Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks jointly front and run the incredible Tedeschi Trucks Band. The post-pandemic version of TTB rolled into West Palm Beach in November, and we caught them at the beautiful Kravis Center. Jonathan and Sarah flew in, and we had a great night of food, friends and music.
It was Florida in November, and there is no better place to be. We met up with J and S and had a fun dinner, catching up on all the things that were going on in our respective worlds. We then strolled to the theater from dinner - downtown WPB is compact and things are close. We had been to the Kravis Center before to see a Second City comedy show, but had never seen live music there. The theater is comparatively new, and doesn't have the history or decorative elements of the Beacon, Warner or other older venues. But it's really beautiful, with lots of polished wood, and the acoustics are top-flight. It's nice. TTB has made a career of playing theaters, and I totally get what they're doing. These venues have large stages and backstages that allow for big touring acts. They also allow for larger crowds than small clubs. Most of them are really beautiful, too, something that no basketball or hockey arena can approach. And while they are somewhat large, they are still intimate and there usually isn't a bad seat in the house. Did I say seats? Yes, and for a band like TTB that attracts a multi-aged crowd, seats can be important. Helen loves getting a seat (even if she doesn't like always sitting in it when the band is playing). I still prefer clubs that are SRO, but must admit that they can be tiring if there are multiple acts performing. Regardless, we've seen TTB in multiple theaters (Ryman, Warner, Met, and now Kravis), and I've enjoyed both the band and the theater experience every time. It's a keeper.
So who is TTB? In 2008, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks both had successful solo careers, but decided to throw in together and form TTB in 2010. The married couple gathered a really strong backup band that, right from the start, featured a double drummer lineup that allows the band to be a super powerful live act. They added keys, backup singers, bass, and a full horn section. It's a 12-person band that packs a huge punch, and ventures into blues-based music, gospel, and jazz. If you think they're the righteous heirs to the Allman Brothers Band, you are partially correct, but it's also a different sound due to the horns and backup singers. Regardless, they have become relentless on the road playing about 200 shows per year and have also put out 5 studio albums. If you want more, check out their website for the "official" bio:
https://www.tedeschitrucksband.com/about
I'm a fan, but Jonathan is a superfan. He's seen them a ton of times, and I swear they know him. It's great going to a show with someone who can identify all of their cover songs (and TTB does a ton of great covers), fill you in on the band members and their histories, knows the best places to sit - you know, the front row - and otherwise has genuine enthusiasm that manifests itself by bringing everyone into it in a big way. The band was cooking this night. Susan came out in a sharp red dress and got right down to business. She has a great blues voice, and her emotional command of the songs is a huge attribute to the delivery by the band. Derek still has the pulled back ponytail, and was sporting the latest fashion looks from Bass Pro Shops. But man, can that dude play a guitar! Susan is quite capable on the guitar, too, and she gets her solos, but Derek is a virtuoso. And unlike many guitar heroes, he isn't constantly switching instruments. He plays a Gibson SG. Jonathan said he switches his guitar for just one song, but otherwise, he sticks to the SG. Whatever, it works for him. He rips and slides and has an amazing sense of when to let it ride and when to kick it in the ass. And the rest of the band is fine-tuned, too. When you have a 12 person band playing every night, you have to gather an ensemble that can listen to each other, rehearse and jam well together, and compensate for each other's strengths and weaknesses. Heck, it's just difficult keeping that many personalities in line, let alone doing it night-after-night and achieving musical success. Want a taste? I love this track, it rocks, but it also features just about everything great about the band - a sassy Susan vocal, a great Derek solo, and the power of the backing band in all respects. Did they play that song? Funny you should ask. I don't need to link to setlist.fm this time. We had the setlist and you can see it all in its glory: To Sarah's dismay, they did play Midnight in Harlem. It's a good track, but I guess when you hear it over and over live, you yearn for something different. Nonetheless, you can see that it was a strong set. I got some pretty good pictures this night, too. Here are a couple that you might like: Can someone please explain to me why lighting guys love red lights so much? I think they muddy the stage, they're terrible for pictures, and they give off a weird glow on people's skins. Alas, I guess we're stuck with them, but I really prefer the blues and whites. Getting back to TTB, they played a lengthy set (oftentimes, they will play 2 sets), and the crowd came away satiated. And even though it was performed in the Free State of Florida, people had to show vax cards to get in. There was also supposed to be a mask requirement, but what's the point if everyone is vaxed? Anyway, no one was hassling people about the masks, and that was a step in the right direction IMO. I've got a couple more pics to share, and then I'm outta here. If you get a chance to see TTB, I think you'll come away impressed. They jam frequently, but it's not a Phish concert where each song takes 25 minutes. The band's jams are used to highlight the power and musicality of the band, and to enhance the strength of the songs. It's the right mix. Hey rockers, in the words of Weezer, it's time I got back to the good life, and that means more postings on BRP. Tell your friends to check in every now and again. I've got a slew of shows to write about, and I've been collecting other things over the pandemic to share with you. Get out there and go for it!
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I've set up a video account with Rumble.com to get away from the YouTube censors. I'm trying to get a recent video uploaded from Rumble. Hang with me while I experiment. Nope, didn't work. Well, since you looked, I linked to a song by The Men that I've been stuck on lately. Want another one? How about this incredible track by Ought. It will worm it's way in - if you have the patience to let it, haha. Well, how good is that?
OK, my Rumble experiment didn't work. I'll have to figure it out. Hang with me. The upside is that I've loaded a ton of pictures and videos onto my laptop, and now I'm posting again. I'm going to get into this again, big time. I've got a lot to say! See you later. Arches National Park. Nice place, but IMO, a bit ... overrated. The pictures do it justice. It's cool, but the crowds are big and the scenery is pretty much what the pictures say it is. Not to say it's bad. Just not as awesome as I thought it would be. The Susquehanna River outside of Williamsport, PA. Very nice and picturesque East Coast scenery. Williamsport would be nice except it seems to have an opiod problem. But it's a nice place to hang out and hike for a day or two.
Just talking to myself again. I don't know why I've neglected BRP this summer, but it's painfully obvious that I basically took the entire summer off. Excuses? You want 'em? How about: it's COVID time and no one can keep track of it? Nah, that doesn't work. How about: I'm a lazy sod and just didn't find the time or energy to do it? Yeah, that's about it. I've been busy. I'm a COVID survivor (it wasn't a very big deal for me) and a vaccinated dude, too. With that, and my reluctance to follow rules, I was out and about. Yep, made it to Colorado for a week, which was great. Went to Florida, too, which you know I love (best governor EVER down there). I hung out in the Adirondacks. And I also spent some time in Philly, including moving from the old homestead to swanky new digs, which are working out great. It was a good time, and I'll share pictures next time. But I also went to see some live music. Yeah, I went to HoagieNation in Philly at the Mann. Saw Hall and Oates, Squeeze, the Wailers and Kool and the Gang. Was it fun? Oh yeah. Was the music great? Some of it for sure, and that that wasn't great was good. Did I wear a mask? What do I look like, a geek? Anyway, we were with friends and I didn't get very close to the stage and actually sat in seats for most of the time. End result is that I didn't get good pictures, but I do have some good songs to share. Ready? Marley is dead, Bunny Wailer may be, too. Peter Tosh is baked. But a band called the Wailers still tour, and they are a good cover band of Marley tunes. Don't believe me? Then don't watch that video. Here's a song with very few words, but they're repeated over and over and the groove just goes. I love it. I sang like crazy during this track by Kool and the Gang. It's an old tune, but so what? It's great. I really enjoyed these guys. I love Squeeze. I think I've seen them every decade since the 70s, and they still have it. A great set, no bullshitting just music, and they're still in great voice. I don't know why these guys are not on the Mt. Rushmore of pop-rock all-stars, but they are in my personal Mt. Rushmore. Someone tell Daryl Hall that he's in his mid-70s and not a sex symbol anymore. Oh, and that his ego needs to be checked at the door. Other than that, these Philly guys have a huge catalog of hits and played many of them for an adoring crowd. They did play some odd choices - c'mon, just play the hits - and a bad cover. But when they went with one of the songs that got them into the R 'n' R Hall of Fame, it was magic. Hey, I didn't get a hoagie and the bathroom and beer lines were ridiculous, But the Mann is a great music venue and the weather was so choice. All in all, another fabulous night in one of America's great cities. I've got more and I enjoyed writing this post. I'll be back! I have to apologize to you. I've been caught up in a bunch of stuff and I've completely neglected BRP. I need to make it up to you, so instead of one song of the day, I'm going to give you three - maybe even more if you've been good. After all, it's a long weekend, right? And it's Memorial Day, a day that we need to remember and acknowledge those service members who never made it home. They were off defending our freedom - let's make sure that their sacrifice was worth it. Let's go already! Here's the freedom song: I'm not a huge Elton John fan, but anybody that celebrates Philadelphia Freedom is ok by me. How about something more summer-y? I thought you would never ask. I'll start with the Undertones and their great song about impending summer, and then I'll throw in a bonus track for you. Did you know that I used to be a huge skateboarder? It's true, and surfing / skateboarding are kissing cousins. I love The Endless Summer - great movie. One last theme. Have you noticed a bunch of articles lately about UFOs? If not, go and look. Apparently, something is happening. It's weird that bands have spent time thinking about spacemen and UFOs, but they have. Here are two tracks to prove the point. First up, it's the Killers - can you tell that they're from Las Vegas? Next up, it's Graham Parker. I love the Squeezing Out Sparks album, and this is one of the tracks from that classic. It's campy and fun. With that, it's time to hit Area 51 and enjoy the loooooong weekend. I hope that you have a good one and that the weather report is wrong as usual (well, at least for those hanging in Philly). Hey all, been busy and haven't posted in a while. I listened to this song while I drove into work today - I was just in Colorado, so it seems appropriate. Enjoy and I'll be back soon with something more substantial. Does that look nice to you? I like it. It's the beach in Boca Raton, where yours truly spent a lot of time during COVID. Here's a weird thing: I love the beach and have traveled often to enjoy it as a vacation. But since I'm in Florida a lot now, I go all the time, and it's just part of the rhythm and routine of daily life in the Sunshine State. Not so much vacation anymore, but just a high-level pleasure that I get to enjoy on a daily basis. And this ain't the mid-Atlantic, with boardwalks, tattoos and brown water. This is palm trees, snorkeling crystal clear water, and big-city amenities. So when you live in paradise and a place that counts as vacation for most of the nation, where do you go on vacation? How about Colorado? Yup, I'm going to the Rockies. I'm really looking forward to it, too. We're going to be in Denver for a while, and then off to western Colorado to see some red rocks at Colorado National Monument. Who knows what else we'll do, but I do like those big wide-open spaces and huge skies. I don't know if you read about COVID much, but I occasionally dabble. I'm in Team Reality, if that makes any sense to you. In other words, I'm not all that freaked out about it and have been living my life. Now, I can't do it the way I would like to do it because a bunch of venues are shut down, etc., but I'm doing my part to bring normalcy back. You just don't know what is going to happen, and hey, you only have one day, maybe even just one moment, that you are guaranteed. It's a once in a lifetime thing - go for it! How goofy is that video? I read Chris Frantz's take on the Talking Heads early in the lockdowns, and he seemed happy about how his life developed, but he is not necessarily a big David Byrne fan. Isn't that interesting? The book has a lot of stories that are worth recounting, but it's not particularly well written and it's like a written Twitter account - full of name dropping and that kind of thing. But it's the rock 'n' roll life and you know that's a life on the wild side. NYC. Anyone really missing it? It's a special place, but when I think "man, here's what I want to do post-lockdown," going to NYC isn't one of the things that pops into my mind. Until it fully recovers, you get all the bad without all of the good, and there's just too much bad for me to overlook. Crowds, crime, litter, yuk. But getting back to the last video, I'm not sure why, but I always link this next song with Walk on the Wild Side. I was with some friends last night, and they reminded me that the first concert we saw together was the English Beat and the Beat. How cool is that? I recently linked to an EB song, so I'm going to focus on the Beat. Paul Collins! How good is this song? What? You want to hear some other new wave song? How about the second one? Love it! Yeah, I'm ready for some vacation. Get away from my routine, get away from work, and enjoy my life for a week. I'll think of some things to bother you with and make sure I post some photos so that you can think "crap, why am I sitting on this stupid Zoom call when I could be out there enjoying life?" We all need that, brother. I'm going to leave you with a cheesy band, but a very good song by them. Made for TV? You bet. Good song? That, too. Enjoy. I don't know what it is, but I keep coming up with bands that I want to see live in 2021. Not 2022, but 2021. Why the hell not? Vaccines are plentiful, tons of people have their shots or will have them by Memorial Day, and what is the point of getting a vaccine if you can't go out and live your life? Let's face it, we're all taking a risk having those things jabbed into us since they only have emergency approval and haven't gone through normal FDA processes. I'm cool with that, but hey, if I'm a guinea pig, at least let me run on the wheel. One last thing before I flash some bands on you. We are NOT "all in this together." Never have been. And as far as I'm concerned, I sure hope that I don't go to a show and it's so damn crowded that it's not enjoyable. I don't want to be at a live show "together" with everyone. Nope, I want front and center with little disruption to my enjoyment. And with that off my chest, here we go with Part 4. Ash! Not the most widely known band in the land, which shows the injustice of everyday life. This band rocks it, but also has some great slower tunes, too. I've seen them a few times before, but the last time was at the Foundry. They were, on that particular night, the best live band in the world. They played the entire 1977 album, which is a classic, and about 100 people showed up to enjoy it. It worked out great for me, as I was right up front and had room to spare. But the band couldn't have made much $$ that night, and that's anathema to a band trying to make some green while out on the road. Anyway, I hope they're ready to come back and tear down the city yet again. I saw a show at Boot ‘n Saddle, the now closed live music venue on South Broad, a few months before the lockdowns. It was Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, the indie rock savants. If you never made it to the Boot, picture a two car garage with a stage at one end about 2 feet above the ground floor. It held about 150 people. Anyway, TLP got booked there and they showed up and played a blistering set that I still remember to this day. I still don’t know how they managed to get 8 or so musicians up on that tiny stage, but they did it. Here’s a great Ted Leo track, and I know your question – why haven’t I listed TLP before? Because I'm an idiot. Did you listent to that song? It's one that basically no one has heard? It's Philly’s own Fang Fang. The last I check, it only had 63 views on YouTube. That's a freakin' VIOLATION! I don’t remember how I found out about this band, but they have released a bunch of singles that are all worthy. And I've never seen them live. Bring 'em on! The weather is really turning and spring has sprung. Sunny and 70! So when you get into your car, put the windows down, and touch the accelerator, well, you’ll need a great song that makes you go “oh yeah, baby!” How about this one? I know the video is a bit weird, but the song drives along to a great bass beat and the chimey guitars remind me of a punked up version of the Byrds. I saw DIIV at a club I didn’t even know existed, the 714 Club at 714 Girard in Philly. I think it’s an underground dance club in a down-on-its-luck part of Philly. But when these guys played, people showed up and the place erupted – I’ve been to a lot of shows and I can’t recall ever seeing a mosh pit as aggressive – the video gives you a clue. I wanna go again! If you like your sunny and 70 with something a bit more psychedelic (ahem), well, you can’t go wrong with XTC’s Garden of Earthly Delights. It’s one of the best psychelic songs EVER. XTC got into psychedlia so much that they formed a side project group called the Dukes of Stratosphere to explore that genre further. Check them out if you want. But, alas, Andy Patridge has stage fright and won't perform live. But maybe, just maybe, COVID changed his mind. Please, guys, get on the plane and play some dates in the States. I would travel virtually anywhere to see XTC live. That's it for now. I"ll be back with more later. |
AuthorMy name is Bill, and I live in the greater Philadelphia area. I love music, and I have a lot of opinions. This site is primarily focused on music, but sometimes I get off track. I hope you enjoy. Archives
November 2020
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