G. Love’s Beachside Blues Tour Set to Roll Up the East Coast This Summer
Following an epic Beachside Blues Tour of Florida, G. Love announced he’d be taking his funkified brand of hip hop blues clear up the East Coast this summer. A few dates will be with the full band, G. Love & Special Sauce, but most will be solo acoustic in small venues where fans can get up close and personal, soaking in what’s sure to be a steamy good time.
I got to catch a performance with G. Love and opener Kristy Lee at my favorite local brewery, The Point Ybel Brewing Company in Fort Myers, Florida on May 12. Now there’s practically nothing I like better than sharing sweat and the love of good music, wedged shoulder to shoulder with other fans in a tiny venue – the steamier the better. Throw in fantastic ice-cold brews and a little wiggle room to dance, and I’m a happy camper. That was pretty much the case that night.
We arrived to a packed house and Alabama blues woman Kristy Lee taking the enthralled crowd to church with her gorgeous voice and acoustic guitar. Lee’s voice is achingly beautiful, and it became abundantly clear after just a few songs that her music bubbles up from the deep recesses of her soul. Original songs like “Feeling Weak,” about the healing power of music, and “Free Love,” about love overcoming prejudice, resonated with a soft power akin to Southern spirituals. Her covers of the Bill Wither’s classic “Grandma’s Hands” and Warren Haynes’ “Soulshine” got me seriously choked up. And from the looks of the audience, I wasn’t the only one. Remember her name – Kristy Lee, and click here for more info. She’ll be one to watch.
If you’ve never seen G. Love up close, you might not know that the dude is really tall. The only things that stood taller in the room were his big, gregarious persona and his ability to produce a sound that stands alone in the music biz. G. Love & Special Sauce have been filtering gritty blues through hip hop for the better part of 25 years, resulting in grooves that have fun and funk written all over it.
Solo, with only his guitar, harmonica and sense of humor to accompany him, G. Love is a head-bopping, hip-swaying joy to watch. He’s even more fun to sing along with while toasting to life’s simple indulgences – tasty beverages being chief among them, including a brew whipped up especially for the occasion called Lemon Haze.
It was appropriate then that an animated G. Love opened with the bluesy, self-explanatory “Drink Wine,” priming the audience for more, including a funked-up version of Bukka White’s classic “Fixin’ To Die.” A skilled blues harp player, G. Love blew train beats (and us) away on this and other tunes throughout the night.
The janglin’ good vibe swirling in the room was one that happens whenever and wherever a symbiotic relationship between musicians and fans exists as it does with G. Love. Sweat and big gobs of happy flowed easily between the crowd and G. Love, who rewarded our ardor with favorites like “Baby’s Got Sauce,” “Booty Call,” and “Who’s Got The Weed.” Throw in “Cold Beverages,” a bouncy ode to (you guessed it) cold beverages, and “Come Up Man,” a modern, danceable blues number written on Sanibel (my island home), and the night was a wholly satisfying good time.
Somewhere toward the end of the set people were dancing on the bar, a fitting show of appreciation for G. Love and Kristy Lee who joined him for a beautiful encore. We were treated to acoustic renditions of “One Night Romance,” a tune written by Kristy Lee that G. Love covered on his album Sugar, and the slow, swaying grooves of “Holla,” with teases of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” sprinkled in. Just to make sure we left with our hearts brimming, the duo sent us off with a foot-stompin’ version of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom City Blues.”
I’ve got to give a shout-out to the folks at The Point Ybel Brewing Company for bringing G. Love and other stellar musicians to a quiet little corner of the world that is not exactly known as a mecca for cutting-edge hipsters or music lovers. I’m optimistic that’s about to change.
Fans looking to catch G. Love’s Beachside Blues Tour this summer can click on the links below for more information.