Maybe it was not the southern blues and rock concert of all time, but in Macon, the town The Allman Brothers called home, the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Gov’t Mule concert added a fantastic chapter to the city’s legacy and the fans who attended. After five planned dates, Macon enjoyed an “extra” night before the bands continue on separately, fitting, as both Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks played with ABB together for almost 15 years.
On a perfect fall evening, Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel opened with a five song set that leaned heavily into the Allman guitar sound, as expected for the son of former ABB member Dickey Betts, along with the blues licks of Johnny Stachela. The crowd was not entirely there by the end of their set, but it sounded like it was when the band launched into the familiar notes of the Allman’s “Jessica.”
Son House is not as well known as Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters, but he was a key innovator of the Delta slide guitar technique, with a voice that could easily define the genre. So it was a welcome start to the Mule’s set when the band launched into “Grinning on Your Face.”
You know they will jump you up and down
They will carry you all around and round
Just as soon as your back is turned
They will be trying to crush you down
Yes, but bear this in mind, a true friend is hard to find
This was an event, after all, and mid set George Porter Jr., best known from funk band The Meters, joined the band for a couple of songs, taking the lead in a cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” Soon after, Derek Trucks joined the crew with a fiery contribution to ABB’s “Desdemona,” even offering a grin here and there for the usually unexpressive slide master as he and Haynes traded leads. Maybe there will be video recordings of these moments, but it is another thing entirely to be there and be part of the energy between them and the audience. Two songs later, Susan Tedeschi joined in, taking lead vocals and her turn at the solos.
Setlist:
Tedeschi Trucks started with with “Crazy Cryin’,” a song rumored to be on a forthcoming 2026 album. Their setlist usually hovers around core songs, sprinkling in surprises. For a band that in their collective name or during their individual bands has plenty of material to choose from, they instead reach out more broadly, one would imagine for mood, challenge or the joy of something different. On this night, of their sixteen song set, they covered eight artists, and diverse it was.
Highlights included the appropriately breezy feel-good, “Keep on Smilin'” and John Prines’ “Angel From Montgomery,” a clear reminder that Tedeschi’s soulful voice elevates, or even carries, this talented collective. The highlight of the night, however, had to be “Highway Jam,” featuring a slow, teasing intro from “Pasaquan,” blazing guitars (featuring a welcome return of Warren Haynes) and an outro of “Pasaquan” featuring a drum solo.
The closer, “With a Little Help From My Friends,” pretty well summed up the night. That’s not to say TTB or Govt Mule need help, but they shine brightly when they’re together, and the guesting on each others’ sets was simply how it had to be. The occasion demanded it. This concert captured the full spirit that TTB brings, more lively and engaged than in the past couple years I’ve seen them in Atlanta this time of year. In any of their shows, their mix of blues, rock, soul, and touches of funk and jazz brings Southern soul to the fore, a feeling that is sadly uncommon. Fans everywhere should hope that maybe, just maybe, they will find this mini-tour worth repeating, often.
Setlist:
