LHST 30/10 SERIES:
Celebrating 30 Years of Schubas & 10 Years of LINCOLN HALL all year
long!
The CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS CELEBRATE THEIR 11TH YEAR TOGETHER WITH THE
RELEASE OF THEIR LATEST LIVE ALBUM, HONEYDROPS LIVE 2019 AND AN
INTERNATIONAL TOUR TO AUSTRALIA, New Zealand and Europe. This follows
the release of their 7th studio album and first ever double album,
Call It Home: Vol. 1 & 2 in 2018. Led by dynamic vocalist and
multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski, and drawing on diverse musical
influences from Bay Area R&B, funk, Southern soul, Delta blues, and
New Orleans second-line, the HONEYDROPS BRING VIBRANT ENERGY AND
INFECTIOUS DANCE-party vibes to their shows. They’ve taken the party
all over the world, playing festivals of all kinds and touring widely
across North America, Europe and Australia. In 2016 & 2017 the
HONEYDROPS WERE HONORED TO SUPPORT BONNIE RAITT ON HER NORTH AMERICA
RELEASE TOUR -- and in the past have been privileged to support the
likes of B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John. Whether
in those high-profile performances or in more intimate venues where
the band itself can leave the stage and get down on the dance floor,
the CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS’ shared vision and purpose remain: to make
the audience dance and sing.
The HONEYDROPS HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE GUITARIST AND TRUMPETER LECH
WIERZYNKSKI AND DRUMMER BEN MALAMENT STARTED BUSKING IN AN OAKLAND
SUBWAY STATION, but the band has stayed true to that organic,
street-level feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that
he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political
refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American
recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later
at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, CALIFORNIA.
With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo
Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a
powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals. More like
parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive
off-stage jamming and crowd interaction. “The whole point is to
erase the boundaries between the crowd and us,” Wierzynski says.
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13/11/2019 Last update