Tedeschi Trucks Band
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
11.05.17

Tedeschi Trucks Band are a force of musicality. The yin and yang of Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks—one bursting with vibrancy and spirit, the other laser focused on being arguably the best rock/blues guitarist in contemporary music—was the key cog in their musical machine.

Trucks earned all the praise that comes his way. Seemingly effortless and intense at the same time, his pick-less approach had so many steep ebbs and flows. The lights were low and his notes precise when, suddenly, his guitar exploded into a burst of beautiful musical chaos. He took us on quite the trip with each solo.

An impressive frontwoman and singer, Tedeschi instilled spirit into her vocals with her signature smoky style. If Trucks is the heart of the band, Tedeschi is the soul. But, let’s not sleep on her axe skills. She may be on stage with a one of a kind talent, but she can shred with the best of them. Smiling and beaming, she was at the center of all the fun and love on the stage.

With a buoyant horn and backup vocal section that was one unit with nine different personalities, dual drum kits, funky bassist, and a smooth organ player, Tedeschi Trucks Band certainly have a formidable foundation behind them, especially Mike Mattson on vocals, who had a couple of shining moments. What was great about this band that has two faces at the forefront, was that we often saw them step away and admire their compatriots, whether it be for an impressive dueling drum solo or a deep, burgeoning trombone riff.

Their fans came to party on a Sunday night with the first ten rows giving a standing ovation after every song and hardly sitting down because of all the dancing to be had. This was especially true for fan favorites, “Part of Me,” a love song full of heart and the country funk of “Keep On Growing.”

A band that doesn’t need an opener, Tedeschi Trucks let their music do most of the talking—each of their songs was about 10 minutes long—and had just as much fun as their fans for a night that was truly something special.

Review and photos by Phillip Johnson

Tedeschi Trucks Band