Tedeschi Trucks band in Toronto

[helliott***]

It was as cold and blustery outside as it was hot inside the Danforth Music Hall Tuesday night. Anyone in the area who loves music in a great old venue should try to check this place out. Hadn't been to a show there in 35 years (Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, as I recall), but it remains a very intimate venue, perfectly suited to this sort of show.
The band is big -- I think 11 pieces. Three brass, two vocalists, guitar, bass, keys and two drummers and Susan, plus a percussionist in and out.
Opening was Mike Mattson, who wrote the album hit Midnight in Harlem. Guy's an amazing vocalist, accompanied by two solid guitarists and drums. Very bluesy and stripped down.
The main event was simply one of the best concerts I've seen in recent memory, and I've seen a whole bunch.
First, a note about stereotypes. For years I've heard various people knock Susan Tedeschi, saying she's not that talented, too derivative to Bonnie Raitt, etc. Having now seen her live, I can say for sure that's a crock. She's a great vocalist, at her height right now it seemed to me and my son. And she plays the guitar with real grit, the same sort of unadorned playing you hear from other folks like Jimmy Vaughan. As Derek has said, she plays with the soul of a 400 year old black man. And sing? She has the melodic chops to handle ballady stuff, such as Midnight and Darling Be Home Soon, both of which they performed, plus she has the straight out blues holler to compare to anyone, and I mean anyone, out there today.
The other stereotype is that Derek is a slide player. That's like saying Hendrix played electric blues. He is an off-the-wall nutbag slide player, but he does so much more than that, it's terrible to limit him to comparisons with other slide greats like Landreth. In fact, some of his hottest work was without a slide, although, admittedly, he just drops jaws at times with his slide work. There were about four times during the two-hour plus show that he brought the house to dead quiet, then burned us down. Honestly, it sometimes felt like that stage was ready to levitate if it hadn't been anchored.
Also, he played with a pick for two or so songs, when the band broke down in encore with Sly material like Take You Higher. Obviously wanted that Motown feel you just can't get with fingers only. (Whenever he grabbed one of Susan's picks from her mic stand, they mugged the appropriate dirty looks, goofy smiles etc. )
He didn't use anything other than SGs last night, unlike some of the previous TT band gigs where he's brandished LPs and an Explorer that seems exactly like the one Haynes used in past.
They did all the highlights from their awesome album, Revelator, plus lots of cools covers, including an unexpected and remarkably funky version of the theme song from Midnight Cowboy -- honest.
Susan played her usual guitars, mostly the green Tele. She showed on two or three songs how she is not to be dismissed at all as a blues player. Admittedly though, it must be tough doing call and return with Derek. But she did so, and it was very effective.
Have to say this: Much as the two of them were fantastic in their own rites and together, the high points of the night were when the entire band was on fire. And that was pretty much every available opportunity. Any one of these guys could lead their own band, and many do. Of particular note, the trumpet player (featured in one of the videos linked) and of course, Oteil on the bass. I think he may be the greatest bass player I've seen live, and I don't mean his crazy solos, it's more about what he does with every song, keeping the song nailed down while tossing in gorgeous chords, strange walks, notes from unexpected places in the chord structure. The guy is a total freak, plus he grooves like a madman on stage, and seems to be having so much fun he just elevates everyone.
There were smiles, laughs, jokes and much affection obvious among the band, and by extension the crowd. (We were in the fourth row, slightly left of centre, so saw all the nuances -- even mistakes and their comic aftermath -- that you don't get to see unless you're that close.
I kid you not at all: if you love this sort of roots/blues/funk/R&B soup, get a ticket to see these guys. I paid $75 each for two, and would happily pay double that. They are an outstanding and moving act that should not be missed. I got the typical i-phone video which I will post at some point, but the following two links are to songs they performed, with the quality being much superior to what I got.
There. Review done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhxlQWic5wg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxaineCMv38

[Tig***]

I'd love to see them, but they never toured anywhere close. Excellent review.

[Algonquin]

Ahhh Howie, my old stomping grounds as a young man... great theater and a great area of TO! I saw my first concert there back in '79 when the Police visited at the kickoff of their second album. There's something about that area in the summer as you walk from Broadview towards Pape with all the Greek restaurants with open store fronts letting the sweet smell of souvlaki and gyros waft through the warm night air...

Glad you had a great time... excellent review!

[R_of_G]

Thanks for the review helliott.

I've been a big fan of both Trucks and Tedeschi and have seen them individually. I couldn't agree more with your assessment that both of them are underrated and/or miscategorized. I saw Tedeschi open for Bela Fleck a few years back and she brought the house down. Pigeonholing Trucks as just a slide player is something I notice a lot as well. Yes, he does that exceptionally well, but I'd love to read one piece on Derek that doesn't only refer to his slide playing and compare him to Duane.

I see on their site that they are coming to Clearwater in December so I'm hoping to get a chance to catch that show. If so, I'll be sure to come back to this thread and add my review.

Thanks again.

[helliott***]

Yeah, Algonquin, agree about the Danforth area. Would have loved to enjoy it if we weren't nearly late thanks to the DVP parking lot and pouring rain. Sheesh. RofG, good luck getting out to see the band. They are worth the effort.

[R_of_G]

RofG, good luck getting out to see the band. They are worth the effort.

The tickets are pretty reasonably priced and the venue (Ruth Eckerd Hall) has some of the best sound and sightlines among the small theater venues in the area so I'm hoping to make it happen.

[NWBasser]

Excellent review!

This is one I must see.

I've really been enjoying the album a lot.

[Meritone Music]

excellent band, fantastic guitar player... a must see!

[Tig***]

Just got tickets for a local show in January!
16th row center in a 2400 seat theater, so it should ge a great concert.

[sunvalleylaw]

Great review! I got to seem them a couple summers ago here. I enjoyed Susan's playing every bit as much as Derek's. He is a talent for sure, but her grit and soul really express to me. I also agree with Jayson (R_of_G), that Derek gets too much focus on his slide, and too much comparison to Duane. It would be nice if they could let him be himself. But like how they compare Susan to Bonnie, the press just has to compare Derek to someone I guess. I have been wanting to get the new CD for my wife, but have not found it in any stores that are remotely local. I don't want to download a gift. So I guess to Amazon I go.

[helliott***]

Thanks SVL. Really was a great show. Maybe there's hope for real music these days after all?

[poodlesrule]

I remember reading they didn't tour too far for home (New England, I assume) for a while, as they did not want to be far from their very young kids, so a lot of distant gigs did not happen.

Just yesterday, I caught "Learn to Love" on the radio while driving, and I was grinning the whole time... so much grit there!

[helliott***]

Well, you can never really tell, but from what I could see in the fourth row, they appeared to be very genuine family and folks, and I would choose to believe that they would do that sort of thing about their kids. Maybe it's just a vibe, but that's my take.