Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. Schmit

TBS and Friends (the band)

Timothy B. Schmit - Lead vocal, guitar, bass, harmonica
John McFee - Pedal steel guitar, guitar, bass, violin, vocals
Hank Linderman - Guitar, bass
Chris Farmer - Keys, bass, vocals
Herman Matthews - Drums, percussion, vocals
Bobby Carlos - Bass, cigar box guitar
Marlene Jeter - backup vocals
Lynn Fidmont - backup vocals
Mortinette Jenkins - backup vocals

If you were wondering what Timothy B. Schmit would bring to the stage as a solo artist, it’s a subtle and deep skill set, gathered over decades of being a collaborator rather than a frontman. At the Granada Theater last night, a peaceful, easy venue if ever there was one, Schmit shared his stage with anywhere from one to nine other musicians. No egos or politics appeared, nor any mention of the sort of reckoning that often accompanies hard earned seniority in rock and roll. Not until the show was over did I remember that he’d once had throat cancer.

Mostly recent solo material, sprinkled with a few songs from his many years with Poco and the Eagles (“those other bands”, he affectionately called them) was warmly welcomed throughout a pair of one hour sets. The stage quickly filled with instruments and harmonies, and by the end of the evening nearly every player had taken a turn on bass, a band membership requirement, Schmit joked. The catchy “One More Mile”, opened the first set, followed by the introduction of McFee for “My Hat”, and the arrival of the backup singers during “White Boy From Sacramento”, an autobiographical tune that was funky, fun, and funny. “Parachute” was the jewel before the solo that ended the first set, when Schmit stood alone with his acoustic guitar and talked of moving on, before offering a tribute to Glenn Frey with “Peaceful Easy Feeling”. The second set held more ballads, soul, and front porch stomps, with more harmonies and plenty of guitars to go around, Schmit easily stepping in and out of the ensemble. He invited us all to join in for ”I Can’t Tell You Why”, noting that he’d used the partially written song to audition for the Eagles. It’s hard to believe that was 40 years ago. I wasn’t the only one in the audience who had to let that sink in.

Whether those in the sold out crowd came to see an icon, hear one of the sweetest voices of our time, or groove to the jams of a seasoned rhythm player, TBS (and friends) delivered, “hitting all them high notes, like they were nothin”.

Set List:
One More Mile
My Hat
The Shadow
Red Dirt Road
Ella Jean
White Boy
Downtime
Parachute
*Solo (Peaceful Easy Feeling)
I Can See Everything
What Should I Do
Keep On trying
Friday Night
I Refuse
Secular Praise
I Can’t tell You Why
A Good Day
I Don’t Want To Hear Anymore
Love Will Keep Us Alive