The Allman Betts Family Revival Tour Brings the Nostalgia Home
— by Carrie Zukoski
The Allman Betts Family Revival originally began as a one-off concert in 2017 at San Francisco’s The Fillmore to celebrate what would have been the late Gregg Allman’s 70th birthday. Fast forward to November 29, 2025, the Revival kicked off their ninth annual tour on this wintry Saturday night at The Factory in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield.
As the lights lowered just after 8 p.m., an instrumental version of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music piped in so the crowd could settle in as Allman Betts Band, fronted by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, plus members (several who hail from St. Louis) and some of the guest musicians (such as North Mississippi Allstars’ Cody Dickinson) began to take the stage and quickly dug into “Hot “Lanta.” Performing to an all-seated crowd made up mainly of children of the ’50s and ’60s, the two-plus-hour concert, divided into two sets plus an encore, was full of classic southern rock fan favorites and deep cuts from The Allman Brothers Band as well as a few other covers.
This night proved to be just as much fun for the fans as it was for the musicians. Nearly every song brought out a new mix of guest performers, such as Wet Willie’s Jimmy Hall on “Statesboro Blues” and others. Judith Hill showcased her gorgeous vocals on “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” and St. Louisans Mattie Schell and Abby Stahlschmidt shone on “Come and Go Blues.” Who else showed up on stage on this magical night? Amanda Shires, Luther Dickinson, and another St. Louisan, Guns ’N’ Roses (plus Psychedelic Furs) guitarist Richard Fortus. With so many musicians, it’s possible we’ve missed mentioning one or two and regret leaving anyone out.
Musicians effortlessly wove on and off stage throughout the night. Some greeted the crowd while others dove straight into the songs. During the second set, Allman shared a brief story he remembered about his dad phoning him, “we called it the AT&T mix as dad held the phone up to the speaker so I could hear,” as the seated musicians launched into an acoustic version of “Seven Turns.”
The night ended with a true revival feeling—with all the guests on stage, melding their talents for a rousing performance that had the entire room on their feet for “Midnight Rider.”
The intense 20-city, 24-day tour criss-crosses the U.S., ending on December 21 in San Francisco. This concert is the perfect warm glow needed for the season and is a must-see.
Find all photos from the night here: https://bit.ly/Revival25cz
Allman Betts Family Revival St. Louis setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-allman-betts-band/2025/the-factory-chesterfield-mo-734302a9.html
