It was certainly a chilly autumn evening when I arrived to catch the Columbia SC stop on Duane Betts’ Electric Autumn tour. It felt good to be out of the cold and back inside one of my favorite venues, The Senate.
This stop on the tour had Canadian singer/songwriter Lucette as the opening act. If that name rings a bell you may have seen her on tour opening for Sturgill Simpson on his Metamodern Sounds of Country Music tour, or on her headlining tour in support of her most recent album Deluxe Hotel Room.
Lucette took a seat at her electric piano at the middle of the stage and after a little banter with the crowd she started to play and sing. I was taken aback by her rich soulful voice. The crowd banter kept up between songs as she explained that she hopped in the car in Canada and drove all the way to Charleston, SC to play the night before. Lucette was a fitting start to the evening. Her lyrics have a relatable quality, and she sings them with a palpable honesty, even the ones about the gritty parts of the human experience.
Lucette: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Soundcloud / Youtube / Apple Music
If the name Duane Betts sounds oddly familiar it’s because he’s named after Duane Allman, and his father is Dickey Betts, Duane Allman’s band mate in The Allman Brothers Band. Duane cut his teeth sitting in with southern rock legends, and spent a decade playing with his father in his band Great Southern.
Growing up Duane spent time in both Florida and California. Given his roots he has absolutely mastered the southern rock/blues sound. That being said there is a vibe to his music that is distinctly Florida. Toe tapping rhythms, a humming distortion that reminds you of cicadas on a summer night, a bullfrog bass line, and a bright twangy lead guitar come together for that down home juke joint sound that puts electricity in the air and makes your hair stand on end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show! The sounds, and watching everyone interact on stage reminded me of the blues jams that got me started in concert photography. One cheeky highlight to the night was the intro to “Waiting On a Song” I won’t spoil it, but it should give you a chuckle when you put two and two together. Another memorable line came from the encore “Taking Time”. Duane sang “my momma she married a ramblin man, and what you know you don’t understand”. That one really stuck with me.
If you have a chance to catch the Electric Autumn tour you absolutely should. Duane and the band put on an amazing show and I’m looking forward to their upcoming album.
Half Stack Media 