Concert Review: Tedeschi Trucks Band with Whiskey Meyers at the Gorge Amphitheater, Quincy, WA

It is Saturday August 9th, and we are at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA. It has been well over a decade since I have been here but as soon as I hit the top of the hill staring down to the stage that is situated right on the walls of the Columbia River Gorge all the memories came flooding back. I know some people will debate me but for my money there is no better venue west of the Mississippi. Just absolutely breathtaking and to me it's the best way to enjoy a show. You are hours away from any major city, any trip the Gorge comes with memories.

Tonight, we are here for Whiskey Meyers and Tedeschi Trucks Band. While the bands themselves do not seem like that odd of a pairing looking at into the crowd you can see there was a definite split. For the most part a younger crowd that was here for Whiskey Meyers, and then a slightly older crowd here solely for Tedeschi Trucks Band. But the best part of shows like this is both sides came home with an expanded fan base. Both bands absolutely brought it. During the Whiskey Meyers set I was seated next to an older gentleman who had never heard of Whiskey Meyers. Sitting next to him and explaining the journey of Whiskey Meyers from the small little country band from East Texas and then how they evolved every album becoming more and more rock and roll. Make no doubt about it, Whiskey Meyers is now a fully established as a rock band.

The boys from East Texas hit the stage full of energy just slapping you in the face with absolutely rocking guitar riffs and some of the absolute best storytelling in modern music.

For me the telltale sign that a band has fully made it is when you go to a concert and listen to a nearly two hour set it full of banging hits but still go home thinking about the bangers they didn't play. The Whiskey Meyers set was truly impressive as they mixed in classic hits as well as introducing some new songs from their upcoming album Womp Whack Thunder and after hearing “Midnight Woman” live I hope this becomes a staple of all of their future live sets. It's one of those songs the studio recording is great, but hearing it live it's like a shot of electricity though your body. It is impossible to not sing and dance. 

From the classic setlist for me the two big stand outs to me were “Broken Window Serenade”. If you have never heard this song, I really can't suggest it enough. The storytelling is just masterful. A story of loss that is sadly becoming way too common. The other major stand out to me was "Trailer We Call Home”. I have heard this song countless times but there was something about the delivery tonight. It seemed slightly stripped down and just raw and it just hit you like a shot straight to the heart. I was not the only one who felt the connection because when Cody Cannon delivered the line  

"I got dreams, what can I say?

Sometimes life gets in the way

We're gettin' by and wanting more

Baby, there ain't no shame in bein' poor"

The crowd absolutely roared.

I have often been asked to describe Whiskey Meyers, are they country, are they a rock band. Tonight, they fully answered the question Whiskey Meyers is a working class rock band and they never disappoint.

Tonight's Headliner Tedeschi Trucks Band. What a absolute treat, Earlier i mentioned how magical 

the Gorge setting is and Tedeschi Trucks Band might be one of the most perfect bands to check 

on a warm summer night. Laying under the big open skies of the Gorge, Susan Tedeski and Derek Trucks are just blues gods. I cannot think of a single slide guitar player alive today better than Derek Trucks and it's not really even close. When you pair this guitar sound with Susan's vocals it's perfect. 

Tedeschi Trucks Band is really like walking through a time portal and going back in time. It reminded me so much of the vinyl albums I fell in my parents' music stash when I truly started to fall in love with music. Susan and Derrick are undoubtedly the stars of the band but make no mistake this is a full band if the rest of the band were just average musicians this sound doesn't work. Each member of the band is just a true master.

The one thing I was not ready for was the amount of covers such an established band had in their set. I am so used to modern bands who play one maybe two covers a night but Saturday about half the setlist were covers. But I absolutely loved the way the covers were delivered. It was just refreshing.  Yes, you absolutely recognized the tunes but the Tedeschi Trucks put their own spin on it and it very much became a Tedeschi Trucks Band song.

There are still a few more chances to catch Tedeschi Trucks Band and Whiskey Meyers together this summer. If you were on the fence about buying tickets buy the tickets now and thank me later.