Premiere psychedelic funk band Lettuce will find their way to Central New York on November 20, with a performance at Utica’s Stanley Theater. No strangers to playing shows across New York State, this marks Lettuce’s first ever performance in Utica.
For more than two decades, Lettuce have brought a new vitality to classic funk, matching their smooth and soulful grooves with a hip-hop-inspired urgency.
Comprised of a stellar group of musicians – Drummer Adam Deitch, guitarists Adam Smirnoff, bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes, keyboardist and vocalist Nigel Hall, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, and trumpet player Eric Bloom—the band consistently displays an applauded mastery of their respective crafts. The group of high caliber musicians blend their talents together in a sound that is distinctly their own.
From their latest album Elevate, acclaimed single “The Love You Left Behind” is a funky take on the classic tune. Featuring the gritty vocals of blues siren Alecia Chakour, the track was included in NPR’s All Songs Considered and is a crowd favorite at their live shows.
Formed in 1992, when several band members attended a summer program at Boston’s Berklee College of Music as teenagers, Lettuce was founded on a shared love of legendary funk artists like Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power. After returning to Berklee as undergrads in 1994, Lettuce started playing in local clubs and steadily built up a following that soon extended to cities across the country and then throughout the world.
Opening the night will be Ghost-Note. Having formed in 2015, the group’s two studio albums – 2018’s Swagism and 2015’s Fortified – have earned critical acclaim and popular success around the globe, with both albums hitting the #1 spot on the iTunes jazz charts. Pushing funk music into the future, Ghost-Note builds on the uplifting, pioneering foundations laid out by the likes of James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone and infuse their fresh take with tastes of afrobeat, hip-hop, psychedelia, world folklore, and more.
For more information and tickets, visit The Stanley Theater website.
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