The powerhouse Tedeschi Trucks Band kicked off its Duces Wild Tour with Little Feat for two nights, Feb. 16-17, 2024, at Hard Rock Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
For its first tour of 2024, Tedeschi Trucks Band kicked off Duces Wild with Little Feat with two nights, Feb. 16-17, at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The southern rock band Litle Feat is still rocking and rolling and came out swinging Friday night.
Comprised of founding member and keyboardist Bill Payne, longtime mainstay percussionist Sam Clayton, bassist Kenny Gradney, guitarist Fred Tackett, Scott Sharrard, and drummer Tony Leone.
Opening with “Fat Man in the Bathtub,” the band really got swinging on “Oh Atlanta,” about which Payne told the crowd, “I was a mere child when I wrote this one,” but showed that he was young enough to kick the keys.
The crowd felt it for the band’s two closing songs, which are its most well-known, “Willin'” and “Dixie Chicken,” and the band was giving it right back.
I’ve been a blues guitarist Derek Trucks fan since 2006 and missed him multiple times, including in May 2007 at UB Center for the Arts and in August 2009 at the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Since then, he has teamed up with his wife and fellow blues guitarist and singer Susan Tedeschi. They merged their bands to form the powerhouse 12-piece blues-rock combo Tedeschi Trucks Band.
The band also includes singer and guitarist Mike Mattison, singer and keyboardist Gabe Dixon, bassist Brandon Boone, drummers Isaac Eady and Tyler Greenwell, singers Alecia Chakour and Mark Rivers, and the horns section featuring trombonist Elizabeth Lea, saxophonist Kebbi Williams, and trumpeter Ephraim Owens.
Tedeschi came out playing her signature green Fender Telecaster, which is literally signed by legends like Herbie Hancock, John Lee Hooker, and BB King. At the same time, Williams laid down some inspirational flute playing to lead in “Don’t Let Me Slide.”
The band was on fire, including Tedeschi ripping through a solo on “Anyhow,” and Dixon had a crazy organ solo on “Take me as I am” that led into the drum off on Friday night.
The band’s performance of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” was probably most notable, which captivated the audience.
The band sounded great on tracks like “I Am the Moon,” “Midnight in Harlem,” and wrapped up with “Bound for Glory.”
The band returned for two cover songs for the encore – Encore: Mike Reid’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “I Wish You Well” by Bill Withers.
Everyone sounded tighter on Saturday night from start to finish – including the feeling in the room as the crowd nearly doubled overnight.
Little Feat had a few new tricks up their sleeve, with Hackett playing the guitar with a drumstick and Gradne rocking a killer bass solo during “Dixie Chicken.”
Tedeschi Trucks Band tore through “Don’t Let Me Slide” and “Playing With My Emotions” before Tedeschi thanked Little Feat.
She had several spotlight solos throughout Saturday night, including on “Ain’t That Something” and “It Ain’t Fair,” an Aretha Franklin cover that showed off Chakour’s talents center stage instead of with the backup singers.
One of the sweeter moments between the husband and wife duo was when something was wrong with Tedeschi’s guitar cable, and Trucks unplugged, handing her his cable and letting her step into the spotlight for a solo using his amp.
My favorite song of the night was “Made Up Mind,” and also Boone’s bass solo on “Beck’s Bolero.” Again the band tipped its cap to The Boss with a cover of “State Trooper from “Nebraska.”
Tedeschi returned for a cover of “Space Captain” by Matthew Moore to cap off the band’s hot streak at the Etess Arena at Hard Rock Atlantic City.
The Duces Wild tour continues Feb. 29-March 2 at the Beacon Theatre, March 5-7 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., March 9 at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, March 12-13 at Altria Theater in Richmond, Virginia, March 14 at Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, North Carolina, March 16 at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, Florida and on April 26 see Derek and Susan at “Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Little Feat Setlist Friday, Feb. 16, 2024
Fat Man in the Bathtub
All That You Dream
Oh Atlanta
Spanish Moon / Skin It Back
Willin’
Dixie Chicken
Tedeschi Trucks Band Setlist Friday, Feb. 16, 2024
Don’t Let Me Slide
Soul Sweet Song
Part of Me
Hear My Dear
Fall In
Anyhow
Take Me as I Am
Pasaquan
Atlantic City -Bruce Springsteen cover
I Walked on Guilded Splinters – Dr. John cover
Outside Woman Blues -Blind Joe Reynolds cover
I Am the Moon
Last Night in the Rain
Midnight in Harlem
Bound for Glory
Encore
I Can’t Make You Love Me – Mike Reid cover
I Wish You Well – Bill Withers cover
Little Feat Setlist Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
Let It Roll
Hate to Lose Your Lovin’
Time Loves a Hero
Spanish Moon
A Apolitical Blues
Dixie Chicken
Tripe Face Boogie
Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
Tedeschi Trucks Band Setlist Saturday, Feb, 17, 2024
Don’t Let Me Slide
Playing With My Emotions
Ain’t That Something
Tell the Truth – Derek and the Dominos cover
Where Are My Friends?
Idle Wind
State Trooper – Bruce Springsteen cover
Keep On Smilin’ – Wet Willie cover
It Ain’t Fair – Aretha Franklin cover
Dreams – The Allman Brothers Band cover
Made Up Mind
Just Won’t Burn – Susan Tedeschi
I Want More
Beck’s Bolero – Jeff Beck cover
Encore
Space Captain – Matthew Moore cover
