namely Jaimoe, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Oteil Burbridge, maybe Chuck Leavell — were there. And there was no sign of Devon’s brothers, Michael and Elijah Blue. Dickey Betts is beset with health issues, so his absence is understandable. Even though he and Gregg Allman never got around to reuniting musically, he must take some satisfaction in knowing their sons have connected musically and are carrying the torch forward.
In these uncertain times, as they say, it was a miracle that anyone showed up. After running through “King Crawler,” featuring Betts on lead vocals, and “Southern Rain,” both from the new album, the Allman Betts Band turned their attention to the music of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman, and a few covers and original songs from some of the local talent on the bill.
Before jumping headlong into ABB territory, they brought out guitarist Patrick Sweany, a Ohio native living in Nashville with connections to the Black Keys. His own “Them Shoes” shook the rafters before JD Simo came up for the first of many ABB instrumentals, “Hot ‘Lanta.” Simo, one of the few musicians on stage wearing a mask, was a ball of fire, aligning with Betts and Stachela on a series of piercing guitar solos to deliver on the promise of the ABB classic. Sweany and River Kittens rejoined for a jacked-up Joe Cocker-styled take on the Beatles’ “With A Little From My Friends.” For his part, Simo removed his masked and assumed the Cocker role, guitar in hand without the distorted movements, packed with every ounce of the vocal power on the breaks. It made everyone realize that this was indeed a real concert.
The Allman Betts Band functioned as the house band as a succession of singers and guests followed with something of their own and a stab at a cover or ABB song. In Shannon McNally’s case, she gave a stellar shine to “These Days,” a Jackson Browne song Gregg Allman recorded for his solo album, Laid Back, in 1973. A cover of the Staple Singers’ “What You Gonna Do?” featured Dickinson and Lamar Williams. Jr., whose father played bass in the Allman Brothers Band from 1972 to 1976. They stuck around for “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” the first song on the Allman Brothers Band 1972 release, Eat A Peach.
Lilly Hiatt’s vocals on “Ramblin’ Man,” the Allman’s highest charting hit, were a bit ill-suited for the song. Perhaps Duane Betts, whose voice bears a similar tone to his father’s, should have handled that one. Fortunately, a magical trip through “Dreams” and “Blue Sky” more than made up for any lapses. The backline shifted when Alex Orbison, son of legend Roy Orbison, sat in on drums for a spell. The audience started to loosen up, and some even got on their feet and shook their bum, despite the rules against dancing. Everyone stayed in their immediate space, seemingly well-behaved, so no one seemed to mind. All the venue’s personnel and staff remained relaxed and weren’t nearly as restrictive as expected. Maybe everyone’s adjusting to the new way.
Jimmy Hall’s arrival was sudden, but welcomed. The Wet Willie singer had a tight relationship with the Allman Brothers Band in the 70s, opening many of their shows, so his connection is verifiable. He immediately livened things up with Wet Willie’s biggest hit, “Keep On Smilin’.” Hall and Williams traded verses on Muddy Waters’ “Trouble No More,” a song the Allman Brothers Band regularly played live. To end the night’s regular set, an absolute gorgeous rendition of “Jessica” from Allman Betts Band left no doubt the band can play the music their fathers created.
It’s a shame they didn’t play more of their own music, from both Bless Your Heart and their debut album, 2019’s Down To The River. Devon Allman is a unique and strong singer with a broader range than his father. Plus, he’s comfortable and handles himself well out in front. And Betts, Stachela, and Ginty can endlessly solo as well as any of the best jam bands. Together with the locked-in rhythm section of Bryan, Lum, and Arevalo, these guys should be playing as many three-hour sets as humanly possible.
“Sing it if you know it,” Allman called out as he strummed the opening notes on his acoustic to the encore of “Midnight Rider,” before adding: “if you don’t know it, you’re in the wrong house.” From there, he lead the whole band and all the guests who stuck around for an all-ensemble sing-along on one of the most beloved Allman Brothers Band songs in the catalog. Just about everyone got a chance to spotlight their talents with a solo or a verse. Even Jimmy Hill slipped in a bright bit of harp. An extended and a gracious bow, and the first three hours of my first concert in 2021 were over.
Just down the block, Broadway was opened up as usual. Crowds were standing on line to hear live music in every honky tonk bar up and down the street. Nashville is alive with music, pandemic or not. If everyone stays smart and vigilant, one can only hope more concerts will start popping up on the Ryman calendars. And everywhere else too.
