Happy Birthday Butch Trucks: The Freight Train Band Plays The Funky Biscuit In 2016

Claude Hudson “Butch” Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida on this date in 1947. Trucks went on to co-found the Allman Brothers Band and was behind the kit for the group’s entire Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame career. Sadly, Butch took his own life on January 24, 2017 at his West Palm Beach home. This week’s Full Show Friday looks at one of his last live performances in honor of what would have been his 71st birthday.

The Allman Brothers Band played their final show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on October 28, 2014. In the years that followed, the drummer formed both Les Brers and Butch Trucks & The Freight Train Band. The latter outfit performed at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, Florida on December 28, 2016. Butch was joined in the group by guitarists Damon Fowler, Heather Gillis and Chris Vitarello as well as keyboardist Bruce Katz, bassist Matt Walker and percussionist Garrett Dawson.

Butch Trucks & The Freight Train Band opened their December 28, 2016 performance with a fierce rendition of the instrumental “Hot’lanta.” Vitarello then led the group through ABB repertoire favorite, Muddy Waters’ “Trouble No More.” Next up was a take on Jeff Beck’s “Freeway Jam” followed by the group’s debut version of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” The ensemble continued on with Little Walter’s “Up The Line” before digging in on Allman Brothers Band classics “Dreams” and “Jessica.” Gillis shined throughout the set especially on “Dreams.”

Other highlights from the concert included Butch’s daughter Melody Trucks leading “Statesboro Blues” and contributing to a Fowler-sung “Ophelia,” a well-jammed “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” and an intense “Whipping Post” encore. At age 69 Butch Trucks was still able to power a band for a two-hour concert. Check out all of Butch Trucks & The Freight Band’s performance from December 28, 2016 below as shared by Datflys: