Bonnie Raitt kicked off a late-summer U.S. trek earlier in August dubbed the Tried & True Tour, featuring support act Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-a-Whirl Band. Raitt and company brought their show to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Tuesday, August 26, and they certainly gave the packed crowd something to talk (and cheer) about.
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Raitt was in great spirits and exceptional voice throughout the concert. Early on, she gushed about how blessed she felt to get to keep playing music for her fans more than 50 years into her career.
[RELATED: Bonnie Raitt’s First Big Hit Single Came Courtesy of an Unheralded Canadian Songwriter]
The 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer kicked her set off with a cover of ex-NRBQ guitarist Al Anderson’s “Split Decision,” which she recorded for her 2012 album Slipstream.
She followed that with “Time of Our Lives,” a grooving, soulful tune that appeared on her 2002 studio effort Silver Lining. Afterward, Raitt commented that was excited to finally be touring with Vaughan after waiting for about 30 years to do so. She also noted that she’s on her fourth year of touring behind her 2022 album, Just Like That…
Raitt then ripped into her classic 1989 cover of John Hiatt’s “Thing Called Love,” from her chart-topping, Grammy-winning album Nick of Time.
Next up was a version of the 1966 Mable John R&B hit “Your Good Thing (Is About to End).” Bonnie covered soul ballad for her 1979 album, The Glow. Raitt then performed “Hear Me Lord,” a song by Zimbabwean musician and political activist Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi that appeared on Silver Lining.
Band Introductions
Raitt then introduced her backing band. The group features guitarist Duke Levine, keyboardist Glenn Patscha, bassist James “Hutch” Hutchinson, and drummer Ricky Fataar. Fataar is best know for his early-1970s stint with The Beach Boys, and his appearance as The Rutles’ Stig O’Hara in the Beatles-inspired 1978 mockumentary The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash.
The Rest of Raitt’s Main Set
Back to the music, Bonnie dug into her blues roots, playing the 1968 Skip James song “Devil Got My Woman.”
Bonnie then introduced the title track of her latest album, “Just Like That.” Raitt explained that poignant song was inspired by the insightful writing style of the late John Prine. “I wanted to write a song about redemption and grace,” she said. “Just Like That” won 2023 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song.
Raitt then played “Something to Talk About,” a Top-10 hit from her 1991 album Luck of the Draw. The tune earned her a 1992 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Bonnie followed that with two songs from 1989’s Nick of Time—“Love Letter” and the title track. The Raitt-written “Nick of Time” won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1990.
Raitt then played her signature cover of John Prine’s classic “Angel from Montgomery.” Bonnie’s version of the song appeared on her 1974 album, Streetlights.
Raitt revisited Just Like That… for a rendition of “Livin’ for the Ones.” Bonnie co-wrote the song with her longtime guitarist George Marinelli about friends and family she’d lost in recent years.
Raitt closed out the main part of the show with a cover of the 1992 Annie Lennox song “Little Bird.” Bonnie introduced the tune into her set in 2025.
About Raitt’s Encore
Raitt began her encore with her hit 1991 ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” from the Luck of the Draw album. “This one goes out to anyone with a broken heart,” she told the audience.
Bonnie then brought out Vaughan and the horn section of his Tilt-a-Whirl Band to bring the concert to a close.
Raitt commented to Vaughan, “You always play like you look … badass!”
The musicians then kicked into a cover of Billy “The Kid” Emerson’s “The Pleasure’s All Mine,” which Raitt and Vaughan first played together in 2014 on the Austin City Limits TV show’s 40th anniversary special. Jimmie also recorded the tune for his 2010 album Jimmie Vaughan Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites.
Bringing the show to a close, Raitt, Vaughan, and company played a rollicking version of Jimmie’s 1994 blues-rock tune “Boom-Bapa-Boom.”
About Vaughan’s Opening Set
Vaughan and his Tilt-a-Whirl Band delivered a set heavy on Chicago blues-style songs, albeit by way of Texas. The set included covers of Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown’s “Dirty Work at the Crossroads,” Webb Pierce’s “I Ain’t Never,” Slide Hampton’s “Frame for the Blues,” Roscoe Gordon’s “Just a Little Bit,” and Guitar Junior’s “The Crawl.”
Vaughan also played a version of his own “No One to Talk to (But the Blues).” In addition, he paid tribute to his late younger brother Stevie Ray Vaughan with a rendition of Larry Davis’ 1958 tune “Texas Flood.” Stevie Ray’s own version was the title track of his 1983 debut solo album.
Raitt’s Upcoming Tour Plans
Raitt’s Tried & True Tour with Vaughan continues on Thursday, August 28, in Bangor, Maine. The trek is plotted out through a September 25 concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. You can check out Bonnie’s full tour schedule at BonnieRaitt.com.
Bonnie Raitt Set List, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT – 8/26/2025
- “Split Decision”
- “Time of Our Lives”
- “A Thing Called Love”
- “Your Good Thing (Is About to End)”
- “Help Me Lord”
- “Devil Got My Woman”
- “Just Like That”
- “Something to Talk About”
- “Love Letter”
- “Nick of Time”
- “Angel from Montgomery”
- “Livin’ for the Ones”
- “Little Bird”
Encore:
- “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
- “The Pleasure’s All Mine” (with Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band)
- “Boom-Bapa-Boom” (with Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band)
(Photo by Hans Tak/Courtesy of Holland International Blues Festival)
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