It is hard to believe that the last time I stepped into Hard Rock, Live was 18 months ago. Walking through those doors and seeing the familiar faces of the bartenders and security folks…well it just felt GOOD. So did seeing all the fans that showed up for one of the first live shows in this venue since “the COVID”. The fans were a mix of old and young, some with masks, some without, many sporting old Allman Brothers Band shirts, excited to see what the sons of the legends were bringing to the table.
But first, we had the distinct pleasure of meeting River Kittens, the first band signed to Devon Allman’s new record label, Create Records. Mattie Schell & Allie Vogler hail from St. Louis, Missouri, and bring with them incredible harmonies mixed with a bluegrass, southern rock, folk, and Americana sound that is uniquely theirs. River Kittens mixes covers of such diverse acts as Bruce Springsteen (“Atlantic City) and The Beastie Boys (“You’ve Gotta Fight”) with original tunes. The toe-tapping “Trouble” made the entire auditorium want to get up and dance (and is still playing in our head!).
The super catchy (and snarky) “Dressing on the Side” pokes fun at all of the ridiculousness that food servers have to deal with from their customers while the more melancholy “Coast to Coast” reveals the loss of innocence and connection that happens to artists when they try to return home after being on the road. The unique sounds of guitar, ukulele, and mandolin along with their playful and comfortable banter between songs made the whole audience feel that we were hanging out with friends – super TALENTED friends. Note to self: Add River Kittens to wife’s playlist NOW!
After a brief interlude and some time to catch up with the locals, the lights went down again and The Allman Betts Band walked on stage. The Allman Betts Band includes the sons of three of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band: Devon Allman – guitar & vocals (son of Gregg Allman), Duane Betts – guitar & vocals (son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Duane Oakley – bass & vocals (son of Berry Oakley). Johnny Stachela – guitar & vocals, John Ginty – keyboards, R. Scott Bryan – percussion & vocals, and John Lum – percussion round out the group. The show started with one of their most recent releases, “Magnolia Road” off of their second studio album, Bless Your Heart released summer of 2020.
Magnolia Road has a familiarity about it, like an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while and it brings with it a pure Southern Rock sound that can’t be denied. This was followed by crowd favorites and Allman Brothers Band covers “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” and the instrumental interlude “Jessica”. Then ABB brought us back from the past and into the Everglades with “Airboats & Cocaine”. One of the most surprising and incredible moments of the night came with a cover of “Purple Rain” and a guitar riff by Devon Allman that would have made Prince proud. While the venue wasn’t near filled to capacity, you wouldn’t know that from the band or the crowd who were drawn in at the first note and spent the evening singing and dancing in the aisles. It was a good night for a Southern Rock Revival and a sound reminder that it is alive and well in 2021.
Enjoy photos from the show.
Hard Rock, Live – Orlando
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Contributor/Photographer: Chris Cornett
