August 2024 Recap
Highlights were meeting Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi and four shows from my favorite band in Delaware!
nbd, just me and Susan?!:
8.1 Twine with Joe Dunn at Gluek’s
(or was it the WE Collective?) In any case Twine members Will Effertz, Scott Yonke, and Doug Christianson were playing with guest Joe Dunn of Frogleg. Tonight Doug was on drums rather than at his usual percussion station.
The evening’s setlist included an outstanding variety of tunes:
Baby got a Bird (Taj Majal)
Midnight Rider
On the Road Again
Wicked Game
Keep On Moving
I Know You Rider
8.2 Tedeschi Trucks Band at The Armory - Night One
Wow, what an amazing night, with a few surprises! I was absolutely delighted to hear one of my favorite songs ever, “Midnight In Harlem’” which was written by TTB backup vocalist and Minneapolis native Mike Mattison. He also sang with the Derek Trucks Band before Derek and Susan merged their operations. Susan's voice and Derek’s slide guitar soar on that lovely tune.
“I Can't Make You Love Me” was excellent also! It wasn't on the set list so must've been a last minute addition. (Thanks to Tim K for grabbing a setlist and letting me get a picture!) Mike Mattison took over lead vox for a wildly deconstructed blues version of Prince's “1999”.
I also especially enjoyed “Anyhow” and Derek and the Dominos' “Keep On Growing”!
As if the show wasn't enough excitement, I had a hunch that one or more band members may make an appearance a few blocks away at Gluek's, where Will Effertz and the WE Collective were throwing a TTB after show. Man did that ever pay off!? I was starstruck and pretty much overjoyed to see both Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi walk into the bar. They are genuinely two of my absolute heroes and I am so thrilled that I got to briefly chat with them both and take a couple photos. To think of who those two have shared the stage with is staggering.
They were super friendly and chatted with many other appreciative fans before being on their way. One of their two drummers, Isaac Eady, was along and he even hopped on stage and played bass for a song or two. Such a special moment that Will, Scott, Jon Ross, Jon Sullivan, Snowman, and Art B got to play in front of those two icons.
Up next, another night of TTB!
“Anyhow”:
“Midnight In Harlem”:
Snapped a photo of the setlist my friend Tim got:
Great opening set from Ms. Margo Price too!
And down the street at Gluek’s….
8.2.24 WE Collective at Gluek’s - TTB Afterparty
TTB drummer Isaac Eady sitting in on bass:
Phish’s “Sand”:
8.3 Tedeschi Trucks Band at The Armory Night Two
Night two of Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Armory was more evidence of why TTB is one of the premier touring bands out there, and why I highly advise anyone to attend both shows next time and every time they come to town. The 12 piece featuring three horns, three backup singers and two drummers, in addition to Susan Tedeschi on lead vocals and guitar and Derek Trucks on guitar, might be best described as Soulful Americana, and was again at peak performance. And once more, the 8,000 or so people in one of Minneapolis' newest and coolest venues were captivated by blazing blues guitar riffs from two of the best in the business and nods to some of the best songwriters ever.
It's worth noting that Derek Trucks is one of the preeminent guitar players of our time, the youngest member of the legacy of one of America's most important, influential, and groundbreaking bands, The Allman Bros. Band. He may also be the best slide player since Duane Allman. Trey Anastasio said in 2019: “Derek is, without question, my favorite guitar player—and, I think, the best guitar player on Earth right now...When Derek came along, I saw him first when he was young. I loved his playing so much that, it’s like, I almost wanted to write him a thank you note. He made me believe in the guitar as a serious instrument again, and he affected the way I play. I’m playing better because of Derek Trucks.”
Derek also received high praise from BB King as the two were on stage together in 2017 and King proclaimed "That's about as good as I've ever heard it—as good as I've ever heard it, and I mean it."
It's most definitely worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6...
Derek was an accomplished player at a very young age. He started the Derek Trucks Band when he was 16 and joined ABB when he was 20, playing alongside Gregg Allman, his uncle and founding drummer Butch Trucks on drums, and Warren Haynes (the third of my favorite guitar players) until the band played their final shows in 2014. I really can't say enough about how much it meant to me to have that positive encounter with him and Susan the previous night.
Susan's powerhouse vocals were superb on the John Prine classic “Angel From Montgomery”, which flawlessly shifted into the beloved Jerry Garcia staple '“Sugaree”.
The highlight of the night for me was “Mountain Jam”, the Allman Brothers Band instrumental stalwart based on Donovan's “Mountain Song”. Shockingly, TTB had only played that twice before, once last month at Red Rocks and once in 2017 at the Beacon Theatre in NYC (I'm certain that in Derek's 15 years playing with the Allman Brothers Band he contributed some amazing licks on many of their 373 versions). Derek absolutely enthralled the attentive audience on the preceding “Pasaquan” that segued perfectly into “Mountain Jam”.
After a “Pasaquan” reprise that was reminiscent of a vigorous “Drums”, Susan returned to the stage to wail on “Just Won't Burn”, the title track of her debut album.
Closing the night were stellar versions of James Taylor's “Fire and Rain” and “Space Captain'“, popularized by Joe Cocker. That tune, with the 'learning to live together' chorus was a fitting close to the evening as we all head into what is sure to be a challenging and nerve wracking few months. So glad to have one of my favorite bands play two shows here, just a few miles from home!
“Mountain Jam”:
Another fantastic supporting set from Farm Aid board member and all around bad ass Margo Price!
8.4 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood
Man Smart, Woman Smarter
II
Box of Rain
Whiskey in the Jar
Bird Song>
Truckin' >
Drums>
Days Between >
Beat It On The Line
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
8.8 Kung Fu Hippies at Minnehaha Falls Park
I didn’t capture any setlist notes but it was a lovely evening to take in some music outdoors on my wife Brianna’s bday! Good crowd for the Hippies near the falls!
8.11 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood
The night included, among other jams:
Eyes of the World
Drums
China Doll
Sisters and Brothers
Uncle John's Band
Loose Lucy
8.15-8.18 Phish at Mondegreen Festival
I did a separate and lengthy post for these four shows in Delaware, which can be found here:
https://612jams.substack.com/p/phishs-mondegreen-festival-in-dover
a sampling:
“Attendance at one or more of these events is worthy of being mentioned on one's tombstone, or perhaps just one's resume. Over 25 years later, I still feel a unique camaraderie when I learn someone I know was also present at Big Cypress, Coventry, or even Superball. I'm certain that Mondegreen attendees will be telling tales of this weekend for years or even decades to come.
Mondegreen had around 45,000 attendees, according to the most reputable of sources I've seen. My good friend AG and I treated ourselves to the Glen Close camping area, closer to the concert venue and replete with showers and air conditioned restrooms. With a lot of help from Brandon and Nic, who’d flown out from Minneapolis and Milwaukee, respectively, we made our way to the very front of our designated area, so we had maybe a ten minute walk from our camp to the stage….”
8.19 Jazz Jam at Philadelphia’s Black Squirrel Club
With a day to spend in Philadelphia before flying home, AG and I explored the City of Brotherly Love, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written. (#nokings)
We also stopped by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and did some training on the famous Rocky stairs and visited the nearby Rocky statue. Looking for a taste of Philly’s nightlife, we found a jazz club a couple miles from the Liberty Bell that Philadelphia Magazine says has the ‘best jazz jam in the city”. The Black Squirrel Club was a steam plant in the 1890’s and for this Monday Jazz Jam had musicians on piano, sax, trumpet, bass, and harmonica. It was a cool space that definitely had an industrial vibe to it, with dozens of pews for seating, a bar, lots of interesting things on the walls, and great acoustics.
8.22 WE Collective at 56 Brewing
The collective brought the funk with Javier Trejo, Miles Wright, Scott Yonle, and Jon Ross.
8.24 Jerryapolis at Icehouse
with Jon Herchert and Javier Trejo on guitars, Chad Whittaker on bass, JT Bates and Martin Dosh on drums, and Kevin Dorsey on keys. The all-star group of Minneapolis musicians paid tribute to Jerry Garcia, including ”Deal”:
8.25 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood
8.31 Shangri-La Fest at Harmony Park
I was at the festival assisting my friend Chuck Hues man his fabulous art booth, where he was live painting all weekend and raffled off several paintings. I met Chuck at Harmony Park in the early 2000s and I was looking forward to attending my first Shangri-La, having spent many Labor Day weekends in the park for Harvest Fest. Shangri-La has more of a neon electronic vibe than Harvest Fests of yore, but features perennial favorites like hosts Wookiefoot.
That’s the end of August! 16 shows in 3 states at 9 different venues, for a total of 157 shows so far in 2024.