Tedeschi Trucks Band is marching through North America on their expansive Live in 25 tour. The August stops are co-headlined by Whiskey Myers, and the two bands played at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on August 13, 2025. Doyle Bramhall II, a longtime collaborator and friend of TTB, sat in near the end of their show. The left-handed guitarist added his chops to Elmore James’ “The Sky is Crying” and the raucous show-closing Beatles’ cover “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
It was a curious decision to have Whiskey Myers, who opened the night of music, co-headline this portion of the tour. They got the same 90-minute set time as TTB at The Greek Theatre. The Texas-based band that plays southern rock, country, blues, and soul may have a solid following. However, the noticeably different volume and enthusiasm by the audience for each band made it obvious that most were there for Tedeschi Trucks Band and were disappointed in the even time split. Whiskey Myers did their best to win over the crowd. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Cody Cannon delivered powerful, soulful vocals. Two additional guitarists, John Jeffers and Cody Tate, offered impressive solos, both playing with a pick and a slide.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band set followed, and it blew by noticeably too fast. They displayed their usual world-class musicianship and impressed the audience with a carefully curated set list. The 12-piece band played a dazzling mix of old and new originals while adding high-quality covers that represented their diverse musical influences. Susan Tedeschi’s bluesy vocals were on full display during the band’s older standards like “Part of Me” and “Until You Remember.” Backup singer Alecia Chakour added powerful vocals to complement Tedeschi on “Part of Me.” “Future Soul,” penned by backing vocalist Mike Mattison, is a fast-charging soul number that once again highlights Tedeschi’s impressive vocal power and range. Of course, Trucks delivered a screaming guitar solo to close out that song. “Devil Be Gone” is another new song that features the rare treat of Tedeschi and Trucks trading guitar solos.
Tedeschi Trucks Band’s cover choices are always fun and brilliantly performed. On this night, the audience was blessed with a Mike Mattison-led version of Prince’s “DMSR” while Tedeschi led the group through two classic Derek & the Dominoes tracks, “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad.” Trucks’ subtle, but distinctive lead guitar complemented Tedeschi’s vocals on “Bell Bottom Blues” and his scorching solo on the next song cover left everyone stunned.
If there is one signature song by this band, it has to be their “Midnight in Harlem.” Trucks always does a slow-burning, creative guitar intro, and on this night, saxophone player Kebbi Williams followed with his own solo before the entire band launched into the soulful, emotional song. Tedeschi’s angelic and passionate vocals fronted the band’s expert performance, leading up to the highly anticipated, monumental Trucks solo.
The Bramhall II guest sit-in wrapped up the show as the band covered two more classics. The Elmore James blues standard was a perfect opportunity for all three guitarists to play solos and trade licks. Bramhall II started it off before nodding to Tedeschi, who does not show her expert blues guitar chops nearly enough as part of TTB. She played an impressive blues solo, then handed it off to Trucks, who closed out the track with a searing slide solo. The grand finale, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” served a dual purpose. The band paid tribute to Joe Cocker, whose interpretation of the Beatles’ classic has become a standard show closer for many fundraisers and all-star shows over the years. It also allowed Tedeschi the opportunity to sing the band member intros – all 12 of them, with Bramhall II still on stage. The song wrapped up yet another overly generous night of music from this large band that treats its fanbase like family.
Live photos by Andy J. Gordon ©2025
