Devon Allman sat down with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen during a rare month off tour. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, the Grammy-nominated singer, guitarist, and songwriter still carries deep Texas roots even though he now calls St. Louis home. “I’m home,” he laughed warmly. The conversation came at the perfect time: Allman is marking two full decades since his first record dropped in August 2006 and his initial national tour. To celebrate, he’s launching the 20 Years Strong Tour, kicking off August 13 in Portsmouth, NH.
This special retrospective show pulls music from across his celebrated career, including his latest release, Blues Summit (featuring an all-star lineup with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray, Sierra Green, and more). It also spotlights work from The Allman Betts Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Honeytribe, Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter’s Rollers, plus classic songs from the Allman Brothers Band catalog.
Allman first gained widespread recognition with Honeytribe and later as co-founder of the acclaimed supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood. Since then, he has built a powerful independent career that honors the traditions of blues and the jam-band world while delivering a modern sound and a distinctly original songwriting voice. With multiple albums and years of global touring, Allman is known for electrifying live performances, top-tier musicianship, and a signature style that blends blues, rock, soul, and improvisation into a distinctly contemporary Southern sound.
In the interview, Allman reflected on the challenge of curating the setlist: “I counted, I think 13 albums that I put out. So I kind of made a personal promise to myself that I would play at least one song off of each record.” That alone gives fans 13 songs, with room for deeper cuts from the more popular records and maybe a cover or two. Shows will run 18 to 22 songs depending on how much jamming breaks out. “Some of this stuff hasn’t really seen the stage,” he said excitedly. Material from Miami Moon (which only toured Europe) and the Ride or Die tour—canceled after both of his parents passed away—will finally get American audiences. Blues Summit tracks will be in heavy rotation as well.
One of the biggest surprises in Allman’s recent output is the instrumental album nightvision (released under the project name Night Vision), a lush, vibey nighttime record that feels like a cinematic sci-fi soundtrack. “It’s very cinematic,” he explained. “My love of sci-fi movies, The Police, The Cure—all those 80s alternative bands soaked in chorus guitars.” He began cutting it during COVID by converting his house into a studio, then spent five years pecking away at it. His son Orion makes his recording debut on synthesizer. True to its mysterious vibe, Allman dropped nightvision with zero fanfare—no big press campaign, no tour. “It’s kind of like if a big-time actor did a little cameo… the right people will find it.” Fans who’ve discovered it have been texting him variations of “Holy shit, what is this?”—exactly the reaction he hoped for.
Allman knew he could sing as early as age five, harmonizing perfectly to the radio while others seemed to go “outside the lines.” Yet like every artist, he battled self-doubt through his teens and twenties. By his mid-20s, he locked in: “I think I have my own style and I think I have something to say.” That grounded perspective informs the advice he gives young musicians (and the ones he signs to his own label): “If you want to be famous, go do something else. Go be an actor.” Real musicianship demands the 10,000 hours—the equivalent of a doctorate in your instrument. “Strive to be the best version of you… and let other people consider you a celebrity because you got good enough to be known.”
He’s lived that truth. In 2010, nearing 38 with slow ticket sales and a stalled album, Allman hit a personal wall. He asked himself the gut-check question: If this never gets bigger—if you’re playing pool halls for 50 people forever—will you still do it? The answer was immediate: yes. He would play anywhere, on any label, or none at all. “When I made peace with that, that’s actually when my career started to pop.” Months later he joined Royal Southern Brotherhood, hit sold-out European theaters, and earned Blues Music Award nominations. It felt like karma rewarding the right intentions.
Allman also shared a fun “Hail Mary” memory with Salfen’s co-host, Dallas Cowboys legend Drew Pearson. As a kid in 1981, Allman rode to his first concert—Cheap Trick—in a pimped-out green conversion van previously owned by Ed “Too Tall” Jones. Years later, Jones attended one of Allman’s Dallas shows, handed him a Super Bowl ring for luck, and reminisced about that very van. Small world moments like that keep the journey magical.
Looking ahead, Allman already has the next three years mapped out like a chess player. But for now, the focus is on giving fans a proper victory lap. “I can’t wait to see what you do next,” Salfen told him. “You’re always full of surprises.”
The 20 Years Strong Tour promises exactly that—a joyful, high-energy celebration of two decades of music that refuses to stand still. All Devon Allman tour dates, including the new “20 Years Strong” dates, are available at devonallmanproject.com.
Whether you catch him in a theater full of thousands or (as he humbly put it) a pool hall with 50 people, one thing is certain: Devon Allman is in it for the music. And after 20 years, that passion sounds stronger than ever.
For tickets and the latest news, visit devonallmanproject.com.
20 Years Strong Tour
8.13.26 – Portsmouth, NH – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues
8.14.26 – Homer, NY – Homer Center for the Arts
8.15.26 – Lake Placid, NY – Songs at Mirror Lake
8.20.26 – Bayfield, WI – Big Top Chautauqua
8.21.26 – Minocqua, WI – Private
8.22.26 – Wausau, WI – Big Bull Falls Blues Fest
8.23.26 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
8.28.26 – Milwaukee, WI – Sharon Wilson Center
8.29.26 – Bean Blossom, IN – Southern Indiana Blues Fest
Devon Allman’s Blues Summit Tour
4.23.26 – Viroqua, WI – The Historic Temple Theatre of Viroqua
4.24.26 – Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theatre
4.25.26 – Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre
4.26.26 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads
4.28.26 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
4.29.26 – Hobart, IN – Art Theater
4.30.26 – Madison, TN – Harken Hall
5.1.26 – St. Louis, Missouri – The Pageant
5.3.26 – Huntsville, AL – VBC Mars Music Hall
5.5.26 – Ponte Vedra, FL – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
5.6.26 – Clearwater, FL – Capitol Theatre
5.7.26 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – The Parker
5.8.26 – Bonita Springs, FL – Arts Bonita
5.9.26 – Ormond Beach, FL – Ormond Beach PAC
5.10.26 – Stuart, FL – The Lyric Theatre
6.10.26 – Paw Paw, MI – Warner Vineyards
6.11.26 – Cincinnati, OH – Ludlow Garage
6.12.26 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage
6.13.26 – Warrendale, PA – Jergels
6.16.26 – Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse
6.17.26 – Newton, NJ – The Newton Theater
6.18.26 – Salisbury, MD – Blue Ocean Music Hall
6.19.26 – Lansdowne, PA – Lansdowne Theater
6.20.26 – Riverhead, NY – Suffolk Theater
