Ravinia 2025 Issue 1

PAVILION 7:00 PM THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND † and THE RECORD COMPANY † The Record Company –Intermission– The Allman Betts Band † Ravinia debut THE RECORD COMPANY When The Record Company pick up their instru- ments, members Chris Vos (guitar, harmonica, lead vocals), Alex Stiff (bass, backing vocals), and Marc Cazorla (drums, backing vocals) cre- ate a musical back-and-forth like a conversa- tion among siblings. The Grammy-nominated trio amplified that bond over loose, bluesy gui- tar leads, airtight drum grooves, thick bass, and vividly evocative lyrics on 2023’s The 4th Album , their debut on Round Hill Records. They’ve ex- perienced everything like a family since forming the group in 2011. Along the way, they’ve served up their tested-and-proven epics on three other albums, beginning with Give It Back to You in 2016. The release earned a Grammy nomination as Best Contemporary Blues Album and featured the single “Off the Ground,” which topped the AAA radio charts and has tallied some 40 million streams and counting. In addition to a string of late-night television appearances, they performed on CBS This Morning , at Bonnaroo, and an extensive tour with John Mayer, also headlining many shows coast to coast. They maintained the momentum with 2018’s All of This Life and 2021’s Play Loud , earning praise from American Songwriter , Classic Rock , and NPR. Afterward, the guys hunkered down for what would become their fourth LP. Working out of an inti- mate home studio in Beachwood Canyon, they wrote, recorded, and self-produced the music—outside of cutting drums at the legendary Sunset Sound, it proved to be a homegrown affair through and through. “We got back to our old perspective, which is to trust the idea, get out of the way, make some- thing, listen, and respond to it,” says Vos. “We decided to record the organic thing,” Stiff elaborates, “what got us really excited to play music as a band in the first place, keeping it as close to a three-piece sound as possible. It’s a return to form in a way, but we’re still growing.” “We’re a trio, and that’s the completion of this circle,” Cazorla concludes. “The fourth member of this group is the space between us. We embrace that space as part of the raw element. That’s what we explored on this album, and it’s beautiful. We can’t wait to bring it on the road.” The Record Company is making its Ravinia debut. THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND Individually, they’re Devon Allman and Duane Betts, two solo artists and modern-day guitar heroes who’ve both spent years creating their own version of American roots music. Together, they’re the leaders of The Allman Betts Band, a supergroup anchored by sharp songwriting, fi- ery fretwork, and a historic legacy. Inspired by the classic sounds of the group’s family tree, The Allman Betts Band makes timeless rock and roll for the modern world, blurring the boundaries between blues, Americana, and Southern soul. Over the course of the critically acclaimed stu- dio albums Down to the River (2019) and Bless Your Heart (2020), hundreds of live shows, and annual performances of the all-star Allman Bet- ts Family Revival, The Allman Betts Band has established its own legacy of music and broth- erhood. Devon and Duane first met as chil- dren in 1989, when their fathers—keyboardist Gregg Allman and guitarist Dickey Betts, both co-founders of The Allman Brothers Band— brought their boys on tour for the group’s 20th anniversary tour. “When you grow up on tour like that, it connects you at a young age,” Duane says. “From that point on, we knew we were family. Even though we never lived in the same city, we always had that bond.” In late 2017, Dev- on and Duane found themselves onstage at the Fillmore in San Francisco. “That night would’ve been my father’s 70th birthday,” Devon recalls, “so I put together a one-off concert to celebrate his life and his music. Duane joined me for some songs. Our families had been intertwined for years, and we always knew we might form a band at some point in our lives. That show proved we had the chemistry to do it.” The two songwriters played more than 100 shows across 2018; writing new songs in hotel rooms and tour bus lounges, they created their own version of the soulful, guitar-fueled music they’d grown up loving. The Allman Betts Band returned to the road in 2023, ready to start a new chapter with an expanded lineup—featuring guitarist John- ny Stachela, bassist Justin Corgan, keyboardist John Ginty, percussionist/saxophonist David Gomez, and drummers John Lum and Alex Or- bison—carving out a contemporary soundtrack for the American South, blurring the lines be- tween genres along the way. The Allman Betts Band is making its Ravinia debut. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 6 – JUNE 15, 2025 72