Two beloved bands coming from different points on the map, bringing their audiences together for a select run of shows. Ozomatli and the Squirrel Nut Zippers are announcing their first set of dates together for 2017 this morning. The “United Together” tour begins March 28th in Tucson, AZ.
“We’ve have a lot of love for the Ozomatli guys and the idea of bringing our different audiences together for one amazing night of music was just too good not to pursue,” remarked Squirrel Nut Zippers leader Jimbo Mathus. “I think the Zippers fans are gonna freak out on how amazing Ozo is live and vice versa.”
Unlike other touring parings, this one is already proving to be a collaborative one. The groups are collaborating on a new song for the tour which will be released closer to the launch. Both groups feel this is an important time in the American Story to embrace, remember and celebrate the wealth of cultural diversity that exists in the United States. “We anchor ourselves to a belief that we the actual people of the land are more united than divided” says Squirrel Nut Zippers founding member Chris Phillips.
“We are so excited to be working with the Zippers that we immediately wanted to make it special in every way that we could. A new song together is just the beginning” said Justin Poree of Ozomatli. “We want to create a show that integrates the best of both bands and creates a never to forget experience for the audience.” The first six dates are beginning announced today with more to follow.
It was about 20 years ago when NPR’s Morning Edition said: “It’s not easy to categorize the music of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, except that it’s hot.”
2016 marked the 20th anniversary of the Squirrel Nut Zippers most celebrated and commercially successful album Hot. Originally released in the summer of 1996, Hot was the follow up to the band’s critically acclaimed debut The Inevitable. By this time the group had already established a substantial live following across the country thanks to early support from NPR, college radio and non-commercial stations. Hot wound up selling over 1.3 million copies.
Last year, the Squirrel Nut Zippers performed their first set of tour dates since 2009 to sold out crowds across the country. As Jimbo Mathus has said since the band’s re-launch, ‘it’s not a reunion, it’s a revival.’ The band are currently in the studio working on a new album which will be their first in seventeen years.
Since its inception in 1995, innovation and creativity have defined Ozomatli. Hailing from Los Angeles, the group found a way to represent the city’s eclectic culture through music that appeals to the local community and the world beyond. Ozomatli’s success is exemplified in an impressive variety of genres, from classic to modern Latino, urban, hip-hop and other world styles. The “Dioses del Baile,” or “Gods of Dance,” have created one of the most exciting, captivating and flat-out fun live shows touring today. They continue to harness their musical instincts by conceiving new concepts and forging new sounds that keep fans on their toes and the world dancing.
The band’s new record “Non-Stop, Mexico>Jamaica” will be released May 5 on Cleopatra records. The album will pay homage to the band’s Latin roots, allowing them to personalize songs that defined their youth and in turn, become part of Latin and Pop music lore. Produced by drum & bass reggae legends, Sly & Robbie (Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Madonna, No Doubt) and featuring various high profile guest vocalists, the album recreates the magic of classic Latin hits, with a reggae dancehall vibe that only Ozomatli could make feel as natural as waves rolling in the Caribbean sands.
For the most up to date information on the bands visit:
UNITED TOGETHER TOUR DATES
March 28th Tucson Rialto
March 29th Tempe Marquee
March 30th Las Vegas House Of Blues
April 19th Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
April 20th Concord, NH Capitol Center For The Arts
April 21st Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Steel
More To Be Announced!
Squirrel Nut Zippers Tour Dates
April 1st San Diego Music Box
April 3rd Los Angeles El Rey
April 4th San Francisco The Fillmore
