B.B. King & Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Red Rocks (August 30th)

Written By: Nick Roldan

For just over six decades B.B. King has been playing the blues and at 86 years of age, he's still got it. Playing for about an hour, him and his band pleased the packed crowd at Red Rocks playing hits like "The Thrill Is Gone" and other classics from his long-spanning career. It was tough to believe that he was merely the opener. As Tedeschi Trucks Band took the stage, the crowd roarer with excitement as they opened with a Bill Wither's classic and the title of their most recent live album, "Everybody's Talkin'". As Susan's soulful, Bonnie Raitt-esque voice carried throughout Red Rocks, the accompaniment of Derek Trucks, Oteil and Kofi Burbridge, as well as the rest of the talented horn players and backup singers backed her up with their spectacular melodies. As the show progressed on, they played nearly all of their songs from their studio album, "Revelator", including "Bound For Glory", "Midnight in Harlem", and "Love Has Something Else To Say" as well as covers including "The Sky is Crying", first recorded by Elmore James, and a traditional song entitled "Mahjong". They also brought out an old friend from The Derek Trucks Band, Todd Smallie, an extremely talented bass player originally from St. Louis, MO. As the show came to a close and the crowd began to filter out, my friends and I ran up towards the stage and tried to get the attention of Kofi Burbridge and Todd Smallie as they were walking off stage. To our fortune, we were able to talk to the two of them for a short amount of time and realized how humble and kind they were. This concert is definitely one that is worth going to see. Tedeschi Trucks Band is musicianship at its finest.