Watch Tedeschi Trucks Band Unveil Grateful Dead Cover At Beacon Theatre

Tedeschi Trucks Band continued a three-night stand at The Beacon Theatre on Friday night. The powerhouse 12-piece ensemble debuted their rendition of the Grateful Dead classic “Mr. Charlie” late in the opening stanza of their second of three Winter 2023 concerts at the famed New York City venue.

Friday marked the TTB’s 55th concert at The Beacon. The group led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks made their debut at the venue in 2011 and returned each year besides 2020 and 2023. The latest run began on Thursday with a concert featuring multiple collaborations with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane.

After opening with fan-favorite “Anyhow,” the TTB pulled “Fall In” from their 2022 I Am The Moon series of albums and then delivered the slow-burning “Don’t Drift Away.” Next, vocalist Mike Mattison was showcased on I Am The Moon’s “Emmaline” as he took center stage with acoustic guitar in hand to guide the band on the song. The capacity crowd roared in approval when the TTB lit into the ensuing “Mr. Charlie.”

“Mr. Charlie” was written by founding GD member Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and lyricist Robert Hunter. The Grateful Dead premiered the song live on July 31, 1971 and performed 50 more versions through 1972. Susan Tedeschi channeled Pigpen in her vocal delivery of “Mr. Charlie,” which she and Derek Trucks played earlier this year at the Dead Ahead festival in Mexico with Sturgill Simpson, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane.

Both Derek and Susan uncorked impressive solos during the TTB premiere of “Mr. Charlie.” Mattison, Alecia Chakour and Mark Rivers provided strong backing vocals over the course of the song. Watch fan-shot video of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s first “Mr. Charlie” performance below:

Friday’s concert rolled on with I Am The Moon standout “Yes We Will” and a take on oldie “Idle Wind” that spanned nearly 20 minutes to close the first set. TTB kicked off the evening’s second set by performing their recently debuted cover of Bruce Springsteen's “State Trooper” featuring Susan Tedeschi and Mike Mattison on shared lead vocal duties. From there, Kebbi Williams provided a strong saxophone solo to introduce the hard-hitting “Shame” before the group played Derek And The Dominos’ “Keep On Growing.”

Next up was Revelator gem “Until You Remember” and a string of covers consisting of Sleepy John Estes’ “Leaving Trunk,” “Volunteered Slavery” by Rahsaan Roland Kirk and The Allman Brothers Band’s “Come And Go Blues.” The 12-peice then looked to Tedeschi’s pre-TTB output with “Just Won’t Burn,” the title track from Susan’s 1998 studio album. A euphoric “Made Up Mind” closed the frame. Tedeschi Trucks Band ended the concert with an extended “Bound For Glory” encore.

Listen to an audience recording of Friday’s show taped by Eric Lugassy below:

Setlist (via Setlist.FM)

Set One: Anyhow, Fall In, Don’t Drift Away, I Must Have Done Somebody Wrong, Emmaline, Mr. Charlie*, Yes We Will, Idle Wind

Set Two: State Trooper, Shame, Keep On Growing, Until You Remember, Leaving Trunk, Volunteered Slavery, Come And Go Blues, Just Won’t Burn, Made Up Mind

Encore: Bound For Glory

* – First Time Played (Grateful Dead)