Tedeschi Trucks Band at TD Garden, 9/27/23
During the early days of the pandemic, I decided to hunker down and advance my skills on guitar. I’m a self-taught guitarist, so I turned to videos and backing tracks to help me learn. I installed TikTok in early 2021, and the algorithm threw me down a loophole of videos featuring the most prolific guitarists. I became inspired by the techniques they pioneered—Buckethead with his infamous “killswitch,” Steve Vai with his masterful use of dynamics, and Satriani with his ability to cradle the fretboard. I stumbled across a video of John Mayer playing with blues legend B.B. King and some other guitarist I didn’t recognize. When the bearded guitarist with the slide on his ring finger took the lead, I heard one of the most moving and mind-blowing masterclasses in guitar ever. How could he make the guitar resonate like a human voice? The guitarist (whose catalog I would soon become well-acquainted) was Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band, colloquially known as TTD, is a twelve-piece ensemble of some of the most talented guitarists, vocalists, percussionists, and brass players I have ever heard. On September 27th, they ventured to TD Garden in Boston to play some of their most famous hits. Their 2022 release, I Am The Moon, is a four-disk, twenty-four-track album with songs paying homage to the deep blues of the South and modern roots rock. The band, led by husband and wife duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, is not only known for playing their classics but for breathtaking covers of other famous compositions. Their 2021 live album, Layla Revisited, is a respectful and well-done rendition of the classic Derek and the Dominos album featuring guitar and vocals from Phish frontman Trey Anastasio. Their jam-bandish sound and mix of originals and covers led me to the Garden Party.
Lukas Nelson and the Promise of Real ascended the stage, a young yet high-octane outfit that functions as an ode to a traditional country permeated with a modern flair. I admittedly knew little about the band before their performance. I found myself confused when I recognized the frontman’s cadence and specific tone. After putting two and two together, I realized I was photographing Willie Nelson’s son. His ability to command a stage and gauge crowd reactions was expert, bar none. His vocal range and tongue-in-cheek attitude shine through on songs like “Every Time I Drink” and “Wrong House.” Both tracks have an up-tempo ragtime feel that penetrates the audience and makes people want to get up and dance. After returning to my seat, he performed “Find Yourself” and “Carolina” as his final numbers, letting his guitar sing louder and with more emotion than his voice. I easily could have sat through another hour of his set, but I anticipated the arrival of TTD, and so did the crowd.
Derek Trucks entered bathed in a cool blue light. Donned in a brown suit jacket and a flowery shirt underneath (this was “The Garden Party,” after all), he employed a gorgeous chestnut-colored Gibson SG and glass slide as his tools of choice. Along with the backing band composed of two drum kits, a horn section, a pianist, a bassist, and background vocalists, Trucks glided up the fretboard with a soulful rendition of “Woman to Woman” by Joe Cocker. An element was missing, though. They had no lead vocalist. Relieving my confusion was Susan Tedeschi, who strolled on stage wielding a seafoam green Fender Telecaster that shimmered in the light much like the jewels adorning her wrists. Her vocals rang out across the Garden, resulting in a collective “Woo!” from the crowd. I was right there with them—I could barely hold it in myself!
The band kept the crowd on their feet with songs like “Circles ‘Round the Sun” and “Just Won’t Burn,” a composition by Tedeschi released twenty-five years ago this year. TTD is known for its surprise guests and on-stage collaborations, and many fans grew anxious awaiting the arrival of the teased artist. Bringing out Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band (of which Trucks was a member beginning in 1999), the band performed songs such as “Blue Sky” off of Eat a Peach and “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison. While Haynes and Tedeschi belted vocals up front, Trucks assumed his humble and quiet position toward the back, staring stage left with the occasional glance and sheepish grin at his wife. As Haynes exited the stage, TTD signified they weren’t finished yet, jumping into more classics such as “Midnight in Harlem” and “I Want More,” one a somber and endearing guitar ballad, and the other an up-tempo jam that, true to its name, made me want more too.
TTD concluded the night with a cover of the Dr. John staple “I Walk on Guilded Splinters.” A haunting and chant-like evocation in its original form, TTD converted it into a heroic last hurrah punctuated by a seven-minute guitar solo passed between Tedeschi, Trucks, and Haynes. The three barely had to look at one another for cues on when to take the lead; the artists ascended and intermingled in the notes. Their professionalism echoed out with their tight and coordinated musicianship. The band bowed while Tedeschi picked up a bouquet of roses, turning to her husband and exchanging a smile. Trucks and Tedeschi lingered behind for a moment, whispering in each other’s ears. Seeing these two legends on stage, exchanging an intimate yet unimportant moment, was astounding. The man who inspired me to place a glass slide to my guitar was in front of me, and his world was in front of him. This band, held together by love and consummate musicianship, was a sight to behold live.
