Lukas Nelson & Mitch Chakour Help Tedeschi Trucks Band Cap Tanglewood Debut

Tedeschi Trucks Band shared the stage with opening act Lukas Nelson and veteran musician Mitch Chakour during the encore of their Tanglewood debut on Wednesday. Nelson joined TTB for “Helpless” before Chakour emerged to play organ on the “Space Captain” finale at the Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox, Massachusetts.

TTB opened the three-song encore with Susan Tedeschi leading a cover of James Taylor’s “Fire And Rain.” Nelson then came aboard for Neil Young’s “Helpless,” marking the sixth time he performed the song with Tedeschi Trucks Band this summer. The collaboration debuted in Washington on June 27 and has become a recurring feature of Nelson’s run as support for TTB.

Nelson remained onstage for “Space Captain,” a Joe Cocker-popularized song he had previously performed twice with Tedeschi Trucks Band this summer. Chakour then took a seat at the organ alongside TTB keyboardist Gabe Dixon on piano for the Joe Cocker-popularized song.

Wednesday marked Chakour’s fifth guest appearance with Tedeschi Trucks Band dating back to 2016. The longtime Joe Cocker musical director, keyboardist and vocalist is also the father of TTB backing vocalist Alecia Chakour. Mitch Chakour previously joined the band on organ for “Space Captain” in New Haven, Connecticut in July 2022.

Before the guest-filled encore, Tedeschi Trucks Band worked several notable covers into their Tanglewood debut. The band played Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Ohio” with a “Machine Gun” tease and offered takes on Dolly Parton’s “Wildflowers,” the Allman Brothers Band’s “Come And Go Blues” and “Dreams” and Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue.” Susan Tedeschi, Gabe Dixon and Alecia Chakour performed “Wildflowers” as a trio, as they have since premiering the cover this past weekend in the wake of Parton’s death.

TTB closed the main set by pairing “I Want More” with Jeff Beck’s “Beck’s Bolero.” The encore began with “Fire And Rain” by longtime Tanglewood fixture and Lenox resident James Taylor, who first performed at the venue in 1974. Taylor has since returned for over 50 shows at Tanglewood.

Watch Lukas Nelson and Mitch Chakour join Tedeschi Trucks Band for “Helpless” and “Space Captain” below:

Nelson has one more opening slot for TTB this Sunday, September 6 at the BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire. He will reunite with Tedeschi Trucks Band next April as part of the lineup for TTB’s Sun, Sand & Soul Beach Weekend in Miramar Beach, Florida.

Setlist (via TTBase.net)

Set: Crazy Cryin’, Little by Little, Who Am I, Hero, Emmaline, They Don’t Shine, Ohio*, Isaac & Kebbi > Let Me Get By, Wildflowers, Soul Sweet Song, Come and Go Blues, Just Won’t Burn, Tangled Up In Blue, Anyhow, It Ain’t Fair > Dreams, I Want More > Beck’s Bolero

Encore: Fire and Rain, Helpless**, Space Captain***

• * Machine Gun tease
• ** with Lukas Nelson
• *** with Lukas Nelson and Mitch Chakour