Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Derek Trucks Plays Jerry Garcia’s ‘Tiger’ & Frank Zappa’s ‘Baby Snakes’ Guitars At Beacon Theatre

One day after Jerry Garcia's iconic “Tiger” guitar was sold for $11.56 at auction, Derek Trucks was putting the instrument to use on stage at The Beacon Theatre. The Tedeschi Trucks Band guitarist used “Tiger” on Friday and Saturday for portions of the group’s third and fourth shows of 10 at the storied venue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Trucks also played Frank Zappa's “Baby Snakes” Gibson SG for two songs on Friday, including the TTB debut cover of FZ’s “Willie The Pimp.” Both axes came on loan from Family Guitars, a company owned by Derek’s friend and Ass Pocket Whiskey co-founder Bobby Tseitlin. Derek Trucks accompanied Tseitlin to the Christie’s auction in NYC on Thursday to offer “emotional support” while Bobby successfully attempted to purchase “Tiger.”

“There are instruments where you look at it and go, ‘Holy shit, what has this thing seen?’” Trucks told Rolling Stone about Jerry Garcia’s main axe from 1979 through 1989. “Just imagining Garcia in his dressing room, fucking playing the thing. Instruments carry a spirit.”

Derek Trucks loved the reaction “Tiger” received at The Beacon. “It’s funny, you walk on stage with that guitar and the audience is like, ‘Oh shit!’” he said. “There’s this New York Grateful Dead energy that’s very unique.”

Trucks wasn’t worried about handling such a valuable instrument. ““It’s a really heavy guitar, but it’s really articulate when you play it,” Derek added. “So there’s no hiding anywhere. You’re going to hear all of it, every note. It almost speaks like a piano in some ways, where everything’s clean and even. It’s not for the faint of heart. You need to know what you’re doing to play that guitar. I wasn’t worried about hurting that thing. It’s a big old heavy beast, and he can handle it.”

“Tiger” was in Derek Trucks’ hands when Tedeschi Trucks Band came out to start night three on Friday with the Allman Brothers live repertoire staple “Statesboro Blues.” Trucks used the axe for the majority of the first set, except when he swapped it out for the “Baby Snakes” SG on TTB original “High & Mighty” and the band’s “Willie The Pimp” cover. The guitarist played “Tiger” again during a second set performance of “Sugaree” as well as for a run of “Crazy Cryin’,” “The Storm,” “You Can Make It If You Try,” “Everyday People” and “Midnight In Harlem” on Saturday at night four.

“Willie The Pimp” was one of three covers rolled out by Tedeschi Trucks Band on Friday. The 12-piece ensemble also premiered takes on Barbara Lynn’s “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” and The Rolling Stones classic “Loving Cup.” On Saturday, the TTB kicked off their second set by performing the title track of their forthcoming Future Soul album with the house lights on for an upcoming episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 10-show Beacon Theatre residency resumes on Wednesday, March 18 with special guest Robert Randolph. Watch more audience-shot video from nights three and four below:

Setlists (via TTBase.net)

Friday, March 13

Set 1: Statesboro Blues#, Crazy Cryin’#, Ain’t That Something#, You’ll Lose a Good Thing[1]#, Hero#, I Feel So Bad#, High & Mighty%, Willie the Pimp[2]%, Devil Be Gone#, Idle Wind[3]#

Set 2: Loving Cup[4] > Leavin’ Trunk, Don’t Drift Away, Just As Strange, Shame, Angel From Montgomery > Sugaree#, Dreams, Love Has Something Else To Say, How Blue Can You Get?, Bound for Glory

Encore: I Can’t Make You Love Me, Made Up Mind

Footnotes:

• [1] Debut (Barbara Lynn)
• [2] Debut (Frank Zappa)
• [3] Derek broke a string
• [4] Debut (The Rolling Stones)

Show Notes:

• Night 3 of 10 at the Beacon
• # denotes songs where Derek played Jerry Garcia’s “Tiger”
• % denotes songs where Derek played Frank Zappa’s “Baby Snakes” Gibson SG

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Saturday, March 14

Set 1: Got My Mojo Workin’, Laugh About It, Do I Look Worried > I Got You, Life is Crazy, Yes We Will, Who Am I, Come and Go Blues, Key To The Highway

Set 2: Future Soul[1], Ohio, What in the World, Part Of Me, That Did It, Crazy Cryin’#, The Storm[2]#, You Can Make It If You Try#> Everyday People#, Midnight in Harlem#, I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)

Encore: With a Little Help From My Friends

Footnotes:

• [1] Derek playing Gibson Flying V
• [2] Derek broke a string; sent it to Emmanuel for a trumpet solo while he changed string on “Tiger”

Show Notes:

• Night 4 of 10 at the Beacon
• # denotes songs where Derek played Jerry Garcia’s “Tiger”