25 December 2025

Family Affair: The Allman Betts Family Revival | San Francisco | 12.21.2025

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTED BY GABRIEL DAVID BARKIN | PUBLISHED ON December 25, 2025

Devon Allman, Sierra Hull, and Duane Betts

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Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the sons of Allman Brothers founders Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, brought their ninth annual Allman Betts Family Revival Tour to San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore Sunday night. This was the final stop on a month-long string of coast-to-coast dates that paid tribute to the music of the Allmans.

Devon Allman and Duane Betts

It was indeed a family affair. In addition to the two scions holding court front and center, the roster for this year’s Fillmore show included Dickinson brothers Cody and Luther (from the North Mississippi Allstars) and drummer Alex Orbison – who just happens to be the son of rock-and-roll icon Roy – along with his wife, singer Erika Orbison. Frank Zappa’s son Dweezil was on board too.

Duane Betts and Luther Dickinson

Cody Dickinson

Speaking of The Dweeze, it’s worth noting that his father added “Whipping Post” to his own live repertoire in the 1980s. The younger Zappa, clad in a “Hot Rats” ski cap, paid tribute to both his esteemed dad and the band from Macon GA with an impassioned solo on the classic hit to close the second set. He also shredded on “Dreams” earlier in the evening, taking turns with Duane Betts and Luther Dickinson during the extended jams.

Devon Allman and Duane Betts

Country singer and fiddler Amanda Shires sang the lead on “Whipping Post” with fire in her gut, and she had flames coming out of her violin during her own solo. Her vocals were a standout on a night that also featured brilliant renditions of other Allman Brothers classics by singers including Mattie Schell on “Come and Go Blues” and Judith Hill on “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More.”

Amanda Shires

Erika Orbison

Shires also sang “Can You Fool” with Devon Allman while seated on stools during a semi-acoustic portion of the second set. The album cover image of Gregg Allman and his short-term wife Cher from their 1977 record Two the Hard Way filled the screen behind the stage for the duration of the duet.

Duane Betts and Johnny Stachela

Other highlights included bluegrass / newgrass spitfire Sierra Hull singing “End of the Line,” Jimmie Hall (the singer from Wet Willie has been a regular guest on the annual Family Revival tours) on “Statesboro Blues” and “Trouble No More,” and the Dickinson brothers playing everything – Cody on drums, Luther on guitar, and both of them at one point or another on keys next to Allman Betts Band regular John Ginty.

Dweezil Zappa

Judith Hill

Guitar solos by Dickinson, Hill, and Hull added texture and stylistic diversity to the mix alongside Betts and Allman and their bandmate Johnny Stachela. Bay Area young’un Bella Rayne stood her ground and matched the energy and skill of her esteemed stage mates on her guitar solos, giving the sold-out crowd a taste of things to come from the next generation of six-string heroes.

Bella Rayne

It’s a reflection of the superstar talent at the Fillmore on Sunday that we’ve come this far in my review and I have yet to mention Robert Randolph’s scintillating pedal steel riffs and Jackie Greene’s contributions on keys, guitar and vocals. And don’t forget drummers Alex Orbison and John Lum, nor percussionist David Gomez (who also killed it on sax during “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More”). If I left anyone out, it’s only because I was blinded by so much talent.

Robert Randolph

Jackie Greene

At the heart of it all is the Allman Brothers’ music. Take all those musical chops at the Fillmore, toss in some visuals of animated mushrooms and liquid lights behind them, and give them songs like “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Southbound” – that’s when the magic happens.

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SETLIST

Set 1:
Hot ‘Lanta
Call It Stormy Monday but Tuesday Is Just as Bad
Statesboro Blues (with Jimmy Hall)
Blue Sky
Stand Back (with Orianthi, Erika Orbison, Luther Dickinson)
Come and Go Blues (with Mattie Schell, Robert Randolph)
No One Left to Run With (with Jimmy Hall, Judith Hill, Robert Randolph)
Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (with Judith Hill, Robert Randolph)
Dreams (with Dweezil Zappa, Luther Dickinson)

Set 2:
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (with Luther Dickinson)
Trouble No More (with Jimmy Hall, Robert Randolph, Bella Rayne)
Southbound (with Judith Hill, Bella Rayne, Jimmy Hall, Sierra Hull)
Can You Fool (with Amanda Shires, Jimmy Hall)
Melissa
Seven Turns
End of the Line (with Sierra Hull)
Back Where It All Begins (with Amanda Shires, Dweezil Zappa)
Whipping Post (with Amanda Shires, Dweezil Zappa, Luther Dickinson)

Encore:
Ramblin’ Man (with Jackie Greene, Mattie Schell, Erika Orbison)
Midnight Rider (with all hands on deck)