Article Contributed by Gabriel David Barkin
Published on December 24, 2025
Devon Allman and Duane Betts | San Francisco, CA | December 21st, 2025 – photos by Gabriel David Barkin
Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the sons of 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 Allman Brothers.
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 Dickinson and Luther Dickinson (from North Mississippi Allstars) and drummer Alex Orbison – who just happens to be the son of rock-and-roll icon Roy Orbison – along with his wife, singer Erika Orbison. Dweezil Zappa, son of Frank Zappa, was on board too.
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.
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.”
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.
Other highlights included bluegrass/newgrass spitfire Sierra Hull singing “End of the Line,” Jimmie Hall (the singer from Wet Willie) 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.
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.
It’s a reflection of the superstar talent at the Fillmore on Sunday that we’ve come this far in the review and 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 anyone was left out, it’s only because there was so much talent on that stage.
At the heart of it all is the music of the Allman Brothers Band. Take all those musical chops at the Fillmore, toss in visuals of animated mushrooms and liquid lights, and give them songs like “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Southbound”—that’s when the magic happens.
