On Thursday, February 17th, Tedeschi Trucks Band, a twelve-piece musical powerhouse, was handed back the keys to The Warner Theatre to complete the second half of their six-night residency. Once again, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and the rest of the band took the keys to the venue's side entrance and settled in for three nights of thunderous music deep in the heart of downtown Washington DC. 

February 17 - Night 4 of 6

The audience was a tinder-box of excitement for what lay before them. You could easily spot the people who had seen one or more of the prior shows - their eyes were beaming with giddy delight because they knew exactly what awaited them this evening. You could spot others who just walked into this historic venue for the first time - their eyes gleamed with anticipation as word of mouth spread about the prior performance. One thing was certain - everyone was ready for the curtains to rise. 

Miko Marks took to the stage to get the crowd warmed up night one and for forty minutes, Marks and her touring companions showed precisely why Tedeschi Trucks Band chose her as an opener. Treating concert-goers to a debut of a new song of her upcoming album,it was easy to see that she gained many a new fan of the Thursday as the audience clapped along to the lyrics closing out their set "feel like going home", fully prepared to welcome Tedeschi Trucks back home. 

If the audience was a tinder-box of excitement, Susan Tedeschi had no problem striking the match to the fuse the band played "I've Got A Feeling" by The Beatles. If Susan's thunderous voice echoing through the venue wasn't enough to make the audience erupt into excitement, then "Get What You Deserve" was the perfect rocker to bring the crowd to their feet. As this fun, fast-paced-rocker resonated, delighted fans fully appreciated why Tedeschi Trucks Band is the most powerful, dynamic, and versatile tour band currently performing. 

In recent weeks fans could not help but notice that Susan was not as mobile on the stage as she has been. A recent knee injury may have impeded her struts along the stage but did not diminish from her voice and masterful guitar playing. In fact, it provided an astonishing moment where her husband, Derek Trucks, was able to perform a blistering guitar volley between himself and Suan. Moreso, the chemistry and love between the two was so apparent, especially when Derek would lower himself slightly to meet Susan's gaze as she sat on a chair set aside for her. 

A particularly tearful moment during the performance was when Susan marked the three-year anniversary of beloved band member Kofi Burbridge. In fact, Burbridge passed while Tedeschi Truck Band was performing at the Warner Theatre, and she indicated how difficult it was for them to perform that night. She acknowledged all the beautiful music he gave us while he was alive and how he had helped her finish writing "The Feeling Music Brings." Perhaps it was only fitting that the band would then perform "Had to Cry Today" by Blind Faith. 

The band ended the evening with a spectacular version of "Space Captain" by Joe Cocker. As the lyrics to "Space Captain" slowly faded and the applause were still going strong, Susan does

what she is known for, imparting wise words and wisdom from the heart to the audience. Having just sung the lyric "Learning to live together" over and over again, Susan was quick to tell the audience, "We can do it together. That's what I've learned the last couple of years. We gotta stick together. Don't forget that. We are all together on this planet. We gotta do it together." And just like that night one wrapped up. 

February 18 - Night 5 of 6

A residency is not a sprint but truly a marathon event, and not only should a band pace itself but show the audience many facets of their performance style and stage presence. The band could have started right where they left off - a true barn burner. Instead, the band treated fans to an enchanting, almost Fireside Sessions performance as Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi sat seated alongside one another with two acoustic guitars in hand. Perhaps Susan wanted to rest her knee for just a little while before bringing the venue to its knees. Being the supportive husband and musical partner that he is, Derek played a portion of his guitar genius seated beside his wife. Injury or not, neither showed any sign of letting it slow them down musically. 

The entire stage was electric, and each musician shined countless times throughout the three-night run. Notable solos that were incredibly impressive were coming out of the saxophone and horns repeatedly and especially shined during the second set opener, where the ability to blow and somehow still breathe kept audience members in awe for minutes at a time. 

Fans seemed to revel in the fact that the band was singing lyrics that were so needed after some difficult years. So many fans had been yearning to see live music again or wished they could see more of it since March 2020. The lyrics "You're all I want and all I need" from "All That I Need" resonated not only with everyone in the theatre - both impassioned artists and passionate fans.

Telling the fans how much they enjoy playing at Warner Theater and the incredible gratefulness for the opportunity to do it again and again, Susan was more than humbled by the swaying heads and full hearts that reflected in the audience Friday night. Songs like "Done Somebody Wrong" had the aisles flooded with moving bodies, and the music flowed from everyone's veins, reminiscent of a street party strolling down the road in New Orleans. 

Two drum kits seemed as though they would crumble the entire building at points throughout the night, continuing on for what seemed to be an eternity with a dueling yet integrated flow that is something to write home about. The strength and stamina demonstrated on stage between Tyler Greenwell and Isaac Eady each night left accentuated the band's full breadth of talent and indeed left absolutely nothing to be desired. 

Swaying in unison to staple "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' by Bob Dylan between hoots and hollers responding to Susan's incredible voice show how much a music community such as this one comes to be so important to both musicians and audiences alike. Sharing collective memories, moments, and goosebumps with a band like this one are cherished and collected with impassioned delight. Voices like Tedeschi's and absolutely entrancing guitar solos like Trucks on the guitar are why we continue to return to it and why music like this can exist for six nights at a venue in the Nations Capital every February for what, we hope, is forever.

February 19 - Night 6 of 6

Notable excitement filled the air for the final night which, as most would’ve guessed, sold out and entering the theater there was an electric buzz about the culmination of the residency. Packed with anticipation as everyone milled about what the final setlist might include, one could hear people recalling what was previously played and what incredible songs might lie before them. 

In addition to the setlist discussions, one could overhear conversations of future Tedeschi Trucks plans fans had lined up. Some talked of Red Rocks Amphitheater, while others spoke of purchased European tour dates. 

As the opening notes of "Signs, High Times," illuminated The Warner Theatre, the audience prepared for a superb night of music. The band was prepared to show their collective power and highlight each band member's unique and masterful skill. Four songs in Mike Mattison came to the front of the stage as the band rolled out Derek & The Dominos classic "Anyday." Perhaps this song was a one-off from Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Still, being within earshot of Lockn' Music Festival in Arrington, Virginia, one could only hope that the band would unleash more songs from their legendary performance. If the first set closer wasn't powerful enough with Kebbi Williams' saxophone introduction to "Bound For Glory," the audience did not know that the best was yet to come as the band would perform a no-holds-barred crescendo of a second set. 

The band would start the second set with the delicate "Angel From Montgomery" as the audience sang along with Susan. Then, the song shifted to a beautiful piano solo by Gabe Dixon before Derek Truck's sultry slide guitar would rise up with the first notes of "Helpless" that seamlessly transitioned to Susan's heartfelt delivery of this poignant classic. 

With our hearts sufficiently melted, this twelve-piece band proceeded to turn this final set into a crescendo of power. As hoped for, the band would complement the nights earlier Derek & The Domino's classics with "Bell Bottom Blues" and "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad." By the final song of the night, "I Want More," it was clear that all the audience wanted more, just more! What do you do when the audience wants more? - you added "Les Brers In A Minor" by The Allman Brothers to punctuate the final song of the second set.

For the encore, the band launched into yet another "Space Captain" by Joe Cocker. Despite "Space Captain" being performed earlier in the residency, this is such a powerful song that the band could perform it every night, and the audience would never grow tired of it. 

With the final song of their residency complete, the band will hand back their keys to the house manager of The Warner Theatre - but only temporarily. We have little doubt that this same house manager will have the keys set aside for them when they hopefully return in February 2023. 

If you cannot wait until 2023 to see Tedeschi Trucks Bands perform live again, they will perform at Wolf Trap on July 19th (link found below). Until then, let us all embrace Susan's final words of the night and learn to live together in our day-to-day lives. Moreso, we look forward to collectively learning to live together the next time we see Tedeschi Trucks Band perform live. 

Additional Writing Credit:  Karin McLaughlin made significant writing contributions to this article.

Special Note: If you listen to the audio recording of the February 19th version of "Space Cowboy," Susan indicated that Tedeschi Trucks Band has four new records coming out in May 2022.