The London Souls, the New York duo called “the rawest specimen of blues-rock since the Black Keys” (World Cafe), will co-headline a string of shows this August with Con Brio, the San Francisco soul-funk seven-piece whose fiery live delivery has been compared to the likes of D’Angelo and James Brown. Full dates listed below; all tickets go on sale Friday, May 19th.
Fresh off a 2016 tour spent winning over crowds as support for the Grammy Award-winning
Sturgill Simpson, The London Souls — comprised of Tash Neal on guitar and Chris St. Hilaire on drums, both on vocals — were tapped by
The Who to open three of the legendary band’s dates this July. Between the London Souls’ sophomore LP
Here Come the Girls (with its sweeping, British rock-imbued harmonies) and their infectious, psychedelia-inflected live show (a known must-see among savvy New York City fans since 2008), they’ve also earned admiration of blues guitar virtuoso
Gary Clark Jr., who selected the band for Jameson Whiskey’s new music grant program to support emerging talent. The London Souls’ next LP is forthcoming in early 2018.
Powered by charismatic singer Ziek McCarter (whom KQED says “channels the pained emotion of Otis Redding, the suave edge of Sam Cooke and the solid dance moves, splits and all, of James Brown”), San Francisco’s Con Brio released their debut LP Paradise in summer 2016. They’ve spent the following months making devotees of audiences at home and abroad, including tours with The Revivalists and Galactic as well as sets at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Japan’s Fuji Rock, the Montreal Jazz Fest, and Austin City Limits, where PopMatters dubbed them “the best new live band in America.” Drawing on blistering electric guitar, old-school horns and a deep in-the-pocket rhythm section, the seven-piece builds on Bay Area’s uplifting, psychedelic-soul tradition established by groups like Sly and the Family Stone. The septet also have a new album coming in 2018 and will be releasing new music throughout 2017.
