December 6th’s Allman Family Revival performance at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville was billed as neither a reunion nor tribute but as a “revival”. There isn’t a better way to describe what transpired over the approximately three-hour show. This stellar gathering of musicians, led by Duane Betts and Devon Allman, truly resurrected the energy and passion of the Allman Brothers Band. From the opening black and white photo montage display of the band in their heyday to the closing notes of “Midnight Rider” there was magic onstage.
Joined by Luther and Cody Dickinson, Anders Osborne, Jimmy Hall, Tal Wilkenfeld (whose bass solos left everyone spellbound), Ally Venable, Jackie Greene, Orbi Orbison, Larry McCray, and others, the Allman Betts ensemble performed all of the crowd favorites in a familiar, yet imaginative way. The night proved that even as time moves on and generations change, The Allman Brothers Band’s music remains not only relevant but engrained deep into the fabric of our musical souls.
Photos by Hank Strauss
