Philly’s G. Love & Special Sauce are currently on what they call “The HipHop Blues Winter Tour 2017” and are headed for First Avenue’s Mainroom this Friday 1/13 supported by The Rebirth Brass Band and RIPE. Tickets are still available HERE
“When you get the spark, you got to ride that energy,” says G. Love, and that spark certainly ignites on his 10th studio full-length Love Saves The Day. He calls the new release “the fullest realization of the hip-hop blues” that he first pioneered with Special Sauce in the early ‘90s. The album, released October 30, 2015 on Brushfire Records, not only features G. Love’s long-term Special Sauce rhythm section – upright bassist James “Jimi Jazz” Prescott, and drummer Jeffrey “The Houseman” Clemens – but also prominent guest performers including Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo, Lucinda Williams, Citizen Cope, Ozomatli, DJ Logic, Money Mark, Zach Gill and Adam Topol.
To create their down and dirty “trashcan blues” sound, G. Love and Special Sauce returned to Brushfire Records’ Solar Powered Plastic Plant in Los Angeles. The band was excited to reteam with Sugar engineer and producer Robert Carranza (Jack Johnson, Beastie Boys, Mars Volta). They recorded live with few edits to capture the immediacy of the music: G. Love making his guitar snarl and his harmonica moan, bassist Prescott bringing nimble funk to the bottom end and Clemens’ drum work crackling with power. “The music,” G. Love enthuses, “jumped off the tape.”
The new album completes the trilogy for G. Love that started with 2011’s Fixin To Die. That disc stripped his music down to its roots and saw him record with The Avett Brothers, while Sugar, in G. Love’s words, “reconnected the blues with the electric side” and reunited the original trio to create the band’s signature style of blending John Lee Hooker blues with “Golden Era” hip-hop beats. On Love Saves The Day the group dives even deeper, making the grooves heavier, the music rawer and the performances more authentic.
Tour Dates:
THU JAN 12 – POTAWATOMI CASINO – NORTHERN LIGHTS THEATER, MILWAUKEE, WI
FRI JAN 13 – FIRST AVE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
SAT JAN 14 – HOUSE OF BLUES, CHICAGO, IL
SUN JAN 15 – THE READY ROOM, ST LOUIS, MO
WED JAN 18 – THE VOGUE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN
THU JAN 19 – THE A&R MUSIC BAR, COLUMBUS, OH
FRI JAN 20 – MGM GRAND, DETROIT, MI
SAT JAN 21 – HOUSE OF BLUES, CLEVELAND, OH
SUN JAN 22 – ANTHOLOGY, ROCHESTER, NY
WED JAN 25 – BOWERY BALLROOM, NEW YORK, NY
THU JAN 26 – BROOKLYN BOWL, BROOKLYN, NY
FRI JAN 27 – PARADISE ROCK CLUB, BOSTON, MA
SAT JAN 28 – ELECTRIC FACTORY, PHILADELPHIA, PA
SUN JAN 29 – 9:30, WASHINGTON, DC
WED FEB 1 – MAINSTAGE MORGANTOWN, MORGANTOWN, WV
THU FEB 2 – MR. SMALL’S THEATRE, MILLVALE, PA
FRI FEB 3 – CAT’S CRADLE, CARRBORO, NC
SAT FEB 4 – THE MUSIC FARM, CHARLESTON, SC
WED FEB 8 – THE PLAZA LIVE, ORLANDO, FL
THU FEB 9 – PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL, PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL
FRI FEB 10 – JANNUS LIVE, ST. PETERSBURG, FL
SAT FEB 11 – THE TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA
SUN FEB 12 – 3RD & LINDSLEY, NASHVILLE, TN
WED FEB 15 – VINYL MUSIC HALL, PENSACOLA, FL
THU FEB 16 – THE JOY THEATER, NEW ORLEANS, LA
FRI FEB 17 – STUBBS, AUSTIN, TX
SAT FEB 18 – HOUSE OF BLUES, DALLAS, TX
