GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter/producer Van Hunt will celebrate the release of his first-ever live album – Live at “The Troubadour” 2011–by heading back out on the road. The digital-only release will be out March 13 ongodless hotspot and distributed through The Friendship Collective, which is headed by his longtime manager, Randy Jackson. Hunt will play the Thirty Tigers showcase at South By Southwest (3/15 at Cedar Street Courtyard in Austin) and launch a North American headlining tour on March 16 at Houston’s Warehouse Live Studio. The run will include two New York shows – April 2 at The Studio @ Webster Hall and April 3 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Vintage Trouble will open on the first portion of the tour and Rocco Deluca will support on the remaining dates. See below for itinerary.
“I greatly enjoy adding new experiences to the songs our fans already know,” says Van. “I’d like to think this keeps it fresh for everyone. I consider it a compliment when people tell us that no two shows are the same. My role is that of a conductor and a DJ. I try to maintain a brew – that emotionally and physically keeps the crowd moving.”
Hunt is renowned for his live performances, with The Hollywood Reporterdeclaring: “he is a star….oozing charisma and energy” and The Washington Postpraising his ability to “hold audiences rapt….Hunt’s cheeky lyrics, understated bass playing and vocals that shift from growl to howl held down everything from the sexually charged soul of his past to the punk, glam and garage rock songs [of his latest record].”
The 19-track Live at “The Troubadour” 2011captures that electricity. Recorded at Los Angeles’ legendary Troubadour on October 17, 2011, the set spansHunt’s career. It contains five songs from his latest studio album, What Were You Hoping For? including the title track, lead single “Eyes Like Pearls” and “Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane.”
“In the Prince tradition, he kicks out the boundaries of R&B with surprising elements of prog and art-rock. It’s a surrealist’s notion of soul, though one that never wants for tunes and hooks to ground it,” said the New York Daily News of What Were You Hoping For? while the Philadelphia Inquirer noted: “[Van Hunt] has produced one of the most thrilling records of the year.” Numerous other critics placed it on their “Best of 2011” lists and it also appeared on Amazon.com’s “Outstanding 2011 Albums You Might Have Missed” list.
Live at “The Troubadour” 2011also includes stunning renditions of several tracks from Hunt’s 2004 self-titled debut album, includingthe GRAMMY-nominated“Dust,” “Down Here In Hell” and “What Can I Say,” plus “Character,” the lead single from On the Jungle Floor (2006), and “The Lowest 1 Of My Desires,” a song written for the unreleased Popular, Hunt’s “lost” album, which was hailed by the LA Weekly as “a left-field stunner” and became an underground sensation via online music sharing after his former label refused to release it.
In addition to his headlining outings, Hunt has toured with such diverse acts as Kanye West, Coldplay, The Roots, Mary J. Blige, Dave Matthews Band and Seal. He received a GRAMMY Award for “Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals,” honoring “Family Affair,” a collaboration with John Legend and Joss Stone found on the 2006 Sly & The Family Stone tribute album, Different Strokes For Different Folks.
Track Listing – Van Hunt’s Live at “The Troubadour” 2011
1. Intro
2. Dimples On Ur Bottom
3. Hello Goodbye
4. Man Of The Year
5. SNM
6. Seconds Of Pleasure
7. Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane
8. What Were You Hoping For?
9. North Hollywood
10. What Can I Say?
11. Character
12. Prelude Reprise / Highlights / Peter Intro
13. Eyes Like Pearls
14. Her December
15. A Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend
16. Dust
17. Down Here In Hell
18. The Lowest 1 Of My Desires
19. Outro
Van Hunt – Spring 2012 Tour Dates
3/15 Austin, TX @ Cedar Street Courtyard – SXSW/Thirty Tigers Showcase
3/16 Houston, TX@Warehouse Live Studio
3/17 Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar
3/20 St. Louis, MO @ Lola
3/21 Chicago, IL@ Lincoln Hall
3/22 Ferndale, MI@ The Magic Bag
3/23 Cleveland, OH @Beachland Ballroom
3/24 Toronto, ON @The Great Hall
3/27 Washington, DC @The Hamilton
3/28 Baltimore, MD @Sound Stage
3/29 Pittsburgh, PA@ Thunderbird Café
3/31 Providence, RI@ Fete Lounge
4/1 Philadelphia, PA@ World Café Live
4/2 New York, NY @ The Studio @ Webster Hall
4/3 Brooklyn, NY@ Knitting Factory
4/5 Charlotte, NC@ Double Door Inn
4/6 Atlanta, GA @The Earl
4/7 Nashville, TN @ Jazz & Jokes
4/9 Columbus, OH @The Basement
4/11 Dayton, OH @Canal Street Tavern
4/13 Bloomington, IL @The Castle Theatre
4/14 Davenport, IA @RME Performance Hall
4/15 Minneapolis, MN @Fine Line Music Cafe
