Concert Review: Derek Trucks, Waterstreet Music Hall - November 12 2008,

Originally published in The Lamron (11/15/07)

A fog encircled the stage like an aqueous shell at Water Street on Monday as hundreds of plastered patrons crammed into the Rochester venue to witness acute talent Derek Trucks turn his Gibson SG into a child’s plaything. Rounded out by singer Mike Mattison, who sounds like a raspier John Mayer, bassist Todd Smallie, drummer Yonrico Scott, percussionist Count M’Butu and multi-talent Kofi Burbridge, the Derek Trucks Band played a seminal series of blues numbers and jam sequences over the course of a night of songs, smoke and spirits.

Built heavily around the band’s most recent (and strongest) studio record to date, Songlines, the Derek Trucks Band rocked incessantly for two strong hours of blues, eastern influences and slide guitar madness. Unfortunately, the fortitude of Trucks’ songs, themselves, just doesn’t hold up to the timelessness of his other band, the Allman Brothers. While Trucks pulled no punches, there just wasn’t quite enough variety, particularly in the middle portion of the show, to match the passionate individual performances, and at times the set even threatened to stumble into the realm of muddled instrumental noodling. That doesn’t mean the band wasn’t able to pull off some showstoppers, like the phenomenal rendition of blues legend Elmore James’ “It Hurts Me Too” as well as Songlines standouts “Volunteered Slavery” and an extended version of “Mahjoun” that showed off Burbridge’s exceptional flute-playing skills.

Luckily, the band got a shot of youthful exuberance for the finale as the opening act, Ryan Shaw, joined the stage to sing along with Trucks’ wailing electric expressionism. Shaw’s vocal talent simply has to be witnessed in person to be believed. Boasting a background in gospel, he matched Trucks’ twisting guitar lines lick for lick, drawing even more energy from the crowd with his maddening howl and staggering vocal range. Members of Shaw’s backing band, particularly his massive, lumbering bassist (aptly named “Tiny”) also added some surprising highlights to the show.

There is no denying Trucks’ talent, and as his career blossoms he proves more and more that he’s much more than just a replacement for a long-gone legend (Duane Allman). While the band’s songs themselves may have been lacking in character on Monday, the lineup found a way to compensate with a collective enthusiasm and unparalleled musical ability.