Tune In Turn On
By Doug Deutsch
Southern rock has always been popular here at the Jersey Shore, with the legendary Allman Brothers Band first performing during the height of their popularity at Steel Pier in 1971.
Fast forward to 2024: Tony Mart promoters Carmen and Nancy Marotta brought Devon Allman, the living legacy of Southern rock (he’s Gregg Allman’s son) to Atlantic City Aug. 7 as part of their terrific summer-long Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk concert series, which happens every Wednesday night at Kennedy Plaza under the stars, directly across from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
As can happen during the summer, the weather didn’t cooperate, forcing Carmen and Nancy to move the Devon Allman Project/Billy Walton Band twin-bill to The Claridge Hotel’s Celebrity Theatre.
The logistics of moving a show production where 350 or so people were in attendance from one venue to another – with only a few hours to make the change – was a daunting task, but Carmen and his team pulled it off.
We caught up with Devon prior to the show, and he displayed the fine manners Southerners have long been known for.
Once Allman hit the stage, after a solid opening set by the Billy Walton Band, the capacity crowd was treated to approximately 90 minutes of the Devon Allman songbook, a fast-moving, 12-song set which included spot-on versions of Allman Brothers Band classics “Midnight Rider,” “One Way Out,” and “Dreams.”
Allman, who stays busy touring the entire year with not only the Devon Allman Project, but also the annual Allman-Betts Family Revival tour, is also scheduled to drop a new record, “Miami Moon,” this fall. In short, Allman is one busy musician.
Curious as to how someone like Allman gets to play all these great gigs and who guides his continuously busy career? May we introduce Rueben Williams, music manager extraordinaire and proprietor of Thunderbird Management, whose clients include one of the hottest female guitar players in the rock/blues world today, Samantha Fish; octogenarian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux; Louisiana blues guitarist Tab Benoit; and Allman, to name a few.
Williams was in attendance for the Devon Allman show, and will also be back in AC when Fish, who recently opened for The Rolling Stones and was praised on social media for her performance by Mr. Mick Jagger himself, performs on the Boardwalk Aug. 28, with openers Reverend Billy C. Wiurtz and The Nighthawks.
“The evening was highlighted by Devon’s performance of his father’s famous ‘Midnight Rider’ and for the first time, one of the most important roots rock/blues entertainment managers in the country, Rueben Williams of Thunderbird Management, was in the crowd, delighted with the magical excitement and world-class production,” said Carmen Marotta.
“Rueben is looking forward to another one of his artists, Samantha Fish, one of the hottest blues rock divas in the world today, having recently performed with The Rolling Stones, as she will appear at Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk Wednesday Aug. 28 at Kennedy Plaza in Atlantic City. Everyone should bring their festival chairs and their dancing shoes as that three-hour concert, including the legendary Nighthawks and the Reverend Billy C. Wirtz, may be the biggest free Boardwalk concert in years.”
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug also hàs experience writing for the one time shore-based weekly publication, Whoot! He also was a team member with Chip Braymes Advertising. Doug loves bicycling and aspires to bring the Blues to Atlantic City. He can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com and www.facebook.com/dougdeutschpublicity.
