Tedeschi Trucks Band scrap two festival sets as Susan Tedeschi needs surgery
Susan Tedeschi said an appendix scare will keep the band from FloydFest and Newport Folk Festival while she has the organ removed.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Tedeschi Trucks Band have pulled out of two major festival appearances after singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi said doctors told her she needs surgery to remove her appendix.
The band will no longer play FloydFest in Virginia or Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, both of which were scheduled for this weekend. Tedeschi announced the cancellations Monday in a post on the band’s verified Instagram account.
“I had an appendix scare, and I’ve been told I need surgery to have it removed,” Tedeschi wrote on Instagram. She described the operation as “a very common procedure” and told fans she expects to be OK.
Tedeschi said the decision means the group must skip Newport Folk and FloydFest, adding that she does not like canceling performances or creating trouble for fans, the band or crew. She said she needed to deal with the issue now so it would not become more serious later.
“We promise we’ll make it up to y’all as soon as we can,” she wrote. “I’ll be back on my feet before you know it, and we’ll see you out there soon.”
A summer tour hits a medical pause
Tedeschi co-leads Tedeschi Trucks Band with her husband, guitarist Derek Trucks. The group released its latest album, Future Soul, in March and has been touring behind it through the summer.
The band’s recent run included a June appearance at Bonnaroo, where Rolling Stone reported that severe weather nearly disrupted the stop.
During an appearance on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Tedeschi and Trucks discussed the demands of taking a large touring outfit on the road. The band has 12 members, and Trucks said on the podcast, “When you roll into town with a 12-piece band…people know you mean business.”
The cancellation takes the group off the bill at two roots-music fixtures. Newport Folk Festival, held in Newport, Rhode Island, is one of the best-known folk gatherings in the United States. FloydFest takes place in Virginia.
Red Rocks dates still on the calendar
The band’s next listed concerts are a two-night stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. Those shows are currently scheduled for July 31 and Aug. 1.
Tedeschi did not give a date for the surgery in her Instagram post. She also did not announce replacement dates for the missed festival appearances, saying only that the band would try to make it up to fans when possible.
The Instagram update drew thousands of likes and hundreds of comments from fans after it was posted to the Tedeschi Trucks Band account.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.