Tedeschi Trucks Band Kickoff Three Nights in Boston with 16 Songs

Last updated: 7 Dec 2019, 22:42:05
Published: 6 Dec 2019, 20:54:55
Written by: Hannah Cotter
Photography by: Keith Griner
Tagged: Tedeschi Trucks Band Tedeschi Trucks Band at Orpheum Theatre

Last night, the Tedeschi Trucks Band returned to Boston for its end-of-the-year three-night stint at the Orpheum Theatre.

First up was The National Reserve. The Brooklyn-based quartet warmed up the audience from the freezing, 30 degree weather outside with a 40-minute opening set, kicking off with the boozy and bluesy "Don't Be Unkind" from their 2018 album Motel La Grange. They segued into a thumping blues-track, "Found Me a Woman," before introducing themselves: singer-guitarist Sean Wash, guitarist Jon LaDeau, bassist Matthew Stoulil and drummer Brian Geltner.

The energy from the audience was high, as The National Reserve ended their set with "California," an obvious crowd-favorite, and one of their oldest and most beloved tracks off their 2015 EP Easy Does It.

TTB took the stage a little after 8:30, performing a 16-song set complete with covers, solos and of course, some raucous rock 'n' roll.

The band touts the talents and storied careers of both Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks. Both are stars in their own right, but in this band, Tedeschi is the clear ringleader, and last night she cemented her place on the list of powerful women dominating the rock 'n' roll landscape. She has the stage presence of Stevie Nicks and the vocal prowess of Janis Joplin – in fact, when I was in line getting my ticket, I overheard someone in front of me say Tedeschi is "the closest thing to seeing Joplin."

And it was a special occasion – midway through their set, Tedeschi announced it was she and Trucks' 18th anniversary, and the audience was definitely feeling the love.

The band's latest installment, Signs, gives listeners a much more intimate look at the band's relationship to each other and the world around them, shining the spotlight on Tedeschi's voice with Trucks serving more as a featured soloist. That being said, he certainly doesn't get overshadowed. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen anyone play the guitar quite like him – but what else can you expect from the nephew of Allman Brothers great, Butch Trucks? His explosive – and, at times, hypnotic – soloing made for several highlights throughout the night, as he sprinkled elements of blues, funk and soul into the band's set.

The wife-and-husband duo added their own unique Americana touch to original material and covers alike, supported by the soul grooves of Tyler Greenwall and JJ Johnson (dueling drums), Brandon Boone (bass), Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers and Alecia Chakour (backing vocals) and a killer horn section consisting of Kebbi Williams (saxophone), Ephraim Owens (trumpet) and Elizabeth Lea (trombone).

After kicking off with a pair of Let Me Get By favorites, "Anyhow" and "Just as Strange," Tedeschi stepped aside, and backup singer Mike Mattison took the mic for a rendition of his own "Life is Crazy." With influences ranging from Prince, the Replacements, Hüsker Dü and Soul Asylum, Mattison's growly blues voice is an instrument in itself. But it's one you can tell he's worked tirelessly to perfect.

The band effortlessly segued from a cover of The Beatles' "I've Got a Feeling" into their beloved version of Derek and the Dominos' "Keep on Growing," which included an extended Trucks solo at the beginning. After a piano-driven cover of Elmore James' "Done Somebody Wrong," the group performed originals "It's So Heavy" and "Learned How to Love."

Tedeschi paused to dedicate a cover of Junior Wells' "Little By Little" to Buddy Guy, and said she often played the song growing up in Boston.

Trucks treated the audience to another hypnotic solo leading into "Midnight in Harlem," before closing out the main set with a cover of Little Milton's "More and More" and a soulful and defiant rendition of Billy Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," which quickly transitioned into some hard-charging rock 'n' roll.

The group's jam-heavy encore consisted of "Made Up Mind" and Elton John's gospel-inspired 1970 piece, "Border Song." As the song ended and the singers harmonized, "can we live in peace?" Tedeschi stepped back up to the mic and added in an optimistic, "I hope so."