Devon Allman's Honeytribe

Rock ‘n’ roll sure ain’t what it used to be. Once upon a time — the late ‘60s, to be precise — it was more about the music, and the vibe, than the image or the number of records sold. Meet singer and guitarist Devon Allman, the son of one of that era’s great movers and shakers. With his band Honeytribe, he’s taking the time-tested musical approach of the Allman Brothers — Daddy Gregg and Uncle Duane — that the music definitely comes first. “I grew up on the Rolling Stones, Santana and other amazing bands that played from the heart and soul,” he says. “When I turn on the radio, I hear a lot of suit-and-tie guys putting their sauce on those artists.” Allman has no use for fakers and imitators. Alongside Gov’t Mule, the North Mississippi All-Stars and yes, the Allman Brothers Band (still fronted by Devon’s father), Honeytribe is one of the country’s premiere jam bands — a group that finds an onstage groove and stays with it, regardless of song length or structure. Just like it used to be. Honeytribe, which includes bassist George Potsos, drummer Mark Oryarzabal and keyboard player Jack Kirkner, is a blues/rock band that incorporates elements of the old Allman Brothers sound — Hammond B3 organ, Latin-flavored percussion and growly vocals cut from the bluesman’s cloth. Allman writes most of the band’s material, although they also pepper their sets with covers, from Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” to Eric Clapton’s “Bell Bottom Blues.” For Devon Allman, the ultimate compliment people pay is to tell him he’s doing all right by Gregg and Duane. “Not a night goes by,” he says, “without a comment like, ‘I believe in rock ‘n’ roll again’ or ‘I listened to the Allman Brothers Band the last 20 years, and I’m going to listen to you for the next 20 years.’”