This one's a little confusing. The Allman Betts Band! They're playing Thursday in the Garde Arts Center!

Just to make sure you know, this is NOT Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts — and not just because Gregg is dead. The two founding members of the Allman Brothers hardly spoke for 25 years, so we have to look elsewhere for an explanation.

What happened is that Gregg's son, guitarist/vocalist Devon Allman, joined forces with Dickey's son, guitarist Duane Betts, and then THEY joined forces with Berry Duane Oakley, the bass-playing son of late Allman Brothers Band co-founding bassist Berry Oakley, Sr.

The important thing to know is that these scions of Southern rock royalty are sufficiently gifted unto themselves and have filled out the unit with similarly talented musicians. They're happy to pepper their setlists with plenty of tunes from the ABB catalog, which is only fair because they're pushing those family names.

But know this: the Allman Betts Band has its own album out, too. It's called "Down to the River," and, while they're very much working the mostly tired vein of Southern rock, it's also a new generation and they have some very good songs — "Autumn Breeze," where Betts the Younger beautifully channels the Old Man in "Elizabeth Reed" fashion, and Allman the Younger's lovely "Southern Accents." It should all work competitively when they hit the Garde stage, and it'll be more than just a celebration of the past. 

The Allman Betts Band, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $29-$49; (860) 444-7373, gardearts.org.