The Allman Betts Band Kick Off Inaugural Tour With Berry Duane Oakley on Bass

DEBUT RECORD DOWN TO THE RIVER TO BE RELEASED SUMMER 2019

The Allman Betts Band Kick Off Inaugural Tour With Berry Duane Oakley on Bass

DEBUT RECORD DOWN TO THE RIVER TO BE RELEASED SUMMER 2019

“It’s a new band and new transition for us to go from being brothers to being band mates. We have natural organic chemistry that exists concurrently alongside our legacy and roots. This band stands on its own abilities. I’m so stoked to crank the amps and bring the music to the people.” – Devon Allman

“It means so much to us to be able to put this record out and play these songs live for the people. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and this is just the next natural step in what hopefully will be a long journey,” – Duane Betts

Fresh off three cruises and Island Exodus with Gov’t Mule and Lukas Nelson, The Allman Betts Band will kick off their world tour in NYC at The Brooklyn Bowl on March 27. The band will make their way across the US and will be making stops in Europe as part of their inaugural tour. 

The ABB will also be making several festival appearances, including Mountain Jam, Back Home Festival, Ramblin’ Man Festival in the UK, Peach Music Festival, Lockn’, Big Blues Benderand more. 

The tour will feature new music, as well as classic Allman Brothers and Gregg Allman tunes in honor of the 50th Anniversary of The Allman Brothers Band. The new album, Down To The River is slated to be released in the Summer of 2019 and was produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley). 

The Allman Betts Band is:

Devon Allman- guitar, vocals Duane Betts- guitar, vocals

Berry Duane Oakley- bass, vocals Johnny Stachela- guitar, vocals 

John Ginty- keyboards

R Scott Bryan- percussion, vocals John Lum- drums

DOWN TO THE RIVER 2019 TOUR 

Mar 27, 2019 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl

Mar 28, 2019 Torrington, CT @ Warner Theatre

Mar 29, 2019 Plymouth, NH @ Flying Monkey PAC

Mar 30, 2019 Plattsburgh, NY @ Strand Theater

Mar 31, 2019 Hopewell, NJ @ Hopewell Theater

Apr 2, 2019 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage

Apr 3, 2019 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage

Apr 4, 2019 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount

Apr 5, 2019 Stowe, VT @ Spruce Peak PAC

Apr 6, 2019 Staten Island, NY @ St. George Theatre

Apr 9, 2019 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva

Apr 10, 2019 Warrendale, PA @ Jergel’s Rhythm Grille

Apr 11, 2019 Homer, NY @ Center for the Arts

Apr 12, 2019 Newton, NJ @ Newton Theater

Apr 13, 2019 Beverly, MA @ Cabot Theater

Apr 14, 2019 Plymouth, MA @ Plymouth Memorial Hall

Apr 25, 2019 Meridian, MS @ Riley Performing Arts Center

Apr 26, 2019 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues

Apr 27, 2019 Little Rock, AR @ Pulaski Community College PAC

Apr 29, 2019 Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads

Apr 30, 2019 Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theater

May 1, 2019 Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theater

May 3, 2019 Memphis, TN @ Graceland Soundstage

May 4, 2019 St. Louis, MO @ Atomic Cowboy Pavilion

May 6, 2019 Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theater

May 8, 2019 Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater

May 9, 2019 Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre

May 10, 2019 Dallas, TX @ Kessler Theater

May 11, 2019 Houston, TX @ Heights Theater

May 12, 2019 Austin, TX @ Mohawk

May 14, 2019 Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Theater

May 15, 2019 Albuquerque, NM @ National Hispanic Cultural Center

May 16, 2019 Tucson, AZ @ Fox Theater

May 17, 2019 Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater

May 19, 2019 Chandler, AZ @ Chandler Center for the Performing Arts

Jun 8, 2019 Garberville, CA @ Redwood Run

Jun 15, 2019 Utica, NY @ Stanley Theatre

Jun 18, 2019 Kent, OH @ The Kent Stage

Jun 22, 2019 Kokomo, IN @ Foster Park

Jun 23, 2019 McMinnville, TN @ Cumberland Caverns

Jun 25, 2019 Bristol, TN @ Paramount Theater

Jun 26, 2019 Rocky Mount, VA @ Harvester PAC

Jun 27, 2019 State College, PA @ State Theatre

Jul 8, 2019 Ocean City, NJ @ NJ Music Pier

Jul 23, 2019 Cologne, GER @ Kantine

Jul 24, 2019 Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso

Aug 11, 2019 Fargo, ND The Hall @ Fargo Brewing Co.

Aug 29, 2019 St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theater

Aug 30, 2019 Fort Wayne, IN @ Sweetwater Performance Pavilion

Sep 1, 2019 Lakeville, PA @ Cove Ent Resorts

Sep 13, 2019 Colo Springs, CO @ Pikes Peak Center

Nov 1, 2019 Auburn, AL @ Jay and Susie Gouge Performing Arts Center

FESTIVALS

Apr 7, 2019 Reading, PA @ Berks Jazz Fest

May 18, 2019 Dana Point, CA @ Doheny Blues Festival

Jun 13-16, 2019 Bethel, NY @ Mountain Jam

Jun 29, 2019 New Martinsville, WV @ Back Home Festival

Jul 20, 2019 Maidstone, UK @ Ramblin’ Man Fair

Jul 25-28, 2019 Scranton, PA @ Peach Music Festival

Jul 25-28, 2019 Breitenbach, GER @ Burg Herzberg festival

Aug 10, 2019 Duluth, MN @ Bayfront Blues Festival

Aug 22-25, 2019 Arrington, VA @ LOCKN’ Festival 

Sep 5-8, 2019 Las Vegas, NV @ Big Blues Bender

MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED! 

The Story of The Allman Betts Band:

In December of 2017, Devon Allman was ready. After a year of mourning the losses of his mother and father, Allman was ready to make music again. He deeply appreciated all of the condolences and well-wishes, but, respectfully, it was time to forge ahead.

Allman organized a concert at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco to honor the music and memory of his father, founding Allman Brothers Band keyboardist and singer, Gregg Allman, and also to debut his new band, The Devon Allman Project. A proverbial star-studded affair- with guests such as G. Love and Robert Randolph- the marathon performance also marked the beginning of a partnership with Duane Betts, son of founding Allman Brothers Band guitarist and singer, Dickey Betts. It was time, in that historic venue, to pass the spirit to this next generation. It was time to take all the lessons of the past, all their collective experiences, and make something new.

Betts recently had turned solo after a touring stint with folk-rockers Dawes, and would serve as an opening artist on the Devon Allman Project 2018 world tour, as well as joining Allman each night for a musical tip of the hat to their respective fathers. The year-long trek was the first to pair Allman and Betts, and saw the two tally nearly 100 dates at theatres and festivals nationally and internationally, including a summer leg in Europe, and notable appearances at Colorado’s venerable Red Rocks amphitheater, the Peach Festival, Gov’t Mule’s Island Exodus in Jamaica, and a return to The Fillmore for the second annual, sold-out Allman Family Revival.

2018 provided them a certifiable proof-of-concept: Performing a repertoire gleaned mostly from their respective solo careers, as well as a handful of Brothers gems, the Devon Allman Project with Duane Betts consistently drew audiences growing in size and enthusiasm with each successive leg. 

Now, they were both determined to embrace a new challenge; to write and record new music that could someday join the classics; to wow new audiences; to form a new band. During off-days on the bus or in hotel rooms, Devon and Duane collaborated on new original material, inviting respected songwriter Stoll Vaughn for writing sessions on the road. 

On the still-smoldering heels of the hugely successful Project world tour, Devon and Duane circled back to their roots for this ambitious next step. They called up their old friend Berry Duane Oakley, son of the Allman Brothers Band’s founding late bassist, Berry Oakley, and floated the idea of joining them. The trio’s musical friendship traces back to The Allman Brothers Band’s 20th anniversary summer tour in 1989 when the three first met, and often sat-in with the Rock-And-Roll Hall of Fame inductees; teenage descendants rightfully joining a rock-and-roll legacy. 

As well, they recruited seasoned players from the Project ensemble: slide guitar sorcerer Johnny Stachela, drummer John Lum, and percussionist R Scott Bryan (Sheryl Crow). In November of 2018, they announced the formation of The Allman Betts Band.

Enlisting producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price) the band booked a post-Thanksgiving week at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. They brought in Gregg’s former bandmate, Peter Levin, and former Allman Brother Chuck Leavell as guests, adding organ and piano. Motivated by classic recording techniques and vintage gear in the historic Alabama studio, they cut the album live. No computers. No digital editing. Setting-up as one in the studio, they tracked nine songs on two-inch analog tape, resulting in their debut album, Down to the River, to be released in the early summer of ’19. 

For a subsequent world tour, they recruited keyboardist John Ginty (Dixie Chicks, Robert Randolph) to The Allman Betts Band. The band’s first performance is scheduled for March 26, 2019- 50 years, to the date, after The Allman Brothers Band first jammed in Jacksonville, Florida. This is The Allman Betts Band.

Bass Magazine   By: Bass Magazine