Review: Tedeschi Trucks Band at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville
Democracy may be crumbling on a political level, but it's alive and well on a musical one with Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Back at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville on May 14, honoring their original November date that was postponed due to Tropical Storm Helene, the blues rockers once again did what they do best and passed the spotlight across their gifted 12-piece ensemble.
That generosity included first opening the stage to Maggie Rose. A powerhouse vocalist in her own right, the soul rocker showed no signs of rust in her first performance since giving birth to a son a month ago. With her nanny gently rocking young Graham in his stroller just off stage, Rose and her tight backing band showed why her most recent album, No One Gets Out Alive, was Grammy nominated for Best Americana Album, and suggested that her opening act status in large venues is about to be a thing of the past.
It was a higher bar than the headliners are used to clearing, and perhaps in order to do so, Susan Tedeschi was featured far less than usual on vocals. Impressive backup singers Alecia Chakour and Mike Mattison spelled the frontwoman a surprising amount and delivered chills each time, but when Tedeschi stepped up to the mic, she reminded fans why her name is situated first in the group’s moniker.
That's no slight to her partner and lead guitarist Derek Trucks — still my vote for the best living guitarist, who justified that reputation with an array of insane lead and supporting sounds and, per usual, was glad to cede the stage. True to form, that generosity also included multiple jaw-dropping solos from Tedeschi, one of rock’s most underrated guitarists despite proving time and again that she can hang with any shredder.
In addition to the vocal support, the usual dual drummer spotlight of Isaac Eady and Tyler Greenwell provided the set’s usual instrumental highlight, saxophonist Kebbi Williams again bopped around like a marionette come to life, and Gabe Dixon once more marvelously stepped up for vocal features and tasteful blankets of various keyboard sounds.
But fans are used to all of that and, if anything, it was the lack of surprises (beyond the long-ish gaps between Tedeschi features) that kept this a very good Tedeschi Trucks Band set as opposed to a great one. Even with the inclusion of big hits “Ain’t That Something,” “Midnight in Harlem,” and “Bound for Glory” — all of which were played magnificently — perhaps it was the very democratic nature of the group that spread the love around a bit too much this time.
(Photos by Bryce Lafoon)
