My wife and I had seen Susan perform at the Crystal Ballroom, with her husband Derek Trucks, as they toured the Soul Stew Revival show last year. Based on that stellar lead vocal and lead guitar performance by Susan and her recent CD "Back To The River", I bought tickets to this gig at the Oregon Zoo, with the understanding that it would likely be a very different show. But I did not expect to come away more or less disappointed. We even left before her "last" song and the obligatory encore were finished, just so we could beat the crowds out of the parking lot. I don't typically do that, when I attend a concert by a musician/singer/songwriter or artist whom I respect, recommend (nay, gush about) to my closest friends, and actively support through CD purchases. The musicians in her backup group were all talented to varying degrees. The saxophonist was without a doubt the best player in the quintet, with the lead guitarist a close second, followed in orders of magnitude less by bassist, drummer and keyboard player. The drummer lacked dynamic restraint. Much of the time, he was overplaying and too loud, and subsequently detracted from Susan's performance as a result. That fact may have been more a function of the person(s) operating the sound system, but from where I sat, which was fairly close to the band, it sounded as though he often dominated the stage sound, as well. As a group, they were not particularly tight nor professional. In fact, the opening act, JJ Grey and Mofro, was far tighter and more professional. Susan's voice was in good form, but she didn't come through enough, on top of the band's overall mix, to suit my taste. Additionally, there was very little if any harmony vocals accompanying her. I realize that a lot of musicians don't sing and one must economize in the current financial atmosphere, but the show would've benefited enormously from the inclusion of even just one decent backup singer. Lastly, Susan's lead guitar sound was far thinner than what I heard from her at the Crystal Ballroom. Granted, this show was outside, and again some of the blame can be spread to the sound crew, but she also just did not perform the searing, climatic leads, with which I grew so enamored during the Soul Stew Revival. Maybe it was that she was not feeding off her husband Derek's unfathomable talent and indefatigable energy. I don't know. I gave this show a 3 out of 5, but only because I couldn't give it a 7 out of 10. It was better than a 3, but uninspired and forgettable enough to be less than a 4. (Sorry, Susan. I love your music.)
