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Enter Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, it’s ornate masonic heritage the long serving showcase for the city’s events, and find The Tedeschi Trucks Band’s stage decorated with faux-chandeliers and drapes. Classy, those, changing colors with the moods throughout the night, and covering a broad stage for the band’s final 12-member show of their “Deuces Wild” tour.
The evening began with high spirits, the band visibly happy to be there, but more importantly with some peppy starters, especially “Got My Mo-Jo Working.” You quickly get to hear what two drummers, three backup singers, a three piece brass group, keyboards, bass, and two legendary blues guitarist might have in store for evening.
It was that and more. The backup singers, including keyboardist Gabe Dixon, weren’t there to supplement the band’s sound. Each would have their moments as lead vocalists, demonstrating that each could carry their own band. Tedeschi and Trucks have a high bar for talent.
And more still. Their cover of Prince’s “1999” was a slow-paced doozy that served as a test of recognizing a lyric when the music sounds little like it. “I Want More” featured T&T trading licks before ultimately yielding to Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice.” Derek exited the stage for “Angel From Montgomery,” leaving Susan to handle the vocals and guitar. No rhythm guitar was needed here, as the song highlighted how a great and nuanced singer she is. The Dead’s (or Jerry, whatever) “Sugaree” followed, clearly a crowd favorite even for a crowd that remained standing throughout the show.
Allman Brothers fans wouldn’t be disappointed this night. Of four ABB songs, “Come and Go” stood out for its lively brass section, and an 11-minute rendition of “Dreams” was pure blues guitar bliss, Trucks’ solo and slide mastery exactly what his fans hope for as part of a set.
After two lengthy sets, why not an encore? What the heck, let’s make it four and close out this whole 12 member band tour with an extra oomph. The Allman’s brief instrumental, “Little Martha,” was a great start, with just the brevity suggesting a lot more was to come from this group. Enter, “Midnight in Harlem” from the pair’s debut album, a slow builder that extended into an 11 minute band showcase. “Sing a Simple Song” and closer “I Want You to Take Me Higher” cashed in on the talent on stage, both showcasing the background singers, the latter getting a lot of audience shouts as well.
Tedeschi and Trucks are masters of blues based rock, and this concert was a masterclass in how to mix up styles, emotions, and musical interplay. It was really a fantastic set that kept the crowd to the end.
Final note: A couple questions remain. How do two drummers who have different styles complement each other and set such a sweet, groovy vibe throughout the night?. And how does a band who significantly changes their setlist each night launch seamlessly from one song to another without a setlist anywhere on the stage?
More photos below.
Set 1:
Set 2:
Encore:
