Duane Betts took his Palmetto Motel Band to Fall River last Wednesday for two sets of mostly original music, with a few classics thrown in the mix. It was the perfect setting and time to fully hear some of Betts’ new songs from his just-released Isle of Hope album played by a talented group of players.
Betts is best known as the son of Allman Brothers founder and guitarist Dickey Betts, but he’s also recognized for his collaborations with Gregg Allman’s son Devon in the Allman Betts Band and for their annual Allman Family Revival tours.
Betts formed the Palmetto Motel Band in 2023 and recorded their first album, Wild and Precious Heart, after the Allman Betts Band took a break. It features Pedro Arevelo, Betts’ longtime associate, who has also played in Allman Betts and Great Southern (dating back to 2005), Johnny Stachela on lead and slide guitar (another Allman Betts member and longtime collaborator), Max Butler on piano and organ, and Vincent Fossett, Jr. on drums. All of them are exceptional players who had opportunities to shine throughout two roughly 50-minute sets.
Betts (48) grew up playing music while splitting his time between LA with his mom and Florida with his dad. As a teen, he toured with his dad and occasionally played guitar with the Allman Brothers, often trading solos with Dickey and Warren Haynes on Muddy Waters’ “The Same Thing.” Later, he played lead guitar in several popular bands in LA and then joined his dad’s band, Great Southern. He was also a special guest musician with the bands A Kettle of Fish and Dawes. While he wrote, recorded, and performed his own work when he could, he was primarily known as a sideman and rarelly stepped up as a singer.
It seemed that Betts, a naturally shy person, was more comfortable in that role. However, as his music and confidence have grown, and perhaps with the encouragement of his famous father (in his new song “Manatee River,” Betts writes, “My father told me, come a time when you’ll be on your own”), who passed away in 2024, that has all changed. Betts is now large and in charge, stepping out front to write, sing, and perform his original music as a bona fide frontman.
On Wednesday night in Fall River, before a well-sold weeknight audience, Betts and his band performed a mix of songs from the new album (“Down to Houston,” “Keep My Hands Clean,” “Heartache,” and “Best Wishes”), a few from his previous release, Wild and Precious Life, one from his 2018 EP (“Taking Time”), two Allman Brothers songs (“Blue Sky” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”), and covers of Neil Young’s “Everyone Knows This is Nowhere” and Chuck Berry’s “Oh Louisiana,” sung by Arevelo. It was a satisfying mix of tunes that gave the audience ample opportunity to appreciate the blend of well-informed artistry and musicianship.
The new songs, co-written with Betts by Stoll Vaughan and produced for the album by Grammy Award-winning producer (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, Red Clay Strays), express a deeper side of Betts than we’ve heard before. He has found the confidence to dig deeper in his lyrics while allowing his guitar to convey emotions at the appropriate moments. “Down to Houston,” featuring a slide intro by Stachela that tells us about life on the road, gets the show off to a fine start. Stachela is a talented player; if you enjoy Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, and other accomplished lead/slide players, you will likely enjoy Stachela who seems quietly confident, not brash or cocky, which fits Betts’ style perfectly. Reportedly, he curates the setlists for each show, and his contributions are featured on the new album.
The rest of the first set consisted of more familiar songs from Betts, including the crowd-pleasing “Blue Sky” (Betts noted fond memories of playing the Narrows Center with his dad’s band) and “Taking Time,” our favorite Duane Betts tune. The end featured an outstanding piano solo by Butler and a dramatic crescendo to close out the set.
The second set was a wonderful blend of new and old. “Heartache” is a raw expression of Betts’ feelings surrounding his dad’s death, featuring his soaring mournful lead at the end. “Best Wishes” showcases Butler’s piano work and Stachela’s uplifting slide playing.
Young’s “Everyone Knows This is Nowhere” was a masterful change of pace, and a great choice to begin our descent toward the show’s triumphant landing. Knowledgeable fans recognized that what initially sounded like improvisation was, in fact, the lead-up to Dickey Betts’ classic “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” which received nearly the full treatment, including a funky drum and bass section featuring Arevelo and Fossett, Jr., who were excellent all night.
Many in the audience (an older, male-dominated crowd) were likely longtime Allman Brothers fans, but it appears many are coming around to enjoying Duane’s music and band for their own merits while still taking a few strolls down memory lane. After they stood and cheered for the band’s fine rendition of “Liz Reed,” Betts and the boys returned for a final encore, “Waiting on a Song” from Wild and Precious Life.
Duane Betts is progressively building a career he can be proud of. Check him out if you can, give his new album Isle of Hope a listen and invite some young friends to listen too.
“Betts is now large and in charge, stepping out front to write, sing, and perform his original music as a bona fide frontman.” – Jim Dorman
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