If you have been watching what is happening in Southern rock right now, Duane Betts is a name you already know. If you have not — Saturday, April 25 at UB Center for the Arts in Buffalo is exactly the right place to get acquainted.
Betts carries one of the most storied bloodlines in American music. Son of legendary Southern rock guitarist Dickey Betts, and named after late Allman Brothers icon Duane Allman, he started performing professionally at 16 — including Woodstock ’94 alongside his father. He spent nearly a decade touring with Dickey Betts & Great Southern, then co-founded the Allman Betts Band in 2018 with Devon Allman, keeping that legacy alive for a new generation.
His 2023 album Wild & Precious Life was a statement. The April 25 show is about what comes next. Isle of Hope — due June 12 on Sun Records, recorded with 13-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb — has the band road-testing new material live. The single “Heartache,” written after his father Dickey’s 2024 passing, is the kind of song that lands differently in a room. “Down to Houston” is worth knowing before you walk in the door.
Palmetto Motel brings the full package: Johnny Stachela on guitar and vocals, Pedro Arevalo on bass, Vincent Fossett Jr. on drums, and Max Butler on B-3 organ.
Opening the night is Wilson & Walsh — vocalist Samoa Wilson, whose voice The New York Times called “sweet, effortless, old-timey,” alongside guitarist/vocalist Sean Walsh, who brings punk and Americana roots to the pairing. Country-folk to set the room, Southern rock to close it out.
About the Venue
The Mainstage Theatre at UB Center for the Arts seats 1,748 — a full-scale university performing arts center on the University at Buffalo campus. It is built for productions at this level. If you are making the trip in from anywhere east across the region, a Saturday night show here is worth building your evening around. Check ubcfa.org for campus directions and parking details specific to the UB North Campus.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 day-of show. UB faculty, staff, and students save $5 per ticket with a valid UB ID — up to six tickets per person, VIP excluded. Grab them at ubcfa.org, through Ticketmaster, or by calling the UBCFA Ticket Office at 716-645-6915. Showtime: 7:30 PM.