by Jon Turner
On Saturday, March 22, 2025, the Wood Brothers brought their maximalist approach to the power trio format back to the Fillmore for a packed show. The trio forgoes the use of any backing tracks or tricks to fill out the sound and instead produces the sound of a five-person ensemble anyway.
It’s a lot of music for three people to make.
Luckily, the audience sang along to nearly every word in the 22-song set, with lyrics reminding us to honor the triumphal toil of the downtrodden and to linger on the beautiful mundanities of love.
The Wood Brothers do it with ease, style, and the kind of comfort in each other and their audience that only comes from nearly 20 years on the road together.
Centered around Oliver Wood’s punchy, nasal vocal tone and his jangly, boom-chick guitar performance, drawing heavily on the Delta Blues tradition.
Jano Rix manages to play an eclectic kit of drums (including a tambourine that sounds deeper and lower than most floor toms), crumpled cymbals, and a Fender Rhodes electric piano and while adding vocal harmonies.
Chris Wood (of the acclaimed jazz ensemble Medeski, Martin, and Wood) adds bass (upright and electric), vocals, and harmonica.
For a fresh and exciting take on American roots music, catch the Wood Brothers back in the Bay Area this summer.
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