Duane Betts is currently on the road performing a stripped-back acoustic show, along with Berry Duane Oakley, Johnny Stachela, and special guest Charlie Overbey.
Kicking off the evening in an abundance of style, urban cowboy Charlie Overbey took to the stage. In what was the theme for the evening, Charlie performed a stripped-back set comprising of just himself and his trusty guitar while donning one of his own Lone Hawk Hats. In between songs, Charlie would set the scene, explaining the backstory of each song throughout the set, helping to bring each of them to life. One such example was when his mother would ask him to play a certain song every time he would visit her. He explained that it wasn’t one of his songs. Prior to performing Nail Diamond’s “I Am… I Said,” he joked, “if you don’t recognize the song, I wrote it.”
It was a fun opening set and you can see why Charlie has had the special guest spot for a good number of these shows. His acoustic, one-man performance fits in perfectly with the style and tone of the evening. Judging by the number of people who lined up at the merch table after his set to meet him and be measured for their own Lone Hawk hat, a lot of people were clearly happy to see him on this lineup.
After a short interlude, Duane Betts took to the stage, along with his bandmates from The Allman Betts Band, bassist Berry Duane Oakley and guitarist Johnny Stachela. Simplicity really was a keyword for the evening. The three of them took to their seats with Betts with his acoustic guitar, Oakley with his electric bass, and Stachela with his electric guitar. There were no percussion instruments and no elaborate guitar pedals or effects. Do not be deceived by this description, however, as their sound was anything but lacking with Betts and Stachela frequently playing in unison in the style typical of the Allman Brothers Band. Simple, but very much effective.
It was back in 2018 when Betts released his debut EP, Sketches of American Music. However, hope is in sight for fans desperate for new music, as Betts explained his second solo album will be released early in 2023. To tease the fans just a little, some of the new material was performed to give them a glimpse into what they might expect on the upcoming album.
The majority of the set saw Betts providing the lead vocals, with Oakley taking over occasionally. Betts and Stachela played harmoniously as the acoustic and electric guitars’ sounds perfectly complemented each other.
The set comprised of a mixture of Betts’ solo material as well as songs from The Allman Betts Band. A cover of Grateful Dead’s “Althea” was very well received, as was The Allman Brother’s Band’s “Blue Sky.”
It was an evening filled with beautiful musicianship. The stripped-back approach aided the relaxation of those in attendance, which is exactly what is called for during a mid-week show.DUANE BETTS
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