New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The legend of the Allman Brothers continues with The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts on Tuesday, July 31, at 8:00 p.m. Devon Allman, son of the late Gregg Allman, has launched a new band as the next chapter in his already storied music career. The group is on a world tour with Duane, son of Allman Brothers co-founder Dicky Betts, who will open each show and join Devon on stage for a 30-minute encore featuring Allman Brothers music. Tickets are $25 and $35 and can be purchased by calling 508-994-2900, online at Zeiterion.org, or at the Zeiterion Box Office.
Devon, the lynchpin behind the bands Royal Southern Brotherhood and Honeytribe, has assembled The Devon Allman Project,a six-piece ensemble featuring two percussionists, John Lum & R. Scott Bryan (Sheryl Crow), bassist Justin Corgan, guitarist Jackson Stokes and a Hammond B3 player, Nicholas David. With Duane as the opening act, this tour reflects a special bond between musical brothers; Devon and Duane who have known each other since 1989, when Devon was 17 and Duane was 12. “We’ve had this enduring friendship ever since we were kids,” Devon said. “We’ve always talked about going out on tour together, and now the time seems right. He’ll start the show, then I’ll do my portion and finally the two of us will share the stage for the encore.”
Devon’s father Gregg helped helm one of the most important and influential American bands of the past 50 years. On December 8, 2017, on what would have been Gregg’s 70th birthday, Devon and a group of special friends celebrated the elder Allman’s life and music with a special concert at the iconic Fillmore in San Francisco. “It was a magical evening,” Devon recalls. “It was like a family gathering. There was so much great music, so many musicians who had such respect for my father, all of whom felt such a personal connection to both the man and his music. And when my manager told me that we could do the concert at the Fillmore, a place that obviously had such profound ties to my dad’s career, I couldn’t have been happier.”
As a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Devon has chalked up a lengthy list of accomplishments that have entitled him to take his own place in the Southern Rock pantheon. His remarkable resume spans two decades, from his post-millennial breakout with Devon Allman’s Honeytribe through to chart-topping collaborations with Jack Bruce, Javier Vargas, and the widely revered super group, Royal Southern Brotherhood. Nevertheless, the stature he’s achieved on his own via his three highly regarded solo albums – 2013’s Turquoise, 2014’s Ragged & Dirty (praised by the UK’s Blues Magazine as “reminding you why the blues can be, quite simply, the best thing in the world”) and his most recent effort, the critically acclaimed Ride Or Die – have proven his prowess as a singer, guitarist and provocateur worthy of being reckoned with based on his talent and tenacity alone.
Devon’s new record is in the works for 2018 titled Full Speed Ahead, which he describes as an album that will be seeped in classic Americana tradition, the type of music made by Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and other harbingers of California’s fabled Laurel Canyon scene of the ‘70s. He’s also launching a new record label, Create Records, and the first release is slated for November 2018 by a new band dubbed The Slays, a project featuring Devon and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars. In addition, the company will actively seek out new talent that can be nurtured and ultimately offered the opportunity to develop their craft and creativity. Devon himself will sit in the producer’s chair, with new releases scheduled approximately every 18 months.
The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide New Bedford and the region with performing arts programming of excellence that inspires, educates, engages and entertains. Tickets are available for purchase at www.zeiterion.org, by calling 508-994-2900, or in person at the box office at 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford, Mass. Zeiterion Box Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and two hours before each performance.
