Playing to a sold-out amphitheater on a sun-splashed night, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks led their jam-driven band through a guitar-fueled evening.
Powerful Pair: Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks on stage at Meijer Gardens on Thursday night. (Photo/Anna Sink)
By David Specht
LocalSpins.com
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The Tedeschi Trucks Band temporarily moved Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park from the “Winter Water Wonderland” state to the “Sunshine State” on Thursday.
With an energetic performance, the Florida-based band and its opening act, Amy Ray – best known as half of the Grammy-winning folk-rock duo Indigo Girls ¬– delivered a show that matched the welcome sunny weather.
In the midst of an international tour, Tedeschi Trucks Band brought with them an abundant supply of energy to accompany their endless stash of instruments, from flutes to dual drum sets.
The husband-wife collaboration, backed by a nine-member family of musicians, most of whom were involved in the couples’ other projects, opened with “Misunderstood” off of their 2013 sophomore album, “Made Up Mind,” giving nearly every instrumentalist on stage a chance to shine.
Throughout the two-hour set, the group went back and forth between their sophomore release and their 2011 debut album, “Revelator.”
Part of the enthusiastic crowd on Thursday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Tracks such as “Until You Remember” once again allowed for the attention to heavily shift toward other band members, such as Kofi Burbridge and his skills on the keys. Upbeat and soulful, “Part of Me” not only doubled the number of people dancing by time Trucks had strummed the first few riffs, but also highlighted the horn section, notably trumpeter Maurice Brown.
Dipping into some unreleased material, the band shared its version of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” which hardly borrowed anything more than the lyrics, incorporating TTB’s signature style and even a few fast-paced trumpet solos by Brown.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
– Kebbi Williams’ fierce solos on the saxophone. Wildly fluctuating between highs and lows, almost spastic in nature.
– Mike Mattison absolutely nailing it whenever he took lead vocals.
– “Bound for Glory” not only allowing for Trucks to once again demonstrate his incredible technical proficiency as a guitarist, but also showcasing Tedeschi’s ability to truly howl the blues.
Trucks and Tedeschi (Photo/Brian Haik)
While a sizable chunk of the audience was clearly eager to beat the inevitable post-concert traffic, the bulk of the crowd remained after the final song, chanting in hopes of an encore.
Within minutes, the entire 11-piece ensemble answered the crowd’s cheers, dropping “Idle Wind” off of their sophomore album, which featured stellar dueling drum solos from drummers Tyler Greenwell and J. J. Johnson, as well as some unexpected sounds from Burbridge on the jazz flute.
If there was one act fit to ready the crowd for what was to come during the sold-out show’s main performance, it was Ray. While the singer-songwriter is most recognized for her punk-influenced albums, raw country is what this Georgian – and self-admitted Derek Trucks fan – brought to the table for her opening performance, showing off a handful of tracks from her latest release, “Goodnight Tender.”
“It’s an honor to open for Derek and Susan,” said Ray, who was backed by a five-person ensemble equipped with an impressive variety of string instruments. “I’ve been following Derek since he was 16, and he has been such an inspiration to me.”
One tune that struck a chord with the audience was Ray’s closing song, a dedication to one of the Allman Brothers titled, “Duane Allman.”
“This song not only goes out to Duane, but it goes out to Derek as well.”
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Photos by Anna Sink (Derek Trucks photos by Brian Haik)
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music
Cover songs worth a mention are Derek & the Domino’s “Keep On Growing” and Joe Cocker’s “Space Captain.” Both very excellent versions.