Music aficionados converged on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to celebrate the Leap Day under the tutelage of Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, and their combined families, collectively known as the Tedeschi Trucks Band. This behemoth 12-piece band hunkered down on the resplendent Beacon Theatre stage, flanked by twin 30-foot gilded statues underneath a proscenium archway, and dished out two sets of blues, rock, and soul. The son of John Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, sat in during the second set, sharing the spotlight with Tedeschi Trucks Band saxophonist Kebbi Williams.
The night opened with consecutive cuts off 2022’s I Am The Moon. First, a poignant vocal performance from Susan Tedeschi during “Hear My Dear” before Gabe Dixon took over the reins to introduce “Ain’t That Something”. It didn’t take long for the band’s four other singers to join in the harmonies, the horn section to add its brassy flourishes, or Derek Trucks to steal the attention with his mesmerizing slide guitar.
Moving off its latest release briefly, “Laugh About It” filled the spacious venue with a bouncing bassline and hands reaching toward the high heavens. The slow guitar introduction of “I Am The Moon” broke the silence as Derek guided Gabe Dixon and Susan’s vocals alternatively as the song traversed its celestial orbit.
Mike Mattison took lead vocals on the first cover of the night, Taj Mahal’s “Everybody’s Got to Change Sometime” until returning to outer space—and IATM—for “Circle ‘Round the Sun”. After Susan reflected honestly, “It’s great to be back,” the multi-faceted group of singers weaved their voices through a breakdown and into a brassy finish, featuring a frantically bobbing Kebbi. Gabe Dixon blazed the way into Blind Faith’s “Had to Cry Today” before a faceless voice resonated from the house speakers as members of the band left the stage. The half-empty stage, reminiscent of the Fireside Sessions, powered through a closing “Pasaquan”.
This tune seems to be Derek’s personal vehicle—a jam with no true beginning or end, just music, momentum, and a direct conduit to the muses themselves. Gabe, Derek, and bassist Brandon Boone stepped aside to give the drummers Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell and Isaac Eady full control. They danced, dueled, and dissected the beat to its simplest form before the other three musicians jumped back in to finish it together.
After the lights dimmed and announced the end of set break, Susan Tedeschi, Gabe Dixon, and Ravi Coltrane performed an intimate cover of Mike Reid’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” before the rest of the band reappeared onstage for “Soul Sweet Song”. Alecia Chakour stepped to the front of the stage to take lead vocals on Aretha Franklin’s “It Ain’t Fair”, while Susan put down her guitar and joined Mike Mattison and Mark Rivers for backing harmonies. Derek and Kebbi exchanged a call and response and after Alecia had finished, Derek concluded the song with a few more licks. Last night was only the second time this was played after debuting in Atlantic City, NJ last month.
Susan re-equipped her teal Telecaster as Gabe Dixon took lead vocals on “Gravity” and Derek filled in any and all spaces with his slide guitar. Back at the helm, Susan fiercely questioned “Do I Look Worried?” rhetorically before dancing through “Last Night in the Rain”. Derek then ripped an early solo and rifled through the familiar terrain of Derek and the Dominos‘ “Anyday”.
Honoring the advent of March and the numerous Allman Brothers Band residencies that took place at the Beacon, Derek sprinkled in a hefty tease of ABB’s “Blue Sky”. Ravi Coltrane returned to the stage to sit in during an upbeat “Part of Me” as TTB wrapped up the second set with consecutive blues covers. Stepping off during Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers’ “How Blue Can You Get?”, Ravi joined the band once again to conclude the second set as a 12-piece band during Billy Taylor’s “I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)”. Mike Mattison took the lead vocals for the first half, and Susan for the second half of the song, but Mark Rivers and Alecia Chakour had the final say.
Tedeschi Trucks Band presented a solo encore, Bill Withers’ “I Wish You Well”, a thunderous singalong, for only the third time ever. TTB headlines two more nights at the Beacon Theatre this weekend. With March now upon us, it is most appropriate that an Allman Brother performs at the Beacon Theatre. More to follow, don’t be late. Check out some fan-shot videos below along with a gallery of images from photographer Otis Sinclair.
Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Hear My Dear” – 2/29/24
[Video: sgibson808]
Setlist: Tedeschi Trucks Band | Beacon Theatre | New York, NY | 2/29/24
Set One: Hear My Dear, Ain’t That Something, Laugh About It, I Am the Moon, Everybody’s Got to Change Sometime (Taj Mahal), Circles ‘Round the Sun, Had to Cry Today (Blind Faith) > Circles ‘Round the Sun, Pasaquan
Set Two: I Can’t Make You Love Me (Mike Reid) [1], Soul Sweet Song, It Ain’t Fair (Aretha Franklin), Gravity, Do I Look Worried, Last Night in the Rain, Anyday (Derek and the Dominos) [2], Part of Me [1], How Blue Can You Get? (Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers), I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free) (Billy Taylor) [1]
Encore: I Wish You Well (Bill Withers)
[1] w/ Ravi Coltrane
[2] w/ “Blue Sky” tease
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