PHOENIX, AZ | The Teskey Brothers made the Arizona stop on their North American tour Tuesday night at The Van Buren in downtown Phoenix. The Australian natives are winding their way through North America playing coast to coast. The Winding Way Tour started in April and made their 11th stop of 22 playing to a sold out crowd of roughly 2,000.
Releasing their first album in 2018, they bring a soul-filled, old school feel. Opening with a nod to Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness,” the crowd was instantly thrown back to the ’60s. Josh Teskey, the lead vocalist for the Brothers, is a one of a kind talent and sings with such soul that I have never heard before. The “Blues” brothers, Josh and Sam, delivered a 15 song setlist filled with blues and roots music inspired by Ray Charles and many others.
The show opened with a 45 minute set from Pearl Charles. She and her band kicked off the old school vibe with a Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac inspired set. Regarded as ’60s rock blended with 1970s cosmic country, Pearl Charles certainly brings the feel to the stage. She and her crew sport outfits directly out of that decade and almost move exactly like they were born then. Presenting a perfect warmup for what the Teskey brothers delivered afterward, there is a lot to like about Pearl and her band.
I could listen to Josh Teskey sing by himself for hours if that was possible. Inspired by the likes of Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers, The Teskey brothers create that heartwarming soul-filled ’60s sound. Blending soul, jazz, blues, and even a little gospel, The Teskey Brothers certainly pull at the heart strings. They released a 5 song EP in January of 2023 and this tour features 4 of the 5 tracks, including the majority of their biggest hits.
Blending genres, tunes such as “Crying Shame” and “Oceans of Emotions” include deeper lyrics and are slower jams. Then there are the upbeat tracks like “So Caught Up” that just get you swaying without realizing it. Meshing two brass instruments, drums, bass, lead guitar and rhythm guitar, the group has all the pieces for the sound. They ended with three encores—including my personal favorite and everyone else’s—their most listened to track on Spotify, “Forever You and Me.”
The very last song is a mostly an a cappella version of “Hold Me” which features a mesmerizing lead line from Josh and is the only song that fully features Josh singing by himself under his own spotlight. The entire setlist, start to finish, blew me away and they sound like nobody else who is touring right now. The Teskey Brothers are proof time travel exists, and I will not be convinced otherwise. It’s a beautiful thing to see the ’60s soul/jazz/blues sound still alive and well halfway through 2024.
PEARL CHARLES
