Interview: Devon Allman

The Allman Betts Family Revival tours, which began nearly a decade ago to celebrate what would have been Gregg Allman’s 70th birthday, have since become a family tradition that shows no sign of stopping. 

Each year, Allman’s son Devon and Dickey Bett’s son Duane have taken to the road to pay tribute to the music of their parents’ group, the Allman Brothers Band. 

Along the way, their Allman Betts Family Revival has packed historic venues like Atlanta's Symphony Hall, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium.

As with past tours, Devon and Duane won’t be the only sons of famous fathers onstage. 

This year’s backing band includes the North Mississippi Allstars’ Cody and Luther Dickinson, whose father Jim Dickinson produced Big Star and played piano on the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.”

Also onboard is Alex Orbison, son of the late Roy Orbison, the Traveling Wilburys member known for his timeless hits like "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "Crying.”

In the following interview, Devon Allman talks about extended improvisations, his chemistry with Duane Betts, and the importance of keeping the Allman Brothers’ music and legacy alive.

Q: You and Duane have a long friendship. How does that history shape your musical chemistry and creative decisions when you’re writing and touring together?

Allman: Chemistry and creative decisions are two different worlds. The chemistry is something we really lucked out on because you can be the next generation of amazing musicians and not have it. But we found we had quite a bit of chemistry from the get-go when we started the Allman Betts Band. Our whole idea was "If we don't have chemistry writing songs, this won't be a band, and that's okay." But we did, and we’re grateful for that.

As far as creative decisions, our family connection makes it much easier. We’re bound by the music, the history, and the spirits of those before us. When we pay homage to the Allman Brothers Band with this tour, the music is the boss. There’s no power struggle. It’s all about honoring them and their catalog. It’s sacred for us. I’ll be thinking, "Man, Duane is just killing 'Blue Sky' tonight," but then there’s the other half of me that’s like, "Damn, I just wish it was Dickey doing it." As much of an honor as it is to perform these songs, it's half heartbreak that they're not here to do it themselves—which is a big impetus for why we do this.

Will the live set include any Allman Brothers songs that might be lesser known to casual fans -- the deep cuts?

A good magician doesn’t give away his tricks! We never reveal the setlist beforehand. But what I can say is this: the folks that loved the radio hits will be pleased, and the die-hard fans that loved deep cuts will also be pleased. I’m in a cool position where I get to almost act as a casting director for the night, like for a movie: "Who’s going to do the best 'Melissa' this year? Who’s going to play the best 'Dreams' guitar solo?" To cast out those features in the night is an honor, and it’s a pain in the ass in the best way possible.

The Allman Brothers Band was famous for its extended improvisations. How do you balance that extended improvisation with keeping the set dynamic and focused on this tour?

A lot of their music lends itself to improvisation. I’d say over the course of a two-and-a-half, sometimes three-hour Revival Show, a good third leans toward improv. It’s always a particular composition that has a definitive framework, but also a definitive spot for it to stretch and expand that framework before coming back to the head of the song. We love exploring that classic jazz component to the Allman Brothers sound.

Why did you choose to make “Blues Summit,” your latest solo album, such a collaborative focus with so many amazing musicians?

It was really born out of a desire to take things to the next place. After doing the Revival Tour for so long, I wanted a similar vibe during the summer -- a smaller-scale ensemble cast, which is always an elevated experience. Instead of just seeing my band, you’re seeing my band backing the incredible Larry McCray or Jimmy Hall.

I didn't really embrace collaborations in my first decade; I was head down, trying to find my own way. But once I started collaborating in Royal Southern Brotherhood in 2012, I realized how much growth and enrichment it brought out in me to have those collaborators.

Early in your career, you spoke about wanting to run away from the "Allman sound." What was the turning point where you fully reconciled or embraced your heritage?

That’s a good question. When you’re starting out and looking for your voice, it's already difficult enough. But when you multiply that difficulty by 10 because your father is a successful musician, and then multiply it by another 10 because your father is someone as iconic as Gregg Allman, the initial response is to run away and do something polar opposite.

I was still based in rock and roll, but I think I just got to a point of maturity where I was like, "I don’t care what anyone else is doing, so I just need to do my own thing." And if my own thing happens to sound like my family, then so be it. It’s my family. It was really more of an awakening that brought a lot of relief. I realized I’m just going to make records and write songs that I like, and hopefully other people will, too. It’s about following the muse, you know, and going where your heart’s wanting to go.

You spent a lot of time playing with your father. Beyond musical technique, what is the single greatest life lesson you learned directly from him that continues to guide your career choices today?

He wasn't a hands-on teacher; he really respected my path and wanted me to find my way. I spent 14 years in local clubs and the next 13 in a van going coast-to-coast and over to Europe, so I was definitively doing my own work.

Any lesson I learned from him that was of magnitude wasn’t taught directly, it was observational. He had this thing that so many people strive their whole career to have, where the music just oozes out of you without effort. He had that magical thing. That’s something I always strive for. If I’m ever in my head too much, I just try to let the music flow. It can be difficult, but he made it look so easy. It’s a very good lesson that if you’re forcing it, you might need to be redirected.

Q: You mentioned the first 14 years playing local clubs, and the next 13 years touring in a van. Which phase was more fun, and be honest?

Devon Allman: The more fun was definitely the 13 years of touring in a van. I put over a million and a half miles on the road during that time. Those nightclubs at home were a pain -- good for wood-shedding and learning how to work a crowd, but a pain. Touring on our own was a blast, and it was adventurous. It felt better to be out there actually on tour, actually supporting a record you made, (rather) than playing cover songs in a local bar night after night.

It’s been a few years since the Allman Betts Band's last record, “Bless Your Heart.” What's the status update on the next record?

We just celebrated the fifth birthday of “Bless Your Heart,” so that’s been the hot question for a couple of years. There are rumblings in the camp about what to do next. We want to align things with the right timing. I just put out a record, Duane is going to put out a record, so it’s just not the right timing yet. It’s not impossible; it’s just not the right timing. We definitely have our eyes on the future for that third record.

Is there anything else about this year’s Allman Betts Family Revival tour that people should know?

Yes. It’s really special that we’re taking my dad’s Hammond B3 organ out for this tour to use, and we’re taking his acoustic guitars out to use as well. I know he would be so happy that they were being used and playing his songs to his fans. It's just a high honor. I’m sitting here looking at his Gibson acoustic and thinking about it -- it’s very special to do that.